Crypto Market Update: Blood in the Streets Presents Contrarian Opportunities

THE FINAL DIP BEFORE THE BULL RUN - PLANNING TIME!

The Red Watchlist

The crypto market is currently flashing red across the board. Investors are nervously watching their portfolios as prices plummet. But amidst the chaos, there lies an opportunity for those who dare to be contrarians.

Bitcoin’s Warning Signal

Bitcoin, the king of cryptocurrencies, is hinting at a serious correction. The once-unstoppable bull seems to be catching its breath. As the price wavers, traders are on edge, wondering if this is the beginning of a larger downturn. However, this is likely to be the last correction before the bull run kicks into high gear.

A Second Look at Correction Forecasts

I was about to abandon my previous correction forecast, thinking it might have been premature. However, recent developments suggest that my initial instincts were correct. Brace yourselves—this correction might actually play out as anticipated. Price targets mentioned in my last Bitcoin technical analysis included $62k, $52, and $44k in order of decreasing probability.

Altcoins Take a Beating

Altcoins, the smaller siblings of Bitcoin, are taking a severe beating. Their losses far exceed those of Big Brother Bitcoin, which is normal. But here’s the twist: this beating could be the golden ticket for savvy investors. While Bitcoin may only lose 10% or less, altcoins can lose upwards of 50%. This presents the opportunity for the greatest gains!

The Bull Run Opportunity

Remember the saying, “Buy when there’s blood in the streets”? Well, this is precisely that moment. Altcoins are battered, but this could be the biggest opportunity of the entire bull run. Keep your eyes peeled for hidden gems amidst the wreckage, and watch closely for sliding projects that have a solid use case, active community, and excellent track record.

Solana Memes Bleeding Out

Even meme coins aren’t spared. Solana memes, once the darlings of the crypto community, are bleeding out. But don’t dismiss them just yet. If this correction persists throughout the month, Solana meme coins could deliver astronomical gains. Some are also saying that once this correction is done, the BASE chain memes might launch into the stratosphere as money could flow over from the Solana memes. I don’t know which chain will dominate during the bull run, but I’m taking my chances on both, with a slight vote of confidence on the Solana chain memes.

The Contrarian’s Playbook

As the market trembles, panic sets in. But seasoned investors know better. When pandemonium reigns and fear grips the masses, contrarians step forward. They see opportunity where others see disaster. So, keep your wits about you and consider adding to your portfolio during this tumultuous time.

Conclusion

The crypto market is a rollercoaster, and right now, we’re hurtling downhill. But remember, fortunes are made during times of crisis. So, stay vigilant, do your research, and be ready to pounce when others retreat. Contrarians, this is your moment—buy when everyone else is selling!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

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How to Guard Against Scams in the Crypto Space!

Top Tips for Staying Safe in a Scam-Ridden Sector

This is the first article in the beginning of my “Crypto 101” series, and it is the most important for all new investors. We are still in the early stages of cryptocurrency, and many call it the “Wild, Wild West”. There are myriads of ways you can lose your money in this space, and being scammed ranks at the top of the list.

Here are my tips to avoid the unnecessary pain and anguish that can result from being careless when investing in cryptocurrency. Take this to heart, and review these tips often to keep it on the forefront of your mind!

Never Assume You Can’t Be Had

No matter how much experience you have in this crypto market, don’t ever assume that you can’t be fooled. I’ve been in this space since 2017, and I have been hacked or scammed a total of 3 times. It happened in 2020. First, I was lured into a yield farming scam that advertised 20,000% APY on the reward token Katana. It ended in a rug pull. I was left with a huge pile of WORTHLESS Katana tokens. While in an extremely emotional state, a scammer fooled me…

I was sent a private message on Telegram from a fake admin from the Katana group asking me if I had “registered” my Katana tokens. I said no, and asked why. He then told me that I would not receive the enormous air drop if I did not have my tokens “registered”. I was still raging mad about the rug pull, and fell for this because I figured I would at least get more of the useless tokens that I could possibly sell at a later date.

He sent me a link to a website to “register” my tokens. There was a big banner on the top of the site stating that they would not be able to see or use my private keys to my Metamask wallet in order to “register” my tokens. I knew better. I quickly “registered”, and entered my secret phrase. In the blink of an eye, all of my Katana tokens were gone, in addition to $700 of other crypto tokens that I had in my Metamask wallet. I couldn’t believe that I fell for this.

The trick worked because the scammer caught me when I was in an emotional state. When you are in your emotions, you don’t have the ability to use rational thinking. I was still so angry, I wasn’t thinking rationally. So take this as a good example that someone with a strong background in computer science, technology, and engineering like myself is not immune to being had.

Watch Out for Spoof Apps

There are fake apps that pop up on the Google Play Store and even iOS on a daily basis. They can persist for days before getting caught. These spoofs are so well done, they can fool even the most experienced traders… including ME. Here is how I got fooled by a spoof app that ended up costing me 2 ETH at the time.

I was getting my bags packed to go on vacation to see my grand kids in Texas. We were late leaving, and I was rushing. I had just bought the latest FOMO project being pumped on a Telegram group. But as I rushed to pack and get out the door, I realized that I needed to have mobile access to the Uniswap DEX just in case I needed to sell my tokens while on the road.

I did a quick search on the Google Play Store and found that Uniswap had an app! I downloaded the app and installed it. I then thought about the fact that I would need to have access to my Metamask wallet which is on my computer in order to execute a trade if needed. Reading on the Uniswap app, I noticed it said that I could transfer my private key to load the wallet onto my phone.

In my absolute rush, I forgot that I was dealing with the Uniswap app, and not Metamask. I looked up my secret phrase on my computer, and entered it into the Uniswap app so that I could access my wallet. Nothing happened. So I entered it again. Still nothing. I tried 4 more times, and still saw no confirmation that it loaded the wallet.

I decided to give up on it, and left for Texas. Nothing happened with that project the entire weekend, so I had no use for the mobile app to quickly sell. I got back from Texas, and decided to check my Metamask wallet for my… uh oh!

That is when I realized that I was entering my private key into a Uniswap app trying to connect my Metamask wallets! My Metamask wallet was drained of all tokens totaling over $800. When I went back to the smartphone to check the Uniswap app, I noticed it was not on my screen. In the time that I was on vacation, it was removed from the Play Store. The app was a FAKE.

I did a quick internet search and found out that there was no such thing as a Uniswap app for Android. I had been spoofed! There was nothing I could do, because the thieves were long gone with my money, and there was no trace of the app. That was the last Uniswap disaster I would ever have, and have sworn off using the platform until I felt 100% sure that I would not be fooled into another crafty scam.

Just because you find an app that matches the logos of your popular exchange or DEX, that doesn’t mean it is official. You have to do some research to make sure that ANYTHING you are downloading to your phone is not a spoof or phishing scheme. Hopefully you can learn from me, rather than losing your own money, and play it safe when it comes to downloading apps on your smartphone.

Don’t Talk to Strangers Who “PM” You on Telegram

This is one of the oldest and most common practices for thieves on the internet. When you are participating in group discussions for various projects on the Telegram platform, thieves and con artists are able to observe what you are saying within these groups and get a good idea of whether or not you are a good “mark”.

The way they usually do this is to casually lure you into a conversation by sending a polite “hello” in a PM (private message). Anyone messaging you outside of a group is most likely a con artist. But some of them are more savvy. They will hold conversations with you within the group, and establish a good rapport with you before launching into their private pitch.

The biggest “marks” (that’s an old fashioned term for potential sucker… Google it) they target are male. The con artists will commonly upload a profile picture of a very alluring female in order to get your attention. But you’ll know it isn’t real, because most people don’t post attractive profile pictures. When they start speaking in broken English or have awful grammar skills, you should know that you’re probably chatting with a big disgusting hairy man. Doesn’t that make you feel good? Cut them off at the pass and block them immediately.

Another common method the con artists use is to post a profile picture using the official company brand of the project you are discussing, and they pose as an administrator. Newbies will often drop their guard, and trust everything the “administrator” asks of them, like sharing their screen or giving up the secret phrase of their web3 wallet. This is the method used in the story up above when I was involved in the Katana rug pull. Don’t fall for it!

