LitePay CEO Says We Might Be Thinking About Crypto All Wrong
Crypto enthusiasts, beware!
The digital assets shouldn’t be used as a “get rich quick” scheme, according to LitePay CEO Kenneth Asare. They’re also not meant to replace traditional currencies or investments like stocks.
What blockchain technology is, though, is the “internet of money”. Asare compares it to the 1990s, when internet systems were being built.
“This is the very beginning of a new way of sharing and transferring value,” he told Cheddar Tuesday. “This is the first part of a very long road that goes from 300 million people being able to be banked to everybody with a cell phone being able to be banked, which is literally 5 billion people today.”
Asare’s comments come days before cryptocurrency Litecoin is set to roll out its payment processor LitePay to 41 countries. The service target individuals who are “unbanked” but who have access to a cellular device. The new system can ease volatility in the market by automatically converting crypto into local fiat currency.
But Asare points out that current volatility shouldn’t make players in the market nervous, since cryptocurrency, like the internet two decades ago, is still in its early stages and may need some time to iron out fluctuations.
“This would be like in 1990 talking about how the early internet companies were or were not working,” he said. “They were onto something, and now we can look back and see that we have all of these products that have been built on top of it.”
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-internet-of-money-and-future-of-crypto-commerce).
Alternative asset, sports cards-focused platform Alt recently raised $75 million in a Series B round. Alt's platform lets users research, trade, and securely store sports cards and other high-value assets. Right now, the company has more than $70 million worth of cards in its vault. The company is also hoping to get into other assets, including NFTs. Alt CEO Leore Avidar joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bitcoin ticked higher Friday but still hit a one-month low amid a broader crypto slump. Investors are eyeing the potential liquidation of payments from collapsed exchange Mt. Gox, alongside the recent debut of three Bitcoin-linked futures ETFs as the SEC continues to avoid approving spot product ETFs. Steve Larsen, Co-Founder of PlannerDAO, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the broader crypto slump, why Mt. Gox is a concern, and more.
Wedbush Securities has raised its price target for Tesla stock to $1,400, among the highest on Wall Street. Analysts are pointing to an incoming green tidal wave as the main reason for their optimism, with President Biden's infrastructure bill expected to kick off a new era for electric vehicles in the U.S. Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why he's so bullish on Tesla even as competition from companies like Rivian heats up.
Streaming platform Roku announced plans to develop more than 50 original shows in a bid to become a destination for free content amid growing competition in the space. Shelly Kramer, co-founder and lead analyst at Futurum Research, spoke to Cheddar about the new offering "The transition here from hardware to adding a software component by way of original content, I think is smart," she said. "And it's all about the Benjamins." Kramer also noted that she doesn't necessarily think Roku is entering the content game too late.
The behind-the-scenes story of HBO's history is chronicled in the new book 'Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.' The book tells the true story of how HBO came to dominate the television industry as we know it. The man behind the book has interviewed over 700 key sources to uncover a bottomless trove of secrets, surprises, and never before heard stories. James Andrew Miller joins Cheddar News to share more.
As the world of trading in cryptocurrency gets more popular experts say competition in the space could get bigger within the next year. CEO of Onramp Invest Tyrone Ross, joined Cheddar to discuss more.