Right now, all of the popular DeFi projects are built on top of Ethereum.
In fact, if you look at the top 100 cryptos by market cap, most of them are built on top of Ethereum.
But as you may know, Ethereum doesn't deal well with massive network demand just yet. (That's part of the reason Ethereum 2.0 is so hotly anticipated.)
And so, transaction fees have gone through the roof. It curr... ››› more
While many investors have been focusing on gold hitting new highs, the crypto market has boomed behind the scenes…
For instance, the entire crypto market has added $100billion in the last month….
Bitcoin recently shot past $11,000 for the first time this year…
And Ethereum has soared over 54% in the past 2 weeks taking its total gain for 2020, to over 181%.
So, what's going o... ››› more
Remember, last month, I introduced a crypto concept called “decentralised finance or DeFI".
In short, DeFi would allow you to create an entire financial system without banks or central authorities.
And, because this would make things cheaper and more efficient, DeFI could overtake every area of traditional finance.
One avenue of DeFi, is something called Security Token Offerings (STO... ››› more
As the global fall out of the coronavirus accelerates, there is a big push to for social distancing that has schools and businesses closing doors.
Most are moving onto digital platforms to ensure they aren't left behind. And there are many platforms out there that can facilitate learning and businesses.
The stock market is undergoing a “Great Reset” as the JSE falls to levels last see... ››› more
‘Decentralisation' is a word you constantly hear throughout the crypto world. And there's a good reason for this…
It forms the foundation of everything in crypto.
The idea you don't need to rely on a central authority to make things work - be they financial transactions, contracts, proof of ownership, proof of identity… anything - is what crypto is all about.
In traditional finan... ››› more
The hunt for yield and aversion to risk is causing something we have never seen before.
Interest rates and bond yields are falling globally and have turned negative. You can get a home loan in Denmark at an interest rate of -0.50% per year fixed for 10 years. While we are still far away from that with real rates in positive territory, investors must be tactical in deploying capital.
... ››› more
If you've been holding Redefine Properties (RDF) shares, you have an important decision to make. You see, the company is paying a dividend of 41.70 cents for the six months ended 29 February 2016.
You need to choose if you want to receive the cash dividend or use the dividend to reinvest to buy more shares.
The biggest advantage of reinvesting your dividends is compounding
You accumulate... ››› more
If you're new to forex trading, you'll come across a number of terms and definitions that you may be unfamiliar with.
So what are the key terms you need to know?
Read on to find out…
Nine forex terms you need to know
Base currency
This is the first currency in a currency quote. The base currency shows how many units of the other currency there are in the quote.
... ››› more
Since the medium-term budget, the rand has been under immense pressure.
With the US Federal Reserve indicating on Wednesday that an interest rate hike is on the cards in December, the rand faced renewed headwinds.
But with data out of the US yesterday showing weaker than expected economic growth, the rand has clawed back some of its losses.
Let's take a closer look…
The rand bene... ››› more
Today saw finance minister Nhlanhla Nene give his medium-term budget.
Whilst he didn't drop in any surprises, he did say that the Treasury would be looking at ways to increase tax revenues.
Let's take a closer look…
South African economic growth should start rising next year
Last year, the Treasury introduced a number of austerity measures to cut back spending, reports Fin24. Nene... ››› more
When it comes to thinking about retirement and pensions, some of the terminology can be confusing.
So let's get back to basics with pensions and have a look at the two types of company schemes: Defined benefit funds and defined contribution funds.
Here are the main differences between the two…
Defined benefit funds
One type of pension you may come across is a defined benefit fund.... ››› more
Yesterday, SARS released its trade data for the month of August.
The trade deficit grew to nine times greater than July's deficit and was much greater than economists forecast.
So what led to the trade deficit widening so much?
Let's take a closer look…
The trade deficit widens to R9.95 billion
The trade deficit grew from R1.1 billion in July to R9.95 billion in August, report... ››› more
Yesterday, the South African Reserve Bank released its latest figures on the current account. Data showed that the current account deficit eased for the second quarter of the year.
The data surprised economists who had forecast a reduction, but not by as large a margin. The rand gained on the news.
Let's take a closer look…
The current account deficit is now at its smallest in four y... ››› more
Redefine International is a real estate investment trust based in London with a broad portfolio of properties. The company has a listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange…
Full name: Redefine International Plc
Short name: RIPlc
Ticker: RPL
Sector: Real estate – real estate investment trusts
Five top facts about Redefine International
Fact #1:
Redefine International has a prope... ››› more
Redefine Properties is a real estate investment trust. The company's main focus is its property portfolio in South Africa. Redefine Properties has a listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange…
Full name: Redefine Properties Limited
Short name: Redefine
Ticker: RDF
Sector: Real estate – real estate investment trusts
Five top facts about Redefine Properties
Fact #1:
Redefine Prop... ››› more
Earlier today, SARS released its trade data for April.
Even though the data showed the trade deficit actually worsened last month, it was better than forecast.
Let's take a closer look at what the data revealed…
Trade data for April wasn’t as bad as expected
In April, the “trade deficit widened to R2.5 billion,” says Bloomberg. This was down to exports declining “more tha... ››› more
When you buy bonds, you loan money to a government or corporation.
In return for this loan, you receive interest payments twice a year until the end of the term of the bond.
There are certain definitions that you need to understand when it comes to buying bonds.
Let's take a closer look at what these terms are and how they work in relation to bonds…
The basics of bonds
Here are... ››› more
Earlier today, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) released its trade account data for February.
The data showed that the deficit narrowed significantly from January. This was thanks to a strong rise in exports.
But the trade deficit was higher than economists predicted.
Let's take a closer look at what the data showed…
The trade deficit for February was R8.48 billion
SARS... ››› more
The rand has crept back over R12 to the dollar.
On Friday, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) hinted at the future for interest rates in the world's largest economy. This saw investors piling back into the dollar.
This has dragged the rand weaker.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on…
The rand weakens further against the dollar
This morning, the rand continued to ebb against t... ››› more
In the run up to the release of the current account data, the rand was under pressure.
If the deficit came out worse than economists feared, the local currency looked likely to weaken further.
But instead, the deficit surprised to the upside. And the rand strengthened on the news.
Let's take a closer look at what's going on…
The rand was under pressure before release of the curre... ››› more