Ian Lee
Freelance writer for hire.
Ian Lee is a freelance writer for hire specializing in the areas of business, finance, and economics. He also has over 5 years of experience in investment banking.
PROJECTS
coingecko.com
Non-Fungible Tokens and ERC721 Tokens – A Simple Explanation
Have you heard of the popular blockchain collectibles game, Cryptokitties? You know, the one which allows you to breed digital cats and became so popular that at the height of crypto mania in December 2017 it caused massive congestion in the entire Ethereum network?
If you have, then congratulations, you are already (somewhat) familiar with non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) and the ERC721 protocol. Read on to learn more about what makes an NFT, the ERC721 protocol, its current uses, and why many p...
coingecko.com
A Simple Guide to Totle, the ERC20 DEX Aggregator
Here on CoinGecko, we’ve done reviews on a number of decentralized exchanges such as Switcheo, Ethfinex, AirSwap, and ForkDelta. With the exception of Switcheo, all of these decentralized exchanges specifically cater to Ethereum and its associated ERC20 tokens, which is in line with the overall decentralized exchange landscape.
This can create somewhat of a problem; you might find yourself having too many accounts with too many decentralized exchanges. Since decentralized exchanges on average...
blokt.com
MOBU ICO Review – Tackling the Security Token Problem Head On
Late into 2018, the ICO market continues to thrive. As of end-August, a total of $6.95 billion has been raised from 1,079 ICOs, which is already $800 million more compared to the total amount raised in 2017.
However, ICOs continue to operate in a regulatory grey area. In the United States, the SEC has issued multiple cautions against ICOs, with SEC Chairman Jay Clayton noting that just because an ICO states that it is selling a ‘utility token’ doesn’t mean that the token itself is not a secur...
blokt.com
Russian Federal Agency Plans to Start Tracking Cryptocurrency Transactions
As BBC Russia reported, Rosfinmonitoring, known by its English name the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, has ordered a specific analytical tool that will give the agency the capability to track crypto transactions, focusing on the Bitcoin network. Rosfinmonitoring is the agency responsible for countering terrorism financing and financial fraud.
This analytical tool is being exclusively developed for the agency by the Moscow Institute for Security and Information Analysis (SPI) at a cost ...
coingecko.com
An Easy Guide to Switcheo - the First Decentralized Exchange for NEO
When we talk about decentralized crypto exchanges, the most common token that comes to mind is Ethereum. Most decentralized exchanges only allow you to trade Ethereum and other ERC20 tokens such as AirSwap and ForkDelta. However, Ethereum is not without its challengers, and foremost among them is NEO, billed as the ‘Chinese Ethereum’. Until recently, there were no decentralized exchanges built for NEO and other NEP5 cryptocurrencies. That has now changed thanks to Switcheo, the first ever dec...
coingecko.com
The Beginner’s Guide to Using Ethfinex
If you’ve been involved with cryptocurrencies for any length of time, then you’ve probably heard of Bitfinex, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world (ranked #6 on CoinGecko based on trading volume).
In December 2017, Bitfinex launched a spinoff exclusively for Ethereum and other ERC20 tokens. That exchange is Ethfinex. This guide will explain what Ethfinex is all about, how it works, and how to use it. It will also cover two of the platform’s own tokens, Nectar token and Eth...
coingecko.com
A Complete Guide to Using ForkDelta (and its Connection with Etherdelta)
When it comes to trading ETH and ERC20 tokens, ForkDelta is one of the more popular decentralized exchanges out there today. However, it also has the reputation as being one of the least beginner friendly options, hence the creation of this guide. Just like the previous guide on AirSwap (a far more beginner friendly option), this guide will cover what ForkDelta is and how to use it.
EtherDelta and ForkDelta: A Brief History
Before we go into the guide, it is worth explaining a little bit abou...
coingecko.com
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to AirSwap
First announced in late 2017, AirSwap, a ConsenSys project, is one of the most talked about decentralized exchanges for Ethereum and other ERC20 tokens today. The AirSwap Marketplace, the feature which actually allows you to trade tokens recently went live on April 27, 2018.
Since that feature is now live, we at CoinGecko figured that it’s a good time for a comprehensive beginner’s guide to using AirSwap. This guide will explain what AirSwap is all about, how it works, and more importantly ho...
coingecko.com
CoolWallet S Bitcoin Wallet Review
If you’re serious about investing in cryptocurrencies, it would be crazy for you not to own a hardware wallet. Also known as a ‘cold wallet’, these offline wallets are currently the most secure way of storing your cryptocurrencies, short of actually memorizing your private keys.
In today’s review, we’re going to be taking an in-depth look at one of the newer hardware wallets out there, the CoolWallet S by CoolBitX. Touted as the world’s first mobile hardware wallet, the CoolWallet S uses Blue...
coingecko.com
A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Using MetaMask
If you’ve ever looked into buying or trading Ethereum and other ERC20 tokens before, then you’ve probably heard the word MetaMask mentioned. If you already know what MetaMask is and how to use it, then feel free to skip this article. But for those of you who have been wondering just what MetaMask is, then this guide was made for you.
What is MetaMask?
If I had to summarize MetaMask in one sentence, it would be this. MetaMask is a browser extension that acts as both a wallet and a way for you ...
blokt.com
SEC Obtains Order to Freeze Additional Assets of PlexCorps’ Dominic Lacroix
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed in a litigation release dated June 20 another emergency court order for an asset freeze over Dominic Lacroix, who the agency describes as a “recidivist Quebec securities law violator.”
Blokt reported, in December 2017, that the agency’s newly formed Cyber Unit obtained the first emergency asset freeze to halt PlexCorps ICO, which it described as “fraudulent” and a “full-fledged cyber scam.” The ICO had already raised up to $15 million from ...
blokt.com
BIS Repeats Tired Criticisms Against Cryptocurrencies in Special Report
On June 17, the BIS made available a 24-page chapter from its upcoming annual economic report. The report, which is negative against cryptocurrencies as a whole, repeats the same criticisms against cryptocurrencies that have been around for years, namely that of scalability, volatility and trust.
The report begins with a definition of money and the basic structure of cryptocurrencies. It then goes on to compare the current state of cryptocurrencies against said definition and concludes that b...
blokt.com
CBOE President Says SEC’s Announcement Clears ‘key Stumbling Block’ for Ether Future
In a statement released to Bloomberg on June 15, Chris Concannon referenced a speech by William Hinman, director of the agency’s corporate finance division. In the speech, Hinman said that Ethereum, as “currently structured” would not qualify as securities transactions, despite the initial offering conditions of Ethereum back in 2014.
As Concannon told Bloomberg:
“We are pleased with the SEC’s decision to provide clarity with respect to current Ether transactions. This announcement clears a k...
blokt.com
Ant Financial Just Raised $14 Billion; Will Fund Blockchain Development
Ant Financial, the financial affiliate of the Alibaba group, announced on June 8 that it had raised $14 billion from various international investors. The company notes in its press release that:
“The Company will continue to invest in developing its blockchain, AI, security, IoT and computing capabilities to upgrade its global technology platform for the next generation.”
The company’s explicit mention of blockchain development should not come as a surprise, as it is consistent with previous ...
blokt.com
Quebec Freezes Crypto Mining Power Requests Amid Excessive Demand
Canada’s biggest electric utility Hydro-Quebec will temporarily halt processing requests from cryptocurrency miners due to “unprecedented” demand that has exceeded the company’s short and medium-term capacity.
In a press release dated June 7, the utility company noted that the directive to stop processing such requests came through a ministerial order. An “Order-in-Council” also instructed the provincial regulator, Régie de l’énergie, to address concerns hounding electricity sales to companie...