How Bitcoin Will Make You Big Money Again

If you are a Bitcoin fan or looking for the next opportunity for a Bitcoin rally, you may not have long to wait before a price breakout takes place. Our research team at The Technical Traders believes a price breakout may occur before the end of 2018 – the only question is will it be a breakout rally or a breakdown crash before the next mega rally?

Cryptos and, in particular, Bitcoin has increased in popularity and adoption over the past 24 months across the globe. Recently, Citigroup has announced new technology making Crypto transactions more secure and reducing the risk of such transactions. Additionally, Circle recently announced a US Dollar based Crypto currency that is backed by Goldman-Sachs. News from Europe is that the EU has been urged to adopt common Crypto Currency rules that will fuel more attention and enterprise on developing suitable Crypto solutions for the European markets.

All of this plays into our research that a breakout/breakdown is inevitable and it is just a matter of time before this coiling price consolidation “apexes” and expands.

This chart shows massive breakdown washout below $6000 taking it back to prices before crypto became popular in early 2017.

This next chart below shows our cycle analysis and how much bitcoin moved from our cycle bottoms to tops. We are now at NEARING a critical juncture of a $6000 breakdown which is clearly a support level, and a potential major cycle bottom or continuation down cycle. Huge money can be made from this extreme volatility that is about to unfold and savvy technical traders can see the profit potential unfolding.

We urge all traders to keep Cryptos in focus over the next few weeks and months. Our research team shares our proprietary analysis and research with our paid members regarding the Crypto currency trends and trades.

If you want to learn what we believe will be the next big move in the Crypto markets, then visit The Technical Traders to learn more. Our proprietary modeling systems are clearly showing us what we should expect over the next few weeks and months. As a member, you will have access to this research and benefit from our Daily Research Videos.

Chris Vermeulen

2018 First Quarter Technical Analysis Price Forecast

As 2017 draws to a close, our analysis shows the first Quarter of 2018 should start off with a solid rally. Our researchers use our proprietary modeling and technical analysis systems to assist our members with detailed market analysis and timing triggers from expected intraday price action to a multi-month outlook.

These tools help us to keep our members informed of market trends, reversals, and big moves. Today, we are going to share some of our predictive modelings with you to show you why we believe the first three months of 2018 should continue higher.

One of our most impressive and predictive modeling systems is the Adaptive Dynamic Learning system. This system allows us to ask the market what will be the highest possible outcome of recent trading activity projected into the future. It accomplishes this by identifying Genetic Price/Pattern markers in the past and recording them into a Genome Map of price activity and probable outcomes.

This way, when we ask it to show us what it thinks will be the highest probable outcome for the future, it looks into this Genome Map, finds the closest relative Genetic Price/Pattern marker and then shows us what this Genome marker predicts as the more likely outcome.

This current Weekly chart of the SPY is showing us that the next few Weeks and Months of price activity should produce a minimum of a $5 – $7 rally. This means that we could see a continued 2~5% rally in US Equities early in 2018.

Additionally, the ES (S&P E-mini futures) is confirming this move in early 2018 with its own predictive analysis. The ADL modeling system is showing us that the ES is likely to move +100 pts from current levels before the end of the first Quarter 2018 equating to a +3.5% move (or higher). We can see from this analysis that a period of congestion or consolidation is expected near the end of January or early February 2018 – which would be a great entry opportunity.

The trends for both of these charts is strongly Bullish and the current ADL price predictions allow investors to understand the opportunities and expectations for the first three months of 2018. Imagine being able to know or understand that a predictive modeling system can assist you in making decisions regarding the next two to three months as well as assist you in planning and protecting your investments? How powerful would that technology be to you?

Our job at Technical Traders Ltd. is to assist our members in finding and executing profitable trades and to assist them in understanding market trends, reversals, and key movers. We offer a variety of analysis types within our service to support any level of a trader from novice to expert, and short term to long term investors.

Our specialized modeling systems allow us to provide one of a kind research and details that are not available anywhere else. Our team of researchers and traders are dedicated to helping us all find great success with our trading.

So, now that you know what to expect from the SPY and ES for the next few months, do you want to know what is going to happen in Gold, Silver, Bonds, FANGs, the US Dollar, Bitcoin, and more?