The YouTube Spoof Trick

YouTube has a major rash of spoofing and con artist activity that the company has not gotten a handle of at this time. The cons will create identical thumbnail pics that match a YouTube creator, along with a slightly modified but nearly identical name. They will post on threads and offer help to unsuspecting marks, often giving a phone number or email to get in touch with who they think is the video creator.

This is happening so much right now that I wouldn’t believe anyone would fall for it. But there are MANY people who are still falling for this trick, and it often doesn’t end well financially. Keep in mind that NO CREATOR will offer a phone number or email address for you to contact them about investing in ANYTHING. When you see these posts, just report them through the platform and they will be removed.

Be Very Wary of Links

The last method I’ll mention in this article is the use of attack links. If someone sends you a private message that has a clickable link, you could end up being hacked. Some of these links can install malware, or take control of your computer display where the thieves can hunt for your private information in order to break into your web3 wallets, or to gain access to exchanges that you are currently logged in on.

Any responsible individual would never send a clickable link to someone they don’t know. If you have no track record with the person you are speaking to, the best thing you can do is to block them if they send you a link through a PM. There is also a risk to be considered when clicking links within groups. Many Telegram groups have open admission, so scammers are able to drop links into these groups that can sit active for a time before they are discovered and removed. The same applies to links posted within the comments section on YouTube.

Conclusion

There are so many creative scams in the crypto space that I could write ten more pages covering them all. These are the most common that I have seen in recent times, but you should always be wary of new scams that hit the scene on a daily basis. Crooks never sleep, and they never stop when it comes to cooking up new ways of stealing people’s money. Remember that when a person gets scammed and their web3 wallet or exchange balance gets drained, there is absolutely no recourse. Once your money is gone, it’s gone for good. So it is best to be cautious and absolutely vigilant while wading into the shark-infested waters of the cryptocurrency space!

Be careful out there.

Carlton Flowers
The Watchful CryptoPro

The Strategy for Positioning Yourself for Alt Season that will Stuff Your Pockets!

ALT SEASON IS ON THE WAY… HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BEST PREPARE

Alt season is coming… soon. This will be the second time that I will hopefully experience the rush. If you want to position yourself properly and make the absolute maximum amount of gains, follow my top tips. These come from experience.

If you study these tips and do your due diligence NOW, rather than waiting for alt season to ambush you, it could mean the difference in 10X-ing your portfolio or ending up losing money. Educate yourself accordingly, and here are the tips!

Position Yourself Ahead of Time

Now is the time to grab a few bags of your favorite tokens. Not later. The people who make the 10x, 20X, or even 50X gains are those who get into position BEFORE the mayhem kicks off. If you wait, you’re playing with fire. But how do you pick the right projects? The best way is to research the top projects and pick the ones that catch your interest the most, and also have the right “tokenmetrics”.

That means looking at the validity of projects, how many tokens are in the total supply, circulating supply, and the likelihood of project developers dumping additional tokens into the circulating supply in the event of a run. Knowing these details will put you in the best position to find a winner and take home the maximum gains.

If you find yourself asking others, “should I buy into this project?”, then you are ill-prepared. You should already know the answer to that question before blowing your stash of money. Take into consideration your own risk level, and act accordingly.

Research Until You Are Blue in the Face

I have watched thousands of hours of YouTube videos on various projects over the past few years. There is a wealth of information to be gained on YouTube to answer your every question about all of the top prospects for investing your hard-earned money. Those who study the most ahead of time are the ones who take advantage of the maximum gains.

Not only do I watch hordes of YouTube videos, but I also listen to popular podcasts while working. I am constantly educating myself about various projects, and how the blockchain and crypto sector works as a whole. When you do this, you’ll start connecting the dots and gaining valuable insight that can give you the edge on making better decisions. You can’t “over-learn” in this market. The more the better. So do your homework, and make due diligence your top priority.

Never Buy Into a Run

This is one of my foundational rules that I learned the hard way. If you wait until alt season pops off, and you FOMO into a buying frenzy, you can find yourself stuck at the peak of a move. I have had to wait upwards of 3 years to get back to break-even after buying into a run.

Make it your policy to control your emotions. If you are acting on impulse, you can get yourself REKT! You might get lucky and make a moderate gain, but the chances are that you will end up losing. Keep control of your impulses and take your finger off the trigger when you see a project running vertical.

Remember, you can’t catch them all. But if you put your attention on the projects that you held from a quiet accumulation/consolidation trading period, you’ll end up making such big fat gains that you won’t have to worry about the projects mooning that you don’t have a position in.

Set Your Exit Strategy and Stick To It

NOBODY can time the market to perfection. Only a small percentage of people will time a trade just right and get out on a peak. If you set your goal for exiting your favorite projects before they run, and stick to your plan, you can all but guarantee getting out with a profit.

Forget about getting lucky and trying to time a sell order at an all-time high. Decide now on the percentage gain that would make you happy, and PULL THE TRIGGER when it comes to pass. There is nothing worse than trying to time the peak price and ending up holding a bag long after the price has tanked. Don’t be greedy. Set the goal and get out.

You can also set a goal of WHEN you want to exit. You can hold until the estimated peak of the market in the fall of 2021, or decide on selling when you reach your desired percentage gain. I prefer the latter. My strategy is to sell off my alts and pile drive the gains into Bitcoin and ETH for the fall bull run.

Use the “DCA” Method

Do your homework, and start accumulating now. Just as it is best to avoid trying to time the peak price to sell, you should also avoid trying to time the bottom price to start buying. It is best to use the DCA method, which stands for “Dollar Cost Averaging”.

In this method, you basically accumulate smaller chunks during the time that the price line is less volatile. If you spread out your purchase orders and just buy at various times while the price line is declining, you can get a good overall average purchase price that might serve you better than trying to wait for the absolute bottom.

There is nothing worse than the feeling you get when your favorite crypto tears off into the stratosphere while you were waiting for the absolute bottom. For example, if I want to get 1,000 tokens of ABC crypto, I might get ten orders of 100 over time during the quiet accumulation period. Or I could make 5 orders of 200. When I use this method, I find it a lot less frustrating than draining my entire stash of cash only to watch the price dip farther.

Doing the DCA method takes a lot of the stress out of the buying process for me. Do what works best for YOU, but keep in mind that this is how the pros do it. While everyone else ignores a project during its “dog days”, the smart investors are snatching up small amounts over a long period of time. That way, by the time the feeding frenzy hits, they’re already in position to unload the wagon and cash in for maximum profits.

In Summary

Do your due diligence, take your time, study the projects, position yourself WAY ahead of time, and control your emotions. You’ll be thanking yourself in the long run. Keep in mind that the institutional investors buy when everyone else does not. The “average Joe” investor buys when a project takes off and has made the majority of its gains.

Get on the job now while you have a chance. And while you wait, you can check out this cool website that one of my Telegram group members shared from Blockchain Center that will help you get an idea of when the shift takes place from Bitcoin season to Altcoin season!

Best of luck.

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE - Entertainment purposes only. Seek a qualified investment advisor before making any decisions on purchasing cryptocurrencies.

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Strong Bitcoin Correction - 2 Reasons Why, Plus Technical Analysis for 9-3-2020

TWO KEY EVENTS THAT INFLUENCE THE BTC CHART

While Bitcoin is in the midst of a strong correction, there are two other events happening which I believe have a direction influence. What are they?

1) The stock market dumping

2) The US Dollar rallying (DXY)

In history, we have observed that Bitcoin has a tendency to move in the opposite direction of a rallying US Dollar. Looking at the DXY chart, we have seen a short-term rally taking place over the past several days that coincides directly with the Bitcoin correction.

If you add in a stock market dump, and you have a resulting strong BTC correction. Take note that the Dow Jones Industrial Average got dangerously close to the previous high, before a harsh selloff ensued.

But let’s shift the focus to the Bitcoin chart provided by TradingView, and see if we can gather some clues as to what will happen next with this sizeable correction.

Looking at the 4-hour chart, we see that BTC met resistance at the magical 4.618 fib circle boundary. It then briefly clung to the 4.236 (sorry about the typo on the chart) before failing, and it blew straight through the 3.618 fib circle ring without pause.

With heavy sell volume happening already, and then the formation of that big fat ugly red candle that pounded the price down, there’s no telling where the price will land and find support now that we have sunken through the 3.618 fib circle ring. That was an important level to hold. The stochastic is very bearish, and we are making a definite move into the oversold zone where it could languish long enough to drop the price down a bit more.

When will the selling stop, you ask? The only possible landing point I can see is the CME gap set in July of 2020 at $9700. With over $348 Million in Bitcoin contracts that were liuidated in only 4 hours during this dump, the momentum looks like a train headed downhill that won’t even think about stopping before hitting that CME gap. I don’t have any doubt that the bulls will come out of the gates and go on a stampede IF we make it down to that CME gap. This might be the last chance to pick up on your favorite alts and buy Bitcoin at sub-$10k prices.

If we zoom in and look at the 1-hour chart, we can pick up a few more indications of how strong this event is on the micro level.

There is a definite death cross formation as the 50-day EMA crosses the 200-day EMA on this chart, and this is the designation given when both moving averages are on a downward slope. The 200-day EMA is just slightly sloping downward, but this is still indicative of a death cross, as evidenced by the harshness of the correction.

The 1-hour chart is just evidence to show us that this correction is significant and strong on the micro level, and it gives us a better picture of how things are developing while we are in the midst of the dive. I’ll be keeping track of the price movement on the 1-hour until we get to that CME gap, because there will be some buying decisions happening on my end!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE - Entertainment purposes only. Seek a qualified investment advisor before making any decisions on purchasing cryptocurrencies.

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March 4th 2019 - Cryptocurrency Market Takes A Quick Dive

BTC Leads Altcoins on Rapid Drop

Today we saw Bitcoin surge to over $5400, and then take a dive, pulling down practically ALL of the altcoins on the market with it. I didn’t see either of these events coming, and it took most people by surprise. There is a lot of discussion on what the next few weeks hold in store for us.

In this video, we take a look at all of the Coinbase charts for the crypto leader board, and we notice that everything is in lock-step with Bitcoin. My question is, why would we see selling across the board, rather than BTC trading volume with the Altcoins?

My theory is that most of the action that took place today is from automated trading. That’s why the altcoins reflect all of the movements of Bitcoin. There hasn’t been a divergence for quite some time.

Everyone is also fervently discussing the current “mini uptrend”, and whether or not we will see a reversal and correction within a few weeks, or a shorter time period. How low will Master BTC go when the correction takes place?

The majority of prognosticators are calling for a bottom at 4200. The next possible level is 3800, which I am leaning towards. However, there are those that believe the final Elliot Wave 5 correction of BTC will drag it down to 2500 before the true bull market ensues. Time will tell!

What is YOUR prediction of the impending action? Do you have some technical analysis you’d like to share that supports your projected low point for BTC? Share it in the comments below!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

Crytpo Market Return - Time to Study The Basics

What to Understand Before Entering The Crypto Market

The action in the market is heating up, and we’ve seen some wild trading this week! As attention is drawn to the market from new crypto enthusiasts, there will be a lot of questions that need to be answered. I will attempt answering as much as I can to help everyone have a basic education on what the cryptocurrency market is all about.

One of the most basic questions that people ask is, “what am I actually buying when I get involved in the cryptocurrency market?” This was my exact question when I first bought into Bitcoin. Was I buying “stock” in Bitcoin, or exactly what?

The answer is, buying a cryptocurrency is like buying a foreign currency. You are converting your “fiat money” into an electronic currency that has a specific purpose. For example, Big Daddy Bitcoin is usually used as a store of value, like buying gold. Buying Stellar Lumens (XLM) allows you to send money overseas to friends or family members without using Western Union, and the transaction completes in a matter of seconds.

Those are just two examples of coins that have very differing purposes, but actual value. There are literally thousands of different cryptocurrency coins and “tokens” (we’ll discuss that at a later date) that one can buy.

A good way to start is to research the “use case” of a particular cryptocurrency and buy into a project that sparks your interest. For instance, I love the XLM project because of how it is transforming the transfer of money, and how it connects many popular payment platforms like Paypal, the Cash App, Venmo, and more.

While there are specific uses for different cryptocurrencies, the majority of people are buying them for one main reason: to make money. This is called “speculation”, and it’s very similar to buying stocks on the NYSE or NASDAQ. Remember when people were plowing money into Amazon, Yahoo, and Apple during the early Dot-Com explosive growth days? The same holds true here.

While each coin has a purpose, at this point, we have not reached what is called “mass adoption”. In other words, you’re not going to be using cryptocurrencies to shop at Walmart with ease any time soon. What people are gambling on right now is that the value of cryptocurrencies will skyrocket in the future once we hit the mass adoption phase. That’s why we are speculators at this point.

That’s enough general information for now, but if you’ve got a specific question that you’re burning to ask, post it in the comments section and I would be glad to write a blog post to answer it! Stay tuned, more info coming soon!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

Return of the Crypto Market in 2019

Season Two of Crypto Madness Is About To Begin

Well folks, after a year-long wait, it looks like the crypto market fire sale is over! 🔥

I truly believe the bear market has ended, and it appears that we are in the midst of a transition period with a bull run right around the corner. This is the time we have been waiting for, and we have to be prepared to take advantage of it. 

One thing I promised myself after the run of 2017 was that I would take the lessons learned into the next bull market. I also promised myself that I would take advantage of investing into my favorite coins and tokens IF the market prices ever came back down again. 

Well they have. 

I never thought we would see the entire crypto market float back down to earth from the stratosphere the way it did during 2018. Even though I knew we were in a bear market by February of 2018, I still didn't fully realize the size of the impending dip until a few months later. 

Once I accepted the fact that the bear market was in full effect, I made my $3200 prediction right before the big slide. That was a lucky call, I will admit. But I'm super thankful for that slide. This is the market reset that we prayed about before. 

With volume heating up and candles breaking out of boundaries, it's time for me to start putting my attention back on the crypto market. You can expect blog posts and video commentary in the near future on a regular basis. 

I'm kicking around the idea of starting a new YouTube channel just for CryptoPro, and this video discusses a few of my ideas for what I'll be presenting. 

Stick with me, and please share your thoughts and questions! If there is a particular question you have that I can turn into a blog post, I would love to help share what I know and educate everyone. 

See you soon, and let's enjoy this market! 

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

2019 Pipe Dreams & Bull Run Predictions - Here's the REAL Prediction

Why You Should Cautiously Turn A Deaf Ear to 99% Of the Prognosticators

2019 is here, finally. And we arrived without the much ballyhooed “December Party” that we had last year in the cryptocurrency market. I for one was of the belief last year at this time that December of 2018 would be a repeat of what we saw in 2017. Obviously, it was not.

The 2018 December cryptocurrency party was canceled. The party-goers did not show up. The bulls were out to pasture. The moon got lost in the darkness of deep space, never to show its face. In other words, we were all wrong.

But many of the hard-headed prognosticators continue to call for a bull run, despite the evidence to the contrary. As I’ve said before, you better exercise extreme caution before you listen to any of the so-called “experts” calling for a bull run in the near future.

Here’s why…

In order to see how ridiculous it is to believe anyone claiming that Bitcoin and/or the entire cryptocurrency market will break out into a bull run any day now, all we have to do is look at the historic chart. This puts it in perspective, and underscores a point I have been making for almost a year.

Once February of 2018 hit, my head came down out of the clouds and I started to realize that we were probably on the verge of a bear market, despite the majority of people calling for a short “blip” and continued bull run. I braced myself for the long ride down, and at times, I doubted myself when the Elliot waves would temporarily push the entire market back into what people thought was a real bull run.

If you scroll back through my posts, you can see it. Sure, I did not predict the depth of the bear market dive, but I did actually predict the big drop to 3100 just a few days before it happened. I still have a smug grin on my face after calling that one, but I’m proud of how well I did in sticking my ground calling the bear market from February on despite what everyone else was saying.

But let’s get back on topic! All we need to do in order to fully understand where we are at this point in the market’s development is look at the historic BTC chart. Here it is:

As we can see, the 2017 bull run absolutely dwarfed the bull run of 2013. But if we look carefully, we notice the unspoken the truth of the situation staring us right in the face. It’s that big span of time between the bull runs. The market took 2 or 3 years of quiet accumulation before repeating.

Take a look where we sit right now. We’re still in the midst of aggressive downward momentum, as depicted by the red arrow. We are dangerously testing the strength 3100 support level that I spoke about in my previous post. We may have seen the worst of it, and could be ready to shore up strength and start to hold strong.

But looking at the chart from the historic standpoint, what reason could anyone possibly concoct as to why we would jump straight out of a bear slide into another bull run, without the 4 complete stages of market development taking place as they have all throughout history?

You are right, there are exactly none.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… the stock market AND the cryptocurrency market follow a 4-part pattern that is indicative of human nature and impulsiveness. First, we have quiet accumulation. Second, a consolidation phase with a bump in volume, The third stage is “markup”, where the feeding frenzy hits, and everyone dreams of getting exponentially rich overnight. The fourth is distribution, when all of the institutional buyers and “smart money” have left the unsuspecting public holding the majority of the positions. That’s when the balloon loses its hot air and slowly sails back down to earth.

I would invite anyone out there to show me when ANY of the markets have broken this natural pattern of development in our history. That includes the stock market, the commodities markets, and the cryptocurrency market. Until proven otherwise, it is safe to say that this is not the best time to be investing money you can’t afford to lose into the cryptocurrency market.

But that doesn’t mean this is a “doom and gloom” situation by any means. It’s actually a blessing in disguise. Now that we have seen what the cryptocurrency market is capable of doing, after the bull run of 2017, this bear market guarantees that we will have another chance to get some positions before the next bull run.

All that you need to remember is that it will take time, and history will more than likely repeat itself. History hasn’t failed us yet, and I don’t expect it to in the future!

Be safe out there.

Carlton Flowers
CryptoPro

The Cryptocurrency Bear Market Continues with BTC Leading the Dive

WHEN WILL BTC HIT THE BOTTOM? IS THE BEAR COMING TO A CLOSE?

Since February of 2018, we have heard time and time again from the so-called "experts" that we are on the brink of the next cryptocurrency bear market. Once again, we are experiencing another dive after major news hitting the market has told us otherwise. What is really going on?

In my previous article, we discussed the announcement of the Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) decision on behalf of the Securities Exchange Commission. This was the most recent bit of news that was supposed to send Bitcoin into the stratosphere, straight out of the bear trend. But time has proven the news wrong once again.

After this CNBC story was released that the Winkelvoss Twins were rejected in their bid to launch the first ETF ln a regulated exchange, the market took a temporary dive after we saw a brief run to $8,000 BTC. Within a week, news broke that the Securities Exchange Commission was going to delay their decision on approving ETFs as a whole until September of 2018. Immediately after, we saw the market take a nosedive.

Experts like Alessio Rastani and others reported that they did not believe BTC would fail to drop below the major support level of $6,800, with the probability of such a dip being 20% or less. But BTC had other plans, and made fools of the prognosticators once again.

What I have noticed since February of 2018 is that no amount of news will propel the market artificially into a bull run without allowing time for the natural phases of development to carry out. After the "distribution" phase of a market, or Bear Market, I believe history has proven to us that we have to see a time of accumulation where the market settles down and lays low.

Some call this the "dog days" of the market. This is what we have seen in the entire history of the stock market, and the cryptocurrency market has reflected the same, only in much shorter time periods. After the accumulation phase, we historically see a "consolidation" phase develop before a bull market ensues.

Digging back into the history of the cryptocurrency market, I fail to see a time where we have jumped straight out of a bear market into an all-out bull run. History normally repeats itself, but past performance is not a guarantee of future events. However, as volatile as the cryptocurrency market is, I truly believe it is safest to assume that we have to see these phases of development occur before a bull run can happen.

Common sense tells me that it would take an enormous amount of money to catapult the market from a slide straight into a bull run, and it would take an even greater amount of continuous buying pressure to sustain a run. You just can't get something from nothing, and it takes a constant influx of capital to keep a market propped up.

Human nature has proven this to be right throughout history. The masses of the general investors move on emotion, and the insiders with significant amounts of money invest in a contrarian way. They play off of each other, and it's usually the general population that ends up holding the short end of the stick when they start believing news releases that make improper claims.

Looking at the current chart, we can clearly see that BTC is continuing in a bear trend after the brief run to 8,000 in late July. I don't think this is any mistake. BTC will have to find its rock-bottom point before an accumulation phase will follow. Right now, there are two possibilities in my opinion.

I could very well be dead-wrong, but we see that BTC failed a critical support level of $6800 this week, and is headed for the next support level of $6400. If BTC fails to hold $6400, we could very well see $5800 as a new possibility of the rock-bottom point. These critical support levels are shown on the chart in repeating intervals, and I believe this is due to automated trading activity.

The previous bottom point for BTC before the 2017 bull run was $5800. There is no magic to the prediction that $5800 could end up being the bottom point, because there are probably several trading bots programmed to buy big amounts at that point. Only time will tell. But it's best to assume the worst when you don't have money to lose in this market.

We will keep our eyes on the charts and watch the activity during the month of August, and carefully observe whether or not BTC finds that rock-bottom point before we enter the next phase of market development!

Carlton Flowers
CryptoPro

Bitcoin Ben on the G20, ETFs, BTC, and Hyperinflation Control

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS KEY TO NEXT BTC RUN, SAYS BITCOIN BEN

The July 24th edition of the Bitcoin Ben VLOG is worthy of discussion, as Ben delves into the details of what he thinks will cause the next major launch of Bitcoin.

At the G20 meeting, Bitcoin Ben states that the group did not disclose the portion of the discussion where they agreed that the member countries would not have a deflationary conflict with their currencies.

The week before, he claims they were talking about how horrible cryptocurrencies are, and how they need to be banned. However, he goes on to explain that they aren’t going to do anything about cryptocurrencies because they don’t see them as a threat. Now they see them as a tool. This is quite a change in attitude.

The "global elites", as he calls them, don’t “invent” anything as it relates to true wealth. They don’t create anything of substance. Rather, they leach off of the inventions of others. He thinks what they have decided and recognized that they’ve found a new valve for deflation. They want to capture the wealth that they’ve "printed" into inflation. He explains that they can’t put it into shares of stock or currency anymore, because the stock market has been made too top-heavy. If they add anything more to it, he claims it will "fall over".

BTC surpassed 8,000 in July, which was a major psychological marker. However, he states there isn’t that much buying pressure. Bitcoin Ben believes that someone with a lot of money had to push through that 8,000 barrier. He thinks that the elites are now getting involved, buying as much bitcoin as they can. I do believe that there is some amount of validity to this belief, because we see that the market has continued to slide since the brief run to 8,000 BTC.

Before the announcement of the "ETF", or "Exchange-Traded Funds", he believes the elites are going to buy as much BTC as they can because they know what he (Ben) is saying to be true. The ETF, as Ben states, is going to be the tool or the "valve" for the inflation that the G20 has been printing in currency.

He believes that the people who are getting into the market now are the small players. The big players are starting to enter now, and that’s why we have had the recent growth. Between now and the launch of the ETF, Bitcoin is going to continuously go up. There will be dips, and Ben recommends that everyone buy on those dips. Last year, BTC jumped from $6,000 to $20,000 in three weeks flat. This is possible again, as he states.

"Once the inflation valve, the ETF, is turned on, that’s when the inflation pours in. As soon as the valve is turned on, the elites will already be holding positions. Once they launch one ETF, the price will skyrocket. Not all ETFs will play by the rules. There will eventually be a lot of ETFs based on LTC, ETH, ETC, and more", as Ben explains.

"There are two things that the elites must insure. They have to control inflation without raising interest rates as much as possible. They also have to keep the inflation away from commodities like bread, food, and silver. Silver is too important to industry to let the price rise. If silver were allowed to skyrocket, the solar panel market and the smartphone market would be destroyed, along with several other markets."

Ben believes that the global elites need a commodity that is structurally fundamental to the marketplace for their manipulative inflationary purposes. Once the inflation tap is turned on, it will make the Bitcoin market run. Bitcoin will continue to move up from here. "We will see a run that makes last year’s action look like a practice run."

Time will tell if Bitcoin Ben's commentary is accurate, and comes to pass. I do believe that his comments have validity, and it will probably be revealed in early September when the final decision is announced concerning the approval of Exchange-Traded Funds. Until then, it looks like the bear market will continue.

