Cryptocurrencies could be just a decade old but they have seen so much growth in the past few years. In January 2018, Facebook announced a ban on all ads pertaining to cryptocurrencies. This was following the explosive growth of this Blockchain-based digital currency system in the year 2017. The fact that Facebook’s own cryptocurrency Libra made headlines in June 2019 shows enough of how history seems to be repeating itself.

Few months into 2017, the cryptocurrency market showed a huge spike. This was a milestone year for cryptocurrency. It was also the year when this digital currency system entered the global financial system. In 2017 there was a surge in the number of Altcoins while Bitcoin continued to swell in its value. This was the year when investors were flooding into the market.

It came as a big surprise when 2018 showed more of a downhill trend for cryptocurrencies. While this currency system was proceeding unstoppably just a year before, regulations, surge in the number of scams, Bitcoin bubble, all created an unpleasant ripple. Japan and the US were among the major countries that came forward to regulate the cryptocurrency transactions. Many financial institutions eschewed adoption of cryptocurrencies with the lack of clarity due to impending regulations. The 80% dip of the cryptocurrency market in 2018 was labeled as a worse crash than the ‘dot-com crash.’ This was popularly called the ‘Great Crypto Crash’. Click here to view more.

From the Great Crypto Crash to the currently observed trend of CAGR of 32.35 % for crypto market by the year 2025, what has changed? What is different in 2019? Bitcoin grew 220% at the beginning of 2019. The month of February marked the upper band breach for the cryptocurrency market. Cryptocurrency is still definitely on the upwards trend and people are still feeling positive about it’s future. There has been a large surge in 2019 with people in Australia investing their superannuation into cryptocurrency according to Crypto Head. This trend shows that the market still fundamentally believes in cryptocurrency and it’s future.

Enterprise blockchain is taking center stage. This is one of the big reasons for the recently observed upward trend displayed by cryptocurrencies. The news that DTCC (Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) has planned to implement Blockchain. There have been several other huge names like Amazon, Walmart, and even JP Morgan that have started actively getting into the Blockchain race. The significant hurdles that stopped people from investing in cryptocurrencies were the lack of clear cut regulations and the presence of scams. With the recent issue being taken care of in several parts of the world, the latter is easier to bring under control. Following JPM coin by JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs is also rumored to be bringing its currency. All these big enterprises bringing forward bank-backed cryptocurrencies is one of the biggest triggers of the growth of this market in 2019.

 

One of the biggest strengths of the cryptocurrency market has also been its biggest weakness, its instability. While the traders who know to make the most of this volatility have made huge profits, many have kept a safe distance away from the market for stability to creep in. The imposition of regulations has been a significant step that has brought down the volatility making the market more suitable for all kinds of investors.

ICO (Initial Coin Offering) came as the IPO (Initial Public Offering) of the crypto market with the difference that this was offered by new ventures to raise funds rather than by established firms as it happens with IPOs. A quick search will show you how vast the world of ICO scams has been. For this reason, the STO (Security Token Offering) is a new concept that is making headlines. The fact that ICOs are not fungible was one of the major setbacks that discouraged many investors. STOs, on the other hand, would be investment contracts defining an instrument of investment. This would make clear, the monetary value of the instrument and therefore build the confidence of the investors. This is a strong stance in the world of cryptocurrencies. Many financial experts find STOs to be sound fundraising strategies in the world of cryptocurrency domination.

Having outgrown its debut phase, having crossed the regulatory obscurity the cryptocurrency realm is marching towards a more stable, more secure future. New coins, new applications for the crypto coins and modern trading platforms, you name it, the crypto market is all set to bring them all. There is still a lot of speculation circulating without grounds. The possibility of AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing) risks with the introduction of coins by social media platforms like Facebook, and the absence of regulations in some countries are the reasons for the little doubt that still prevails. But, yes, the year 2019 has so far been a big one for cryptocurrencies, and it has also brought the much-needed paradigm shift in the fin-tech segment.