Join The Technical Traders Right Here to gain this insight and knowledge today.

Chris Vermeulen

Could This Move Disrupt Global Markets?

Our team of researchers continues to attempt to identify market strengths and weakness in the US major markets by identifying key, underlying factors of the markets and how they relate to one another.

Recently, we’ve been warning of a potentially explosive bullish move in Metals and our last article highlighted the weakness in the Transportation Index as it relates to the US major markets. 

On November 2, 2017, we warned that the NQ volatility would be excessive and that any move near or below 6200 would likely prompt support to drive prices higher as our Adaptive Dynamic Learning model was showing wide volatility and the potential for rotation moves.

This week, we are attempting to highlight a potential move in Bitcoin that could disrupt the global economy and more traditional investment vehicles.  For the past few years, Bitcoin has been on a terror to the upside.  Recently, a 30% downside price rotation caused a bit of panic in the Crypto world.  This -30% decline was fast and left some people wondering what could happen if something deeper were to happen – where would Crypto’s find a bottom.  From that -30% low, Bitcoin has recovered to previous highs (near $8000) and have stalled – interesting.

While discussing Bitcoin with some associates a while back, I heard rumor that a move to Bitcoin CASH was underway and that Bitcoin would collapse as some point in the near future. The people I was meeting with were very well connected in this field and were warning me to alert me in case I had any Bitcoin holdings (which I do).  I found it interesting that these people were moving into the Bitcoin CASH market as fast as they could.  What did they know that I didn’t know and how could any potential Bitcoin blowout drive the global markets?

Panic breeds fear and fear drives the markets (fear or greed).  If Bitcoin were to increase volatility beyond the most recent move (-30% in 4 days) – what could happen to the Crypto markets if a bubble collapse or fundamental collapse happened?

How would the major markets react to a Crypto market collapse that destroyed billions in capital?  For this, we try to rely on our modeling systems and our understanding of the major markets.  Let’s get started by looking at the NASDAQ with two modeling systems (the Fibonacci Price Modeling System and the Adaptive Dynamic Learning system).

This first chart is a Daily Adaptive Dynamic Learning (ADL) model representation of what this modeling system believes will be the highest probability outcome of price going forward 20 days.  Notice that we are asking it to show use what it believes will happen from last week’s trading activity (ignoring anything prior).  This provides us the most recent and relevant data to review.

We can see from the “range lines” (the red and green price range levels shown on the chart), that upside price range is rather limited to recent highs whereas downside prices swing lower (to near 6200 and below) rather quickly.  Additionally, the highest probability price moves indicate that we could see some downside price rotation over the Thanksgiving week followed by a retest of recent high price levels throughout the end of November.

This NQ Weekly chart, below, is showing our Fibonacci price modeling system and the fact that we are currently in an extended bullish run that, so far, shows no signs of stalling.  The Fibonacci Price Breach Level (the red line near the right side of the chart) is showing us that we should be paying attention to the 6075 level for any confirmation of a bearish trend reversal.  Notice how that aligns with the blue projected downside support level (projected into future price levels).  Overall, for the NQ or the US majors to show any signs of major weakness, these Fibonacci levels would have to be tested and breached.  Until that happens, expect continued overall moderate bullish price activity.  When it happens, look out below.

The next charts we are going to review are the Metals markets (Gold and Silver).  Currently, an interesting setup is happening with Silver.  It appears to show that volatility in the Silver market will be potentially much greater than the volatility in the Gold market.  This would indicate that Silver would be the metal to watch going into and through the end of this year.  This first chart is showing the ADL modeling system and highlighting the volatility and price predictions that are present in the Silver market.  Pay attention to the facts that ranges and price projections are rather stable till about 15 days out – that’s when we are seeing a massive upside potential in Silver.

This next chart is the Fibonacci Price Modeling system on a Weekly Silver chart.  What is important here is the recent price rotation that has setup the Fibonacci Price Breach trigger to the upside (currently).  This move is telling us that as long as price stays above $16.89 on a Weekly closing price basis, then Silver should attempt to push higher and higher over time.  The projected target levels are $19.50, $20.25 and $21.45.  Notice any similarity in price levels between the Fibonacci analysis and the ADL analysis?  Yes, that $16.89 level is clearly identified as price range support by the ADL modeling system (the red price range expectation lines).

