German Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer Audi is testing Blockchain technology for its physical and financial distribution processing, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported today, March 30. With its new solution, Audi aims to increase the security and transparency in its global supply chains.

The car manufacturer released a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) of its Blockchain system last year, after successfully testing the technology based on IBM’s Hyperledger Fabric. Due to positive feedback, Audi’s management decided to advance the project beyond the PoC stage.

The research team comprised of representatives from various organizational units such as finance, production, logistics and IT are currently exploring the representation and documentation of international logistic processes, including financial settlement.

Furthermore, the team is exploring various use cases for Blockchain to improve the safety of data transfers, effectiveness of supply chains, management of local energy grids and for the management of digital entities.

Alexander Dietmeier, Head of Group Treasury at Audi AD, stated in an interview with Die Produktion that Blockchain has potential to change various operating principles within industrial companies and opens up new possibilities. Dietmeier also stressed that he believes it likely that Audi will be offering cryptocurrencies as a payment method in the near future.

Other German car manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche have recently hit the headlines with announcements of their own experiments with Blockchain technology.

Mercedes Benz, a subsidiary of the automotive group Daimler AG, is issuing its own cryptocurrency MobiCoin to reward drivers for environmentally cautious driving. Carmaker Porsche is exploring the utilization of blockchain apps in its vehicles in cooperation with the Berlin-based startup XAIN.

BMW is reportedly planning to expand its portfolio by partnering with a Blockchain startup and jointly developing a system for ethical sourcing of cobalt for its products.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/audi-is-exploring-blockchain-for-its-distributional-network

Tips for Trading Efficiently in Bitcoins & Altcoins

Being efficient at trading is essential for booking profits in the long term. The goal is to remain on the positive side of the market. But how to make the right trading moves in a volatile cryptocurrency market? By avoiding silly trading mistakes and staying focused, trading is not quite hard. Remember, if you are a passive trader, you should not shoot for the stars right away. Make a consistent schedule and be attentive to the market before jumping in on a trade that appears lucrative.

Of course, you must avoid tip-offs but should adhere to some trading rules that we are writing below if you want to achieve your goal in the long term from cryptocurrency trading. Here we reveal some tips for efficient trading:


Back your trades by a solid reason every time
Trading haphazardly will never lead you anywhere. Only enter a trade when you have a clear picture in mind and a strategy in action. It is not essential that you book profits from each trade and every time, but when you do, the profits should be worthwhile. In order to improve your profits, your trading decision must be backed by a prudent research instead of rumours. Rather than making a mistake and regretting it later, it is important to study and analyze the patterns and trade only when you have a reason to do so.

Create a target and stop-loss level
It is important to set a clear target level to achieve while starting to trade. Also, set a stop-loss level to limit your loss in case the market tumbles. It is important to set the stop loss level correctly. Instead of being emotional, be rational and keep your ego aside when you are in the market. Unlike traditional financial market movements, the crypto market movement is not particularly stable but highly volatile. This makes crypto trades riskier than conventional stock market trades. Your investment value can corrode enormously in a matter of few hours if you do not create a set target/stop loss level and adhere to it religiously.

Stop worrying about fear of missing out
Instead of rushing to enter a trade instantly when you see a green signal and growth patterns, you should wait for a while. As Bitcoin and other altcoins sometimes rise crazily in a matter of minutes, the green gains can tempt you to start trading right away. Instead of suffering from the fear of missing out, you should not carelessly enter a cycle that you do not understand. Sometimes, the market can rise without any visible reason, making you regret the decision of not starting a trade. But the opposite can also be true. When the trade volumes are high and everyone is buying, a large investor can shed his load and can make that profits vanish away in a matter of seconds, making you regret entering the rally.

Value of an altcoin is relative to Bitcoin value
You must know that bitcoin is a very volatile currency and value of other altcoins depends on its value. So, while entering a trade in altcoins, keep the value of bitcoin in mind, always.

In case bitcoin prices are moving sharply in one direction, keep your trade targets tight or completely avoid trading in altcoins for the time being.

Manage risks by diversifying your portfolio
It is important to manage risk and avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. In order to be a profitable crypto trade, you need to stop being emotionally attached to a single coin and instead diversify your portfolio among major cryptocurrencies. Also, avoid looking for peaks and grab small profits at regular intervals to stay away from large-scale market dips. This will help you manage risk in an efficient way.

Don’t just throw away money in ICOs
ICOs might appear lucrative from a point of investor, but if you want to be a profitable trader, avoid the temptation of investing in every ICO you come across. They might promise cheap coins and an instant profit on hitting the exchange, but there can be some serious ramifications, if a solid team does not back an ICO. Generally, an ICO succeeds if the project is trying to solve a problem that others have not thought about. At the same time, the team behind ICO must be technically sound and knowledgeable. You can check the same at cryptocurrency forums where the ICO team is active. If the whole crypto community at large is enthusiastic about a particular ICO, you can consider investing prudently, instead of throwing a large sum.

Being a disciplined trader requires a commitment to be active at most of the times. If you are looking at the long-term prospects and have entered trading, then it is better to listen to a word or two of caution to avoid silly mistakes. In order to get the best out of a trading platform, you must start trading wisely and regularize your trades while keeping in mind the above tips. The market will surely reward you for wise moves and you will not regret investing in cryptocurrencies.

Keep trading and building a portfolio to achieve your financial goals. All the best 

"The Commission should not stand in the way of such ETPs coming to market" given Cboe's arguments for addressing the SEC's concerns, the derivatives exchange said Friday in a letter to the SEC, published online Monday.
The letter from Cboe President and COO Chris Concannon was addressed to the director of the SEC's division of investment management, Dalia Blass, in response to her letter in January that pushed back on applications for bitcoin-related ETFs.
Separately, the commission said Friday it would begin the process of determining whether it will allow NYSE Arca to list two ProShares funds tracking bitcoin futures.

Cboe Global Markets, the first to launch bitcoin futures, would like the Securities and Exchange Commission to allow cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds.

"Cboe encourages the Commission to approach Cryptocurrency ETPs [exchange-traded products] holistically and from the same perspective that it has historically approached commodity-related ETPs," the derivatives exchange said Friday in a letter to the SEC, published online Monday.

"The Commission should not stand in the way of such ETPs coming to market" given Cboe's arguments for addressing the SEC's concerns, the letter said.


The SEC did not immediately respond to a CNBC request Tuesday for a comment on the letter. Separately, the commission said Friday it would begin the process of determining whether it will allow NYSE Arca to list two ProShares funds tracking bitcoin futures.

In January, Dalia Blass, director of the SEC's division of investment management, pushed back against numerous applications for bitcoin-related ETFs. In a letter to two U.S. trade groups, Blass said the products have yet to address issues such as extreme price volatility in cryptocurrencies and liquidity in related funds.

Friday's letter from Cboe President and COO Chris Concannon was written to Blass in response to her letter.

"While Cboe shares many of the concerns raised in the Staff Letter, we believe that the vast majority of these concerns can be addressed within the existing framework for commodity-related funds related to valuation, liquidity, custody, arbitrage, and manipulation," Concannon said.

He said Cboe expects trading volumes in bitcoin futures markets to soon reach levels "comparable to those of other commodity futures products at the time that they were included in ETPs." Concannon added that "Cboe has undertaken significant measures to detect and prevent manipulation in the bitcoin futures market."

Cboe became the first major exchange to launch bitcoin futures on Dec. 10 and applied later that month with the SEC to list six bitcoin-related exchange-traded funds. CME, the world's largest futures exchange, launched bitcoin futures one week after Cboe, spurring expectations that more institutional investors would buy into the trend of soaring interest in cryptocurrencies.

However, trading volumes in the two bitcoin futures remain relatively light. Futures commission merchants also have limited client access to the products, while bitcoin itself has lost more than half its value since the December launch of the futures contracts.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/cboe-encourages-sec-to-allow-bitcoin-etfs.html

According to a recently published opinion piece, France’s finance minister Bruno Le Maire revealed that the country plans on creating a legal framework for initial coin offerings (ICOs) in a bid to become a leading ICO hub.

In the opinion piece, published on French website Numerama, Le Maire claims he asked former central bank official Jean-Pierre Landau to draft a proposal for a legislative framework on cryptocurrencies. In the article, he wrote:

“France has every interest in becoming the first major financial center to propose an ad hoc legislative framework for companies making an initial coin offering.”

Landau has the notorious nickname “Monsieur Bitcoin,” and was last month chosen to chair a cryptocurrency task force in France. The taskforce, as covered by CCN, is responsible for “proposing guidelines on the evolution of regulations.”

Le Maire further revealed that an action plan to be presented to the country’s government “in a few weeks” will propose seeing French market regulator Autorité des marches financiers (AMF) have the option to authorize companies to raise funds through ICOs, as long as they respect specific criteria that’s set on protecting investors.

The minister touted that blockchain technology will offer the country’s start-ups unprecedented opportunities, as they will be able to raise funds by issuing tokens. He said:

“A revolution is underway, of which bitcoin was only the precursor. The blockchain will offer new opportunities to our startups, for example with the Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) that will allow them to raise funds through ‘tokens (…)This promises to create a network of confidence without intermediaries, offers increased traceability and will boost economic efficiency.”

According to him, France has a tradition of financial innovation, and its new goal is to “enter the world of finance of the 21st century by guaranteeing all players the necessary security for their development.” In his op-ed his piece, Le Maire wrote that “[France] should not miss out on the blockchain revolution.”

The country, along with Germany, notably called for cryptocurrencies to be discussed at G20. During the summit, in Buenos Aires, Argentina Le Maire highlighted the importance of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. The G20 communique revealed a crackdown on cryptocurrencies may not occur, although regulation proposals are set to come by July.

Source:
https://www.ccn.com/frances-finance-minister-plans-ico-regulations-in-bid-to-attract-crypto-startups/