Decrypt Season 2019

The State of the Altcoin Market
So far in 2019, altcoins have underperformed Bitcoin by a fair margin. What are the potential reasons for this? And how do funds originally invested in ICOs in 2017-2018 affect the markets?
On-Chain Derivatives and Insurance
A wide range of products and protocols are now available in decentralized finance. However, one element of a holistic, decentralized financial ecosystem is still missing: derivatives. What efforts are being made to bring derivatives on-chain? What are the benefits?
Token Burning Mechanisms
Several cryptocurrencies include mechanisms by which coins or tokens are destroyed, or “burned” – reducing the total supply. How do token prices react to this?
Seasonality of Bitcoin
Seasonal patterns are well-known to stock and commodity traders. Does Bitcoin – officially classified as a commodity in the U.S. – also show seasonality? What is the best time of day, weekday, or month to buy Bitcoin?
The Benefits of Decentralization
Operating a decentralized, peer-to-peer electronic cash network such as Bitcoin comes with a great deal of complexity compared to centralized alternatives. Why should one care about decentralization? And how is decentralization measurable?
Distribution of Stores of Value
Bitcoin distribution is often claimed to be highly centralized in the hands of few early investors. But how does that picture change over time? And what can be learned from other stores of value, such as gold?
Transaction Fees – Markets for Block Space
Adding a ledger entry to a decentralized blockchain comes at a cost – a transaction fee. Different functionalities among blockchains require different fee models. Which ones are currently applied? And what are the long-term implications of fees for the markets?
Governance of Distributed Networks
Broadly defined, governance is a set of processes that include opinion-forming and decision-making. Without some sort of governance, progress would stall. In decentralized systems, such as public blockchains, the question arises: Who gets to decide?
Leveraging Blockchain for Decentralizing Finance
Decentralized finance has been one of the rising stars on the cryptocurrency horizon. The ecosystem of blockchain-supported financial services is constantly growing. What is it all about? And what are the current and potential use cases?
Staking on Chains
Proof-of-stake consensus continues to attract considerable interest due to its potential advantages over proof-of-work. What are the pros and cons? How can investors benefit? And what are the technological and operational challenges related to staking cryptocurrencies?
Bitcoin Derivatives in the Spotlight
The market for Bitcoin financial derivatives is growing rapidly. Both physically and cash settled futures are now available. What does this mean for cryptocurrencies? And what lessons can be learned from other markets?
Stablecoins - Navigating Crypto Volatility
Cryptocurrencies are often deemed “too volatile” for certain business use cases. However, an increasingly large subgroup called stablecoins might come to the rescue. Where are stablecoins set to have an impact? And how “stable” are they really?
Connecting Blockchains to Real Life
Unleashing the full potential of blockchain technology will require a constant feed of data from the off-chain world. How can this link be established?
The Identity of the Future
The digital world is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives. Personal data often needs to be shared over the Internet. What part can blockchain technology play in the protection of identities against theft or fraud?
The Road to Mainstream
User experience is a pivotal factor in achieving widespread adoption for any technological advancement. What efforts are being made to simplify the “crypto experience”? And how can adoption be measured?
Scalability – the Missing Piece
Public blockchains have the potential to reach billions of users. A key necessity for such mainstream adoption is technology that can handle large throughputs. What is the state of scalability today? And what are the different approaches towards scalable blockchains?
Is Bitcoin a “Safe Haven”?
We live in a world where a single tweet can have wide-reaching effects on the global economy and markets. Future-proof stores of value are in dire need. Can cryptocurrencies – and Bitcoin in particular – fulfill this role?
Exploring the Coinbase
The Bitcoin blockchain continues to increase in strength. Its hashrate and mining difficulty have recently reached all-time highs. But what are the incentives to secure a public blockchain? And how does network growth affect decentralization?
The Recipe for Trustlessness
The invention of Bitcoin was a breakthrough in distributed ledger technology. But where did it all begin? What problems does Bitcoin solve? And which obstacles are yet to be conquered?
Bitcoin - the Evolution of Money
In the genesis episode of Bitcoin Suisse Decrypt, we take a deep dive into the origins of cryptocurrencies: When did it all really start? Where does money come from? And what is money today?

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