I do believe that the news of ETFs will at least push the market into an accumulation/consolidation phase, even though several prognosticators believe it will launch us into the bull market. But as I have always said, we have never seen the stock market or the cryptocurrency market skip the vital developmental stages of distribution (bear market), accumulation, and then consolidation before the final markup phase (bull run)

Keep your eyes on the charts, and we will see!

Carlton Flowers
CrytpoPro

Should We Prepare for an Extended Crypto Bear Market?

WHY PLAYING IT "SAFE" COULD BE THE BEST STRATEGY

It's June 2018 and BTC continues its bear trend despite multiple incorrect predictions over the past few months from several noteworthy forecasters who thought the bull market should have already started.

The most common belief among the prognosticators was that $6,200 BTC was a big support level that would be a pivot point. As we now know, that prediction failed miserably.

The entire alt-coin market has also mirrored Bitcoin. None of the alts have broken free from the overall downtrend since the December 2017 all-time high. All of the alt coins appear to be in lock-step with big brother Bitcoin, and it is safe to assume that none of them have matured to the point that they can bust loose and deviate from its path.

The big question looming in everyone's mind is, "has Bitcoin hit rock-bottom?" But the question shoulnd't center around figuring out Bitcoin's "rock-bottom" price. It should be understanding what happens overall, based on how price activity develops.

When you look at the big picture, you can decide if you're the type of person who would feel more comfortable holding a position for several years through the ups and downs, or if you prefer to take a break in the short-term until the market turns around.

My advice to everyone is to play it safe and look at the worst-case scenario, despite all of the talk about an immediate reversal. In order to do this, we must look at the 1-week chart dating back as far as possible to get a birds-eye view.

In this analysis, we'll take a look at the overall action on the 1-week candles for Bitcoin dating back to 2016. It's necessary to zoom out as far as possible in order to get an idea of what the worst-case scenario could be.

Let's begin by identifying the current trend. In Figure 1, we can clearly see that the current downtrend is not your average correction in the midst of a rising market. After the peak in December 2017, we see lower highs and higher lows for 6 straight months.

The last time we saw an extended bear market like this was from November of 2013 all the way to January of 2015. That was a bit more than one solid year of a downtrend. But what we need to pay the most close attention to is what happened at the end of that extended bear market, which I notated in Figure 2 below.

Before the 2013 bull run spike, we saw smaller breakouts and corrections that did not span the time of what we saw in this overall picture from 2013 to 2015. This is key.

In January of 2015, a quiet accumulation period of 9 months developed before the the market ticked up to the next accumulation level in June of 2016. That next level of accumulation lasted through April of 2017. We could actually call this a period of "consolidation".

In April of 2017 the bulls took full control and the charge started. It took us all the way to Bitcoin's peak of over $19,000 before getting swatted down despite all of the hype and anticipation of breaking the $20,000 barrier. The bear market officially started, and continues on through today.

The biggest point that I want to make is this: we have yet to see a bull run jump right out of a bear market without a period of quiet accumulation followed by a consolidation phase.

It just doesn't happen! Trend reversals take time to develop, and you can't short-cut the process. That's why it is best to turn a deaf ear to all of the ridiculous bull market predictions that we have been seeing week in and week out since the all-time high.

Going back to Figure 1, I believe that the worst-case scenario that we all have to take into consideration is the trading zone delineated by the red box. I don't base this solely on the history of BTC, but by the age-old rule of the four phases of market action which are as follows:

• Accumulation
• Consolidation
• Markup
• Distribution

This is how the stock market has traded in all of history, and the only difference between the stock market and the cryptocurrency market is the time it takes to move through all four of these phases. The cryptocurrency market cuts the overall time down from 13 year cycles to a year or two.

After the all-time high in December of 2017, we have a period of "distribution", or an extended selloff. Before we can see the next BTC moon-shot, we have to see an accumulation and consolidation phase. It won't happen overnight.

While I am not a financial advisor or a professional who gives investment advice, I think everyone can learn from what history has taught us. And for those of us who are not able to invest a Brinks truck full of cash into the crypto market, it's best to play it safe and take the most conservative approach to investing.

Time will only tell. I could be dead-wrong. But taking this approach to predicting the next BTC movement will certainly prevent me from losing the last bit of change jingling in my pockets.

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

Is Bitcoin Really "Rat Poison Squared", as Warren Buffet Suggests?

IS CRYPTOCURRENCY A FAD, OR HAS WARREN BUFFET LOST HIS MARBLES?

At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway on Saturday, May 5th 2018, Warren Buffet stated that he believes cryptocurrencies will come to a “bad ending” after the “euphoria wears off”. Additionally, he claimed Bitcoin (BTC) is “probably rat poison squared”, stating that he does not believe that Bitcoin is a “productive asset, unlike land or corporate shares”. He called it “a handy tool for charlatans”.

Berkshire Hathaway vice president Charlie Monger echoed Buffet’s sentiment by adding harsh criticism including a statement that “someone else is trading turds and you decide I can’t be left out”. Munger previously called Bitcoin “totally asinine”, based on the belief that everyone involved just “wants easy money”.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency is too risky for Warren Buffet, and he has no reason to buy in to the philosophy and future of the cryptocurrency market. It bears no significance on the future of crypto as a whole, considering the fact that Buffet does not own a smartphone and rarely uses a computer in his corporate office.

There are several reasons why I do not believe that their public statements will harm Bitcoin and its future.

The value of cryptocurrency and the trend towards decentralization is happening with or without them. It will more than likely surpass the size and strength of the stock market, world markets, and real estate market. The fact is, all of these markets will more than likely become integrated into the cryptocurrency market.

There is probably no chance that Warren Buffet or Charlie Monger will get involved in shorting Bitcoin, and that is significant. They are basically taking a “hands-off” approach to the entire cryptocurrency market, and at their age, they have no reason to secure themselves ahead of it.

The banking systems of the world view cryptocurrency as a threat, and there isn’t much they can do to stop the momentum. The more that cryptocurrency gains in total market capitalization, the less power the banking system will have in keeping control of the world’s currency.

There has been talk of the government of the United States creating a “crypto dollar”, and this is a real possibility. But will it bear any significance? I think not. It is only a move that could be created to keep the general population confused and using the US Dollar as a base of trade.

But a cryptocurrency version of the US Dollar has no real use. It goes against the reason that Bitcoin and other altcoins were created. The Dollar is a centralized currency, meaning the government and central bank has total control of its volume. If a “Dollar Coin” is created, it does not mean that the government and banks will turn over control to the general population.

The government will continue to work with the banking system in “printing” dollars for its own use. The government does not create any value as a producer of sorts. But the ability to print money allows it to stay in complete control of the population.

For example, if there is a war to be funded, the government can print all of the money necessary to cover the cost of manufacturing munitions and mobilizing an army. But this devalues the dollar, and leaves the general public holding the bag. We pay for it by holding a dollar that is weaker, with less buying power. The end result is that the people must work harder to keep the same level of living.

The government creating a cryptocurrency version of the US Dollar defeats the purpose of its use. The volume of a cryptocurrency is accounted for by the unmovable Blockchain network. If the US Dollar were to be moved to the blockchain, the government and central banks would lose their ability to control the volume.

The creation of a cryptocurrency “US Dollar coin” would be meaningless. The only way it would succeed would be by the ignorance of the public in believing that its use and accounting is regulated by the Blockchain’s permanent records. Without the Blockchain, a US Dollar coin would be no different than the paper version or the electronic money that comprises of 90% of its volume.

This is why I don’t believe the attitudes held by Warren Buffet and Charlie Monger have any impact on the future of cryptocurrency. They are the last of the generation that grew up with fiat currency, and they have no reason to participate in its adoption. As the richest men in the entire world, they don’t have a reason to pay any attention to it.

A significant point to consider is the fact that Warren Buffet and Charlie Monger have no interest in shorting Bitcoin. They are taking no position one way or the other. That alone is enough proof to me that their age and generational mindset is the primary reason for their negative view of the cryptocurrency market.

As time goes on, the central banks of the world will continue to realize that cryptocurrency is a real threat to their ability to remain in control of the world population and the monetary system. Without the ability to make decisions without the agreement of the public regarding the supply of money, they will become obsolete.

Time will tell. And it will be an exciting, tumultuous process that will be unfolding. Until then, I’ll be sitting back watching, and placing my bets on the future of cryptocurrency as the next evolutionary step for world trade and commerce.

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

SEC & CFTC to Decide Fate of Ethereum Network on Monday, May 7th 2018

IS ETH A COMMODITY OR NOT? REGULATORY AGENCIES SET TO DECIDE

The SEC and the CFTC laws will decide on whether or not Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency, is a security on Monday May 7th, 2018. The question boils down to how the ICO for ETH, which raised $18 million through 31,000 Bitcoins collected, was executed. The CFTC, or “Commodities Futures Trading Comission”, regulates futures and options markets in the United States and guards against fraudulent conduct.

Ethereum is a network that was created by Vitalik Buterin. The pre-sale or “Initial Coin Offering” was conducted in 2014. Ether is the “gas” or fuel that powers the projects hosted by the Ethereum network. Ether is traded under the symbol “ETH”, and its value fluctuates daily.

After studying the token pre-sale and the ICO, cryptocurrency experts at Coin Center state that ETH is definitely not a security and therefore was not required to registered with the SEC. As ETH is used as “gas” on the network for deploying smart contracts and other projects with real-world use, it is not a security and should not be judged as such.

There are three possible outcomes of the regulatory meeting on Monday.

1. The FTC and CFTC declare ETH to be a security, outright

This would be the worst-case scenario for the crypto asset community. It is the least-likely scenario because the ETH community has a lot of large and powerful members who have the ear of regulators. ETH would probably experience a steep decline along with the vast number of ICOs that have taken off from the ETH platform. The only cryptocurrency that would be safe would be Bitcoin, or any other coin that is transparent, and has not been built on the ETH network.

2. A “Light Action” will be levied against the Ethereum Foundation

The Etherium foundation was created in such a way that they could have sold securities. However, the way ETH is used today is definitely not in a direction of selling securities. A light action could be levied against the foundation, such as a fine or penalty. It would provide a little bit of regulatory clarity as a result and could give a boost to the cryptocurrency market as a whole.

3. The regulators rule flat-out that Etherium is not a security.

If this is announced as the official outcome, it could spark a massive run on the crypto market. If the regulatory agencies go this far in backing off of the Ethereum Foundation, it will give a major confidence boost to investors.

There also could be a scenario where no final decision is made after the meeting with the regulator, but this is not likely according to the experts.

We will be watching closely, and will be ready to discuss the outcome when the news drops! Until then, hold on tight!

Carlton Flowers
The Crypto Pro

Is Bitcoin Ready to Surge Again? Two Possible Scenarios

MY THOUGHTS ON TWO POSSIBILITIES ON THE NEXT BTC BULL RUN

The action in the cryptocurrency market is heating up again. The market cap is on the rise, and all indications are present that the next bull run is here. But when will it happen, and how long will the run continue before it takes a break?

Many of the crypto prognosticators are calling for a Bitcoin run right now. But as we all know, the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and quite unpredictable. Over the long term, I still firmly believe that the market will continue to rise as cryptocurrency is adopted worldwide. But what will happen in the immediate future?

I'd like to present two simple possibilities and give my reasoning why my gut feeling tells me that Scenario 2 is what we will see. And I also firmly believe that the real bull run is going to happen in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Let's start by looking at the first scenario, which seems to be the most commonly held  belief.

In this scenario, many believe that we have ended the bear market with the low point of around $6400 USD. Looking at the low of $5800 this year, we see a double bottom ending with the  higher bottom at $6400. This could be a good indication that we have seen the lowest Bitcoin trading price that we will ever see.

But has the market allowed enough time for this to be the final correction? It certainly could be. I am more convinced of this possibility considering the double bottom and higher low that has occurred. But the next chart presents a clear possibility of one more final correction before the next true run.

If BTC does not continue with an absolute breakout of the 4-hour candles on the upper trend line, a final short correction could occur before the bull run. And this looks like more of a possibility to me because it would allow for an absolute consolidation of this formation.

Judging from prior years action, I believe this to be true. It's not the popular belief, but there are a few market analysts that are considering this scenario. The clue will be what happens with the breaking of the upper trend line in the next few days.

If we close above the trend line and hold, forming a base at $9800, the run is on. Time will tell. But for those playing the market for the long term, it will not matter. Those looking to enter the market or mildly trade the action for the best possible return might benefit from waiting for this final clue to occur.

Either way, we now see institutional investing on the rise. And we also see the hedge fund investors losing a lot of ground that are still hanging on to short positions since the previous low. That is a very telling clue.

The safest way to enter into the market at this time is to wait for the confirmation of breaking the upper trend line, especially for those who do not have the capital to invest large amounts of money.

My advice at this point, which is not professional advice, is to play it as safe as possible and invest responsibly. But overall, I think there is a lot to gain by jumping in to the cryptocurrency market while we are still in the "early adoption" phase.

It's a tricky situation, and we all don't want to end up wishing we had entered into the market before the final bull run takes place during 2018, which I believe will happen during the 4th quarter.

This time last year, BTC was trading at around $1000 USD. Anyone who would have predicted a run to $20,000 would have probably been told they were being ridiculous. But if BTC continues to move as it has up until now, we could see $150,000 by the end of the year.

I'll be getting back into the swing of reporting on the cryptocurrency market now that we have had several significant developments, and I'll be keeping a close eye and reporting on the altcoins too. I'd love to hear your thoughts and analysis!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

Stock Market and Cryptocurrency Market Crash? Here's What You Need To Know

INSIGHT FROM ALESSIO RASTANI ON IMPENDING MARKET DIVE

Alessio Rastani had some very intriguing comments about the recent activity in the markets, and it is something we all need to take heed to. He has been consistently one of the best market analysts that I have come across, and he is usually right when he makes educated guesses about future market direction and trends analysis.

If we are all prepared, we can position ourselves to not only survive a market crash, but to benefit from it. They key is being smart about how and when you invest your money, and the best advice is to mirror the biggest players in the markets.

Across the stock market and cryptocurrency market, we have touched upon some major critical levels since the beginning of the year. In February, we had a panic sell moment, and from all indications, we are about to retest those levels.

Jason Geppert put out a report on Friday that the “smart money”, or institutional money, is pulling out of the stock market. If this causes a drop below the 200-day moving average and go deeper beyond the February lows, this will trigger a Dow Theory Sell Signal.

When this happens, the sell signal triggers sell programs across the markets that will drive the S&P 500 and the Stock Market much lower due to these automatic market orders. This will cause the stock market to fall hard. This is something we will have to plan for.

If the stock market holds when it touches on the 200EMA and recovers, this will be a very good indication of a turnaround. But we all need to be prepared for what will happen if the market violates this critical support level.

If you are investing your hard-earned money on the stock market or the cryptocurrency market, slow your roll. Be smart about it. Now is definitely NOT the time to risk your retirement, your savings, or invest anything you cannot afford to lose. The only way to invest in this dangerous time is to plan for the worst.

Experienced traders can "short" the market, or bet on stocks and crypto coins to fall, rather than rise. This is a super dangerous strategy, and you must have a margin account to do so. But if you lose, you will lose big.

Another method that experienced traders employ to gain from a down trend is to buy on dips, and sell on rallies. This is also dangerous, but I have seen this done with great success. It is much less dangerous than playing the market on margin, however.

The best thing to do is to study the market each and every day, listening to the top market forecasters so you can determine the point at which the market will turn around and start to climb again.

The stock market works on long cycles, as long as 13 years at a time. It rotates from a time of quiet accumulation with very little volatility to a time of heightened trading volume and a slight bump in stock prices, which is called "consolidation". Next comes a major run-up, or "Bull Market", and then the institutional investors pull out and take profits. That is called "distribution".

What normally happens during the distribution phase is that institutional investors, or "smart money", sells into the frenzy while the general public continues to buy with reckless abandon. Once the average Joe investors exhaust all of their resources, the prices drop like a rock. By that time, the smart money investors are long gone, having made tremendous profits.

Right now, I believe that the institutional investors have come to realize that cryptocurrency is the future. Smart money investors are not going to sit back and watch the general public amass the wealth of the world on a major change. They will position themselves to protect their assets. They have the power to drive the markets down to the basement, and then snap up the low priced cryptocurrencies at bargain prices.

This way, they end up on top of things once the changeover is complete. This is exactly what we are seeing in the oil industry. For decades, the oil industry denied that clean energy (like solar and wind power) would become the future. But now we are watching the oil industry giants lead the way investing heavily into clean energy. The result? They will still be on top of the world when the paradigm shift has completed.

Keep that in mind while you watch the market action in the coming months. Do your due diligence, plan for the worst, and capitalize on it.

Carlton Flowers
The Crypto Oracle

Cryptocurrency is About to Become a Mainstream Payment Option

WILL THAT BE CASH, CREDIT, OR CRYPTO?

There’s a significant development in the works that everyone needs to know about, and it will change the way we go about our daily businesses each day in this country.

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange platform in the world, and the only in-ramp for converting US dollars to Bitcoin and other coins, is about to change the game in the payment processing game for small businesses.

If you thought cryptocurrency was a fad, you might be changing your mind in the near future if Coinbase follows through with their plans. They have a “plugin” under development which will upgrade credit card equipment to accept a new payment method: cryptocurrency.

That’s right, you will soon be able to pay for your goods and services at the smallest level of business with cryptocurrency. Litecoin will be at the forefront, as the standard for payment transactions. NOT Bitcoin, for those of who you might be wondering.

While Bitcoin remains to be the “gold standard” of cryptocurrency, it really isn’t structured to facilitate the fast payment processing needed to become a viable every-day payment option for retail. But Litecoin, with the new Litepay network, is designed for this use.

Litepay has a goal to become the “world’s first borderless payment network”. In other words, it doesn’t matter where you go in the world, you will be able to buy and sell using Litecoin, via the Litepay network.

Here’s where it gets good: Coinbase is going to make it possible for businesses to accept Litecoin cryptocurrency as a payment option wherever you have a credit/debit card processing machine. That’s powerful.

If you don’t believe any of this will come to fruition, all you need to do is pay attention to the wizard behind the curtain…

Coinbase has secured partnerships with Overstock, Dell, Expedia, Dish Network, and is rumored to be on the edge of a deal with Amazon.com. They are making serious moves in the retail world. But the key is who is behind Coinbase.

It’s the Digital Currency Group, an angel investor. So let’s bring the chickens home to roost, and fill you in on the most significant part of the story: Mastercard just invested a significant amount of money into the Digital Currency Group. Mastercard is the wizard. That’s all we need to know.

In order to speed the rate of adoption of providing this new payment option, Coinbase is going to reward businesses handsomely. In fact, the reward will be so great that small businesses will be able to offer a nice discount to customers who chose to pay with Litecoin cryptocurrency rather than with cash or credit, in terms of the US dollar.

That is very significant. Stop and think about it…

Rewarding businesses to accept cryptocurrency will have a tremendous impact on the rate of adoption of the new standard. The Coinbase plugin combined with Litepay could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It could be the final event that breaks the dam.

The dam is holding back the impending tidal wave represented by the changeover to cryptocurrency. Technology, innovation, and efficiency are the forces responsible for the creation of the wave.

Mass adoption is coming. We will all have a front row seat in the theater of societal change, watching it all happen right before our very eyes. And in two blinks, we'll be hearing our favorite merchants saying, "will that be cash, credit, or crypto?"

Carlton Flowers
Cryptographer Supreme

Are We On The Verge Of The Next Cryptocurrency Bull Market?

CLUES THAT THE CRYPTO RUSH COULD BE AROUND THE CORNER

From the looks of it, the next bull market could be right around the corner for cryptocurrency trading. While nobody can be 100% sure of it, all indications are pointing in that direction.

After Bitcoin went completely bananas, exploding to nearly $20,000 in early December after a frenzied run, it has been a long and arduous ride down the  the slopes during a market correction that lasted nearly two and a half months.

I got into the crypto game in late November, and made some decent gains during the end of the last bull market. Fortunately, I ended up ahead of the profit curve after the correction finalized. Honestly, I was convinced that Bitcoin would correct to less than the $5,000 level before the bear market was complete.

But it appears that lots of institutional buyers were ready with automated purchase orders at the $6,000 support level, and the big dip that took it down below that point did not last long. Still not convinced, I waited on the sidelines until there was enough evidence that we had reached the bottom.

At this point, most of the top prognosticators believe that we have completed the correction, and the top cryptocurrencies have consolidated nicely forming a strong base. The market has been propagating sideways since the big dip in January, and this has been encouraging.

The news on the developments of the major coins and even the altcoins has been strong since the dip. I truly believe that the world is headed towards adoption of cryptocurrency as a standard of trade and exchange. But we are still in the early stages of the process.

I am still cautious, because we have seen the cryptocurrency market drag through distribution phases for upwards of a year at a time. The previous bear market only lasted two or three months. But it appears that the overall upward trend is still in tact.

Make no mistake about it, the "smart money" of the world knows that this paradigm shift is real, and an enormous amount of wealth will be transferred into the cryptocurrency market in the next few years.

A significant development occurred in February that is one of the biggest indicators that we are on the edge of a rising bull market. Credit card companies have halted the ability to buy cryptocurrencies on Coinbase via credit. There is a reason behind this.

It's called the "leverage loop", and it threatens the stability of the credit card companies. If credit card companies continue to allow purchasing during a rising market, their customers can leverage gains on cryptocurrencies in short order, and pay off their balances. Credit card companies need to keep customers in a reasonable amount of debt in order to make money on high interest rates that they charge.

That's why they put the kibosh on allowing people to buy cryptos on credit. If we weren't on the edge of a bull market, you better believe that these companies would continue encouraging their users to increase their debts, thus facilitating more profit through interest charges.

Another strong indication of a pending bull market? The action of the Digital Currency Group. This is one of the major players in future investments in the world. They are the company behind MasterCard. They are making plans now to update credit card terminals to allow cryptocurrency payments. That's major news.

Lastly, we have to consider what is going on with the stock market. We have every indication that the stock market might be in the midst of a major correction. They aren't going to sit back and watch this happen without taking action. Proof? The NASDAQ company is one of the companies behind Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, and the only on-ramp to converting fiat currency to cryptocurrency.

Coinbase is already making developments to integrate a plugin that will allow businesses to accept cryptocurrency payments. The biggest potential customer is the biggest retailer in the world: Amazon.com.

Coinbase is positioned to be able to snatch a significant amount of money from the banking institution, because they will make it cheaper for regular every-day businesses to process payments using crypto. This represents a major threat to the future of banks.

All of these developments have a significant impact on cutting the bear market to a close, and opening up the gates for the next bull run. While we can't be solidly sure when the market will start the next major uptrend, there isn't a question about "IF" it will happen... the question is WHEN.

Keep your eyes on the markets, and invest responsibly. There is definite risk in getting involved in what we call the "early adoption stage", but with great risk comes great reward. My advice to everyone is to invest only what you can afford to lose. Be careful, but pay close attention to what is going on in the coming months. It will be exciting to watch!

Carlton Flowers
The CryptoPro

Cryptocurrency and the Five Stages of Grief

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE & THE PROGRESSION OF CRYPTO-GRIEF

When the giant, well-established financial institution that has been around for 100 years is faced with a disrupter that they cannot stop, ban, shut down, sue, buy, eradicate, or legislate against, there is a progression that I predict we will see that is strikingly similar to the 5 stages of grief.

But just as the financial industry is in complete denial right now, so is average John Q. Citizen. This is what I predict will be going through the minds of the masses of people who fail to see the writing on the wall as they progress through the five stages…

1. Denial

Bitcoin can’t possibly work, it’s not real money, it has no credibility, and it will never survive. It will eventually go away on it’s own, and die. It makes absolutely no sense. It’s just a minor distraction right now, and we’ll have to just wait it out. While everyone wastes their time and money on this fad, I'll stick to my day job and depend on my retirement and the strong US dollar.

2. Anger

It’s the money of pedophiles, terrorists, drug dealers, criminals, and fraudsters because these people use the highest technology possible to run away from the law. Therefore, it should be banned. If we don’t ban it, God will, because it’s the mark of the beast and the currency of the Antichrist. Besides, the government will shut it down any day now. They allow our world to go the way of the rogues!

3. Bargaining

Please, dear God, let me go back in time when Bitcoin was only twenty-five cents so I can buy five thousand shares. I was meant to be a Bitcoin billionaire, but I was distracted with too many important things! But you know my heart, you know I will be good for the money. Okay God, if you can’t let me time travel, just let the price of Bitcoin crash temporarily back down to a dollar and I promise I’ll buy a pile of it and help all the hungry in the world and house all the homeless people in New York City with the billions that I gain. Please God!

4. Depression

Dear God, why was I so stupid? Why didn’t I listen? Why didn’t you stop me in my stupidity and make me take note of what was going on? My life will never be the same! I’m going to be stuck poor forever! I’m so stupid I shouldn’t even exist.

5. Acceptance

Well I guess I can’t change the past, and what’s done is done. I had my chance to be mega-rich, and I didn’t jump on the opportunity. But I’ll learn how to live in this new world of Bitcoin, Blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Who knows… maybe I can make a little money investing in it after all!

Mark my words, you heard it here first.

Carlton Flowers
The Cryptographic Prophet

How to Get Started In Cryptocurrency with Coinbase

GETTING STARTED BUYING CRYPTOCURRENCY WITH COINBASE

I got started 3 days ago with my first purchase of Bitcoin only three days ago at an entry price of $9675.81 for one Bitcoin. It was a super confusing process, and was very frustrating. But I fumbled my way through it after studying it for several days.

I didn't have an extra $9675.81 sitting around to buy one Bitcoin. Fortunately, you don't have to buy an entire whole "coin". You can buy a fraction of a coin with whatever amount of money you have.

I used my Mastercard to purchase $300 worth of Bitcoin, and after the 3.99% fee for transferring money from my credit card to my account, I had $288.46 worth of Bitcoin to begin with.

First, I registered an account at Coinbase.com. You can either transfer money from a bank account, or you can use a credit card. It's easier to use a credit card, even though the fee is a little bit higher. Connecting your bank account takes a little more time.

When you register for an account and deposit at least $100, Coinbase will give you $10 extra for free if you use a referral. I messed up and missed out on the $10 bonus, but if you use my referral code in the link above or by clicking on the picture, you can receive the free $10.

Via Coinbase, you can purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin. These are three major cryptocurrencies. There are 843 other cryptocurrencies that you can purchase outside of Coinbase, and you'll need to use another exchange service to do that. But we'll get to that later.

After owning my first $288 of Bitcoin, the value has risen as high as $338 within the first few days because it is moving roughly 10% per day. The market price of Bitcoin jumps up and down, but the overall trend is growing upward at a rapid rate.

There is talk of Bitcoin growing from the current price of $10,483 at the time I am writing this blog post to somewhere between $25,000 and $40,000 within the next year. The reason this is happening is because there is a finite amount of Bitcoins available to be bought on the market.

As of June 2017, there were 16.4 million Bitcoins created. The limit is 21 million. Right now, new Bitcoins are being created by the process of "mining". You can read my previous posts to get an understanding of what that means, but this is the reason for the rapid rise in value.

Bitcoins cannot be inflated by governments. Nobody has the ability to "print" Bitcoin money like the government prints the US Dollar. As you are reading this, there is a huge shift of investment into Bitcoins taking place.

Banks, institutions, businesses, and individuals are buying up Bitcoins. The number of people coming into the Bitcoin market in the near future is enormous. It will cause the value to continue to be driven up into the stratosphere.

After you purchase your initial amount of Bitcoin on the Coinbase site, you can register an account with the exchange service at Bittrex. When you create your Coinbase account, you get a digital "wallet".

You also get a digital wallet when  you set up an account at Bittrex. Once you complete that step, you can send money from one wallet to the other, and then purchase any of the other 843 cryptocurrencies from the exchange.

I am going to be putting away money on a monthly basis into my Coinbase account and loading up on Bitcoin. Then I will be able to transfer money at will to my Bittrex wallet, and for a very minimal fee I will have the ability to invest into the other cryptocurrencies.

In my next blog post, I will explain why there are so many other cryptocurrencies, and why there is a need for different types. But the first step you need to take is to buy your Bitcoin. When you buy your Bitcoins via Coinbase, you own actual currency that can be used to make purchases at over 100,000 retail services. It's not like investing in stocks. You are purchasing usable currency.

For example, you can actually buy Walmart gift cards using your Bitcoin balance and go shopping at a physical store, or buy goods and services on Amazon.com. You'd be surprised at how many local businesses in your home town are already accepting Bitcoin for purchases.

Get started with your first Bitcoin purchase so you can become accustomed to the process of using cryptocurrency. Then you will be able to move into trading currencies and create the potential for a very secure financial future.

If you have questions or suggestions, please post them in the comments section and I'll help out where I can. Get going now, and be a part of the "first movers". You don't want to have regrets 10 years down the road when you realize the massive opportunity that you missed out on to be a part of this in the initial stage.

Carlton Flowers
Crypto Coach

PS - There is RISK involved in any investment, and it applies to cryptocurrency. Do your own due diligence. This is a learning process, and I don't yet profess to be an expert. Keep in mind that with risk comes possible tremendous reward to those that are forward-thinking enough to do the proper research.

REGISTER at Coinbase now and receive $10 free

3 Ways Cryptocurrency Will Change the World

LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE COMES CRYPTO!

Time to move on to more basics on cryptocurrency. Today we'll talk about how it will change the world as we know it. But first, let's talk a little more basic stuff about why they call it "cryptocurrency".

Cryptocurrency is basically electronic money that is designed to be used safely and securely, and with privacy in mind because it is anonymous. It's predominately used online, and it uses cryptography in order to convert information on purchases, transfers, and balances into an impenetrable code.

It involves using computer science, math theory, and also computer languages to transfer cash, communications, and information over the internet in the most secure and unhackable way. Governments, regulatory agencies, and banks can't get in the middle of it because the transactions can be made completely anonymously. That's the big draw.

Enough of the new basics. Now let's talk about 3 areas where cryptocurrency will change the world in the very near future...

1. Money Transfers

The way banks transfer money from one to another is ridiculously archaic. It can take upwards of a week to complete a transaction. The system is old as dirt. Have you ever had an experience where you tried to "wire" money to a friend or family member? If you did, you'd know how awful the process is. Those days are about to be over.

Cryptocurrency can be sent to anyone with an electronic wallet (i.e. an app on your phone) in as little as 4 seconds. There's no more need to go stand in line at Western Union, and wait 24 hours for money transfers to clear. In fact, you don't even need a bank or other go-between to send cash to someone on the other side of the world. Crypto changes the entire ball game.

2. Anonymity & Shift of Power

The arrival of cryptocurrency has major implications when it comes to the potential shift of power from the governmental institutions and banks to the general population. It takes the power out of the hands of the traditional rulers and hands it over to the common people.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are transacted on the Blockchain. It's like an electronic ledger that lives on an independent network of computers on the world wide web. Banks and government institutions can't get in the middle of it, because they are not needed. Transacting business on the Blockchain without the IRS watching your every move just might be an attractive thing that could possibly catch on (sarcasm intended).

The banks can't squeeze their way in either, and might be obsoleted by this new process. If you count up the ways that banks charge you to have your own money, and how microscopic of a sliver they give back when you let them use your money, it doesn't leave much motivation to stay with the plan when there is a free and anonymous alternative in crypto-commerce.

3. Safe Money Transfer for Developing Countries

Smartphone use is exploding in Africa, in the most under-developed areas. Africa is a "goldmine" for technology growth, and the fact that smartphone use is becoming so common, it creates the perfect platform for tapping into the power of cryptocurrency.

Right now many people in Africa are using mobile phone credits as a medium of exchange for commerce. There are obvious disadvantages, like the time it takes to make transfers, and the hefty fees that are snatched out for each transaction. Fees can be as high as 20% per transaction. Cryptocurrency will level the playing field and revolutionize commerce in Africa, and it will provide a much safer platform for commerce as opposed to phone credits or storing cash.

CONCLUSION

The implications of cryptocurrency adoption throughout the world go far and beyond these three examples. I'll be adding to this list in future posts, and it will leave you no shadow of a doubt that cryptocurrency is here to stay. From what I have learned thus far, I'm convinced that this is not a passing fad. The advantages are far and beyond fiat currency, and each passing day we see proof that the trend towards crypto is just getting stronger and stronger. Watch the birdie!

Carlton Flowers
Supreme Cryptographer