How will this playout in our opinion with Bitcoin potentially rotating lower off this double top while the metals appear to be basing and potentially reacting to fear in the market?  Allow us to explain what we believe will be the most likely pathway forward…

At first, this holiday week in the US, the markets will be quiet and not show many signs of anything.  Just another holiday week in the US with the markets mostly moderately bullish – almost on auto-pilot for the holidays.  Then closing in on the end of November, we could start to see some increased volatility and price rotation in the metals and the US majors.  If Bitcoin has moved by this time, we would expect that it would be setting up a rotational low above the -30% lows recently set.  In other words, Bitcoin would likely fall 8~15% on rotation, then stall before attempting any further downside moves.

By the end of November, we expect the US markets to have begun a price pattern formation that indicates sideways/stalling price activity moving into the end of this year.  This ADL Daily ES Chart clearly shows what is predicted going forward 20 days with price rotating near current highs for a few days before settling lower (near 2540~2550 through early Christmas 2017).  The ADL projected highs are not much higher than recent high price levels, therefore we do not expect the ES to attempt to push much higher than 2595 in the immediate future.  It might try to test this level or rotate a bit higher as a washout high, but our analysis shows that prices should be settling into complacency for the next week or two while settling near the lower range of recent price activity.

What you should take away from this analysis is the following : don’t expect any massive upside moves between now and the end of the year that last longer than a few days.  Don’t expect the markets to rocket higher unless there is some unexpected positive news from somewhere that changes the current expectations.  Expect Silver to begin to move higher in early December as well as expect Gold to follow Silver.  We believe Silver is the metal to watch as it will likely be the most volatile and drive the metals move.  Expect the major markets to be quiet through the Thanksgiving week with a potential for moderate bullish price activity before settling into a complacent retracement mode through the end of November and early December.

If Bitcoin does what we expect by creating a rotational lower price breakout setup from recent highs, we’ll know within a week or two.  If this $8000 level holds as resistance, then we will clearly see Bitcoin rotate into a defensive market pattern (a flag formation or some other harmonic pattern above support).  The US majors will likely follow this move as a broader fear could begin gripping the markets.

Lastly, as we mentioned last week, pay very close attention to the Transportation Index and it’s ability to find/hold support.  Unless the Transportation index finds some level of support and begins a new bullish trend, we could be in for a more dramatic move early next year.  Our last article clearly laid out our concerns regarding the Transportation Index and the broader market cycles.  All of our analysis should be taken as segments of a much larger market picture.  We are setting up for an interesting holiday season where the market could turn in an instant on fear or news of some global event (like a Bitcoin collapse).  The volatility we are seeing our modeling systems predict is increasing (especially in the Silver market over the next few weeks).  We could be headed for a bumpy ride with a classic top formation setting up.

Overall, protect your investments and your long positions.  Many people will be away from their PCs and away from the markets over the holidays.  It is important that you understand the risks that continue to play out in the markets.  Pay attention to market sectors that are at risk of showing us greater fear or weakness in the major markets.  Pay attention to these increases in volatility and price rotation.  Most of all, pay attention to the market’s failure to move higher over this holiday season because we should be traditionally expecting the Christmas Rally to push equities moderately higher at this time.

Should we see any more clear signs of weakness or market rotation, you will know about it with our regular updates to the public.  If you want to know how Acitve Trading Partners can assist you in staying up to day with the market cycles and analysis, then visit the Active Trading Partners and learn how we can assist you with detailed market research, daily updates, trading signals and more.

We are dedicated to helping you achieve success in the markets and do our best to make sure you are prepared for any future market moves.  See how we can assist you now and in 2018 to achieve greater success.

Chris Vermeulen

Utility Tokens and Cryptos Finally Properly Explained

We have asked our trading partner Teeka Tiwari to explain to us what crypto currencies are and the difference in a crypto currency and the many tokens being offered in the ICO markets right now. Please take a few minutes to read his entire response, when you are done you will have a complete grasp of cryptos and utility tokens....

Cryptos are a brand new asset class. They're completely different from stocks, bonds, and traditional currencies. But that was over 18 months ago. Since then, Bitcoin has risen 1,600% and ether (the coin for the Ethereum network) is up 2,563%.

Perhaps you feel that crypto assets aren't assets at all. Perhaps you've missed out on this incredible run and think it's too late to get in. I want to show you why cryptocurrencies are not like the Dutch Tulip Craze. In fact, we're still in the early days of the cryptocurrency boom.

According to billionaire hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz, the entire crypto market is set to become 25 times larger in the next 5 years. That would be a 2,400+% rise from today. And he's putting his money where his mouth is. Novogratz recently put 10% of his net worth into crypto assets.

That means this asset class still has plenty of room to run and there's still time for you to join the ride. What I'm about to share with you could be very valuable. Like the internet before them, cryptocurrencies have the potential to reshape the economy and they offer a rare opportunity for ordinary individuals to make life changing gains.

The Cryptocurrency Ecosystem

To kick off your education, you need to understand there are two types of crypto assets: cryptocurrencies and utility coins (also called app coins). Think of cryptocurrencies as the digital equivalent of traditional fiat currencies such as dollars, euros, and pounds.

You can use them as a medium of exchange or to store value. The only difference is they're exchanged over the blockchain. Think of utility coins as crypto equities. They're like buying shares in IBM, Walmart, or Apple. Instead, you're buying a stake in a blockchain venture.

Cryptocurrencies and utility coins are similar in that they both operate on a blockchain. The blockchain is like an online public ledger. It's used to track cryptocurrency transactions [Blockchain is a public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions executed. It's a shared network that can move value around and represent property ownership.]

Now that you know the two types of crypto assets, let me explain how each works.

A New Form of Money

Cryptocurrencies are the crypto asset that most folks are familiar with. So, we'll dive into this one first. The most common cryptocurrencies is Bitcoin. It was created to act as alternatives to fiat (paper) money. Two frequent questions we get are why would anyone buy a cryptocurrency that's backed by nothing and can be created by anyone.

These aren't only fair questions, but smart ones. Here's the thing to remember about money: It's whatever people mutually agree it is. In the past, beads, cowrie shells, silver, gold, and of course paper, have all been used as money. You'll notice that none of them have any intrinsic value.

At the end of the day, a sack of flour has more practical value than a $100 bill or even a bar of gold.

And yet, we value both far more than a sack of flour. That's the mutual agreement we've all come to.

When you think about it, it's not that rational. How does a piece of green paper or a bar of yellow metal hold more value to a human than a sack of flour that can be used to feed a family for weeks?

Because we all agree it does.

In my opinion, paper currency may be the most irrational form of money in human history. At least you can decorate yourself with gold, silver, beads, and cowrie shells. Not only that there's a limit to how much gold, silver, and shells that can be found. There's no limit on the amount of paper money that can be created.

The closest thing to true money (outside of food) is gold. Gold meets several historical rules that we use to judge value. It's prized for its beauty. It's difficult to find. It's expensive to extract. It's also a scarce resource. But there are problems with gold, too. We have to trust that the refineries that certify the gold's purity are telling the truth.

Gold is also difficult to transfer (think of carrying around bags of gold coins or chests of gold bars). And that makes it virtually useless as a practical medium of exchange in daily life. What I mean is you can't buy a new car, house, or even a book with gold bars.

Here's How Cryptocurrencies Are Creating Value

Well designed cryptocurrencies have many features that humans look for when measuring value. Let's talk about them now.

Pre-Programed Scarcity

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are pre programmed to create a set amount of coins. Once this limit is reached, no new coins will be created. This creates scarcity. For instance, the algorithm that governs Bitcoin will create no more than 21 million Bitcoins.

Think about this, there are 35 million millionaires in the world. That means if every millionaire wanted to own an entire Bitcoin, they wouldn't be able to. There literally is not enough to go around. Contrast that with paper money.

With paper money, there's no limit to how much can be created. However, gold is finite. That limits how much new gold can be refined each year. You can see that cryptocurrencies actually have more in common with gold than with paper money.

Difficult to Counterfeit

Cryptocurrencies rely on a technology called the "blockchain." This blockchain uses cryptography to secure transactions. These complex mathematical algorithms make counterfeiting cryptocurrencies almost impossible. Now, compare that to cash. It's estimated that almost a quarter billion dollars of counterfeit paper money sloshes around the U.S. every year.

What about gold? Fake gold will never fool an expert. But counterfeit gold could be passed off to someone with an untrained eye. Cryptocurrencies share two important criteria that give value to traditional assets: scarcity and irreproducibility (hard to counterfeit). These are necessary to create value. But you need something else, too.

A Final Criterion

For a thing to have value, it needs one final thing: Some form of utility. Even art (which some will argue is worth little more than the sum of its parts), creates massive utility by stirring deep emotions in the hearts of people that can appreciate it. That emotional response is a very valuable form of utility. It's the reason people spend billions on art annually. So, what type of utility do cryptocurrencies provide?

Rapid Transfer of Funds

Unlike the transfer of gold or even cash, cryptocurrencies can transfer value almost instantly. And they can do it at very low costs. On the Bitcoin network, you can send $50,000 for about $3. The receiver will get it in about 10 minutes.

Compare that to a traditional wire transfer. The fastest I've seen a wire hit is 24 hours. The cost to send a domestic wire can vary from $35 to $70. International wires can eat up 1%-15% of the total amount of money sent. As far as sending gold, it takes 3-14 days domestically and is very expensive. So, being able to quickly send money anywhere in the world is a very valuable utility that cryptocurrencies possess.

Free from Government Control

Over the years, both gold and cash have been either confiscated or severely restricted through capital controls. Capital controls are government restrictions on your ability to access or move your money.

Even here in the U.S., we have capital controls. For instance, you can't just stroll through airport security with more than $10,000 in cash.

Unless you declare it, you're breaking the law. Even though it's our money, the government insists we report when and where we're moving it. This is an outrageous demand that we accept because there are no alternatives. That is until cryptocurrencies came around.

With cryptocurrencies, we are in complete control of our own funds. We can store them on our own devices free from government intervention. If you store your cryptocurrencies properly, it is impossible for the government to confiscate or control them. This is a truly liberating utility that is very valuable.

Highly Secure Decentralized Payment Network

One common criticism of cryptocurrencies is that anyone can make one. How can something have value if you can create a currency with just a few lines of code? This criticism is spot on.

But remember, anyone can buy a printing press and start making his or her own paper money. What stops people is that no one would use it. The same is true in crypto. Only currencies that gain widespread adoption actually take off.

One of the ways we measure this widespread adoption is by looking at the number of computers that are in a cryptocurrency network. For instance, more than 7,000 separate computers are running the Bitcoin blockchain.

That widespread adoption is a vote of confidence by the market. It's a way for us to objectively identify "good" cryptocurrencies from bad ones. As the network of users grows, so does the volume of cryptocurrency being transacted. This in turn creates a network effect that snowballs.

For instance, $143 million per day of Bitcoin changed hands in 2016. Today, it's over $4 billion per day. The widespread use of this currency is giving it value. Thousands of people are coming together and agreeing to exchange goods and services for Bitcoin.

That is the true test for any currency. Are people accepting it? The answer is a resounding yes. For these reasons, we believe you'll see more people continue to adopt cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They offer utility that neither cash nor gold can. Just a few of those companies already accepting Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies are....Overstock.com, Microsoft, Intuit, PayPal, DISH Network and many more.

A Second Type of Crypto Asset

Earlier, I told you there are two types of crypto assets. The first is cryptocurrencies (which I've just explained to you). The second type of crypto asset goes by several names. Some folks call them "application coins" others call them "utility coins."

The terms are interchangeable. So, what is a utility coin? A utility coin is a crypto asset that is used to secure or deliver a service. Our biggest gains have come from investing in utility coins.

That's why I want to spend the rest of this email talking about them. If you can understand how utility coins work, you can make a fortune in them. In my Palm Beach Confidential service, I have readers that are transforming $300 investments into six figure windfalls by getting in early on utility coins.

Three Themes Driving the Value of Utility Coins

Over 2017, I've been to conferences in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Las Vegas, New York City, Berlin, London, and Copenhagen. During these conferences, I've met with hundreds of people. I've met crypto project founders, venture capitalists, government regulators, central bankers, Fortune 500 executives, hedge fund managers, and digital currency miners.

These are the three primary themes that are driving their research, development, and investment decisions:

• Fat protocols
• Interoperability
• Scaling

If you don't know what these terms mean, don't worry. I'll explain each for you right now.

Theme 1: Fat Protocols

What is a "fat protocol"? I had to ask myself the same question. I stumbled upon this theme at the Consensus 2017 event in New York City in late May. And I heard about fat protocols in more detail in Berlin. Let's start with protocol. In the technology world, a protocol is a set of rules.

For instance, the internet is governed by two protocols: TCP and IP. TCP stands for transmission control protocol. This is a set of rules that governs the exchange of packets of data over the internet. IP stands for internet protocol. This is a set of rules that governs sending and receiving data at the internet address level.

IP by itself is something like the postal system. It allows you to address a package and drop it in the system, but there's no direct link between you and the recipient. TCP/IP, on the other hand, establishes a connection between two hosts, so they can send messages back and forth for a period of time.

Nobody owns TCP/IP. But imagine if someone did. How valuable would the protocols be?

Think about this. According to a Harvard Business Review article, more than half the world's most valuable public companies have built business models on TCP/IP. That's $5.4 trillion dollars in value traced right back to TCP/IP. Think of the biggest names in the internet space: Amazon, Google, Facebook, Priceline, eBay, Netflix, Uber, etc... They are applications, not protocols.

In short: Applications (or "apps") are computer programs that run specific tasks. They include simple desktop apps like calculators, clocks, and word processors to mobile apps like media players, games, instant messengers, and maps. Google's YouTube, Facebook's Messenger, and Microsoft Word are examples of popular web applications. Companies own their applications.

Protocols are the rules computers use to communicate with each other. TCP and IP are examples of widely used protocols. Unlike applications, no one owns computer or internet protocols. For instance, the Ethereum platform has created a protocol for the issuance of crypto tokens (among many other things).

Ethereum has created rules that make it easy to launch and manage digital tokens. That's why more than 50% of new tokens coming to market are using the Ethereum platform. As more projects are launched on the Ethereum network, the demand for ether tokens increases. Said another way, the more the protocol is used, the more valuable the ether tokens become.

These protocols are called "fat" because most of the economic value and profits will be captured at the protocol level. All the tokens launched on the Ethereum platform are only worth $6.8 billion. But the Ethereum platform itself is now worth $34 billion.

Even as more and more companies go "public" on the Ethereum platform, we think Ethereum will be more valuable than the applications that end up running on it. The reason is that the more the protocol is used, the more demand is generated for the underlying protocol token. That's how utility coins like ether gain their value.

Theme 2: Interoperability

Hundreds of new blockchain ledgers are emerging. On top of that, there are hundreds of established centralized ledgers and payment networks. These established payment channels are used by banks and payment providers. We're talking about giants like JPMorgan, PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard.

As the world migrates from a centralized to a decentralized model, how do you get these different networks to communicate with one another? This is a huge problem. That's why we think the next boom will be in companies that allow different ledgers to "talk" to each other.

Imagine there's an English speaker, German speaker, and French speaker in the same room. And no one speaker understands any other speaker. This is the problem right now with blockchains and payment networks. They all "speak" different languages. But what if somebody could create a technology that would allow these different languages to understand one another? In the tech world, this is called "interoperability."

The Difference Between Financial Ledgers and Blockchain Ledgers

Today's financial system requires a lot of overlap. Financial institutions spend a lot of time and money maintaining their systems and even more time and money making sure their systems agree with other systems on common facts.

This is done so that there is no single point of control or single point of failure. The solution is decentralization. It eliminates single points of failure and the necessity for each institution to duplicate the data. The table below highlights the differences between a traditional ledger and a blockchain ledger.

Imagine a version of eBay or PayPal that can work with virtually any digital or fiat payment system. That's the goal of interoperability. Here's the key takeaway, The utility coins that are building in easy to use interoperability will be the ones that become highly valuable.

Theme 3: Scaling

While in Berlin, I met a group of executives from drug giant Merck. These folks oversee Merck's European innovation group. They are tasked with identifying and getting management "buy in" on implementing innovative technology. They have a terrific grasp of the blockchain. They know it could potentially save Merck millions of dollars in costs.

The problem is none of the current blockchain platforms scale. Meaning they just can't operate at the speed and level of complexity Merck requires. This is a common complaint. I've heard it from executives in London, Boston, Silicon Valley, New York City, and now Berlin.

The two most popular blockchains, Bitcoin and Ethereum, can only handle seven and 15 transactions per second, respectively. Like the old 56k telephone modems of the '90s, that's awful. But it would be a mistake to think that it will stay that way forever.

Just as those modems eventually transformed into the high speed internet we enjoy today, it's only a question of time before Bitcoin and Ethereum crack the scaling problem.

Bringing It All Together

The future for cryptocurrencies and utility coins is bright. As more people look to take control of their money, they'll turn to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and others. As I track the developments in fat protocols, interoperability, and scaling, I'm seeing more and more widespread adoption of utility coins like ether and many others.

But remember: These are still very early days. We'll see massive volatility ahead. It's unavoidable. The key to thriving in the chaos of the early days of a new technology is to remain rational. Friends, hear me when I tell you that it is irrational to expect the crypto market to be stable. Any market this new is highly unstable. The way we manage and profit from that instability is to use small position sizes. With crypto assets, we rely on asymmetric risk.

With crypto we can swing for the fences without putting the rest of our existing wealth at risk. This is a rare opportunity for ordinary people to make life changing gains without having to take life changing risk. That means we risk a small amount of money for a massive potential payoff. This strategy is working well for my readers.

The best part is this trend is just beginning. Right now, the entire crypto market is valued at about $195 billion. Novogratz, the hedge fund billionaire I mentioned earlier, sees the entire market growing to $5 trillion. That's 2,400+% upside ahead. That means we have many more opportunities in front of us to make life changing gains. So get out there. At the very least, buy some Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Remember, you don't have to own a whole Bitcoin. You can own just a fraction of a coin.

And as all these developments unfold – along with others like them – I'm confident that one day you'll be grateful you took action.

Let the Game Come to You!

Teeka Tiwari

Editor, Palm Beach Confidential

New Law Could Send Bitcoin and Cryptos Skyrocketing Higher By January

I have a new message and update from my trading partner Teeka Tiwari of the Palm Beach Research Group, make sure you are keeping up with him this week.....

A few weeks ago, I told my team that we needed to get the word out about a major Bitcoin development. Something that could be very bullish for cryptocurrencies. I won’t get into all the nitty gritty. But in short, a new bi-partisan law is working its way through Congress as we speak, and is targeted to go into effect by January 1st. When it does, it could send Bitcoin and a handful of lesser-known cryptos soaring in the coming weeks and months.

Why do I say that?

Because when the same law was passed in Europe, Bitcoin jumped 80% in two weeks. And when a similar law passed in Japan earlier this year, it helped send the entire crypto market over 100%, and break out to all time highs. Now I believe we’re about to see the same thing here. Only when this happens in America, the returns could dwarf what we’ve seen from smaller areas.

That’s why I’m holding this free webinar....

I want to give you all the details on this development and explain how to take advantage of it to potentially make 5, 10, even 20 times your money, as those who follow my work have already been able to do. In fact, I’m so bullish that this new law could send Bitcoin soaring that I’m buying $1 million dollars of Bitcoin and giving it all away during the event.

You’ll get all the details Thursday night. The event is completely free, but you must register in advance to access it and claim all the free training that comes with it. You can do so automatically here.

Sincerely,
Teeka Tiwari

P.S.  As soon as you register, you’ll gain access to my new “Crypto Academy” training site. It features “over the shoulder” video training on how to invest in any cryptocurrency. A special report on on my investment strategy (the exact strategy I use to deliver multiple 1,000% plus winners) and several more pieces of research.

P.P.S  When you register automatically by visiting here now, you’ll also reserve a spot to a Live Q&A with me – where I’ll answer everyone’s most burning questions (please keep in mind, I cannot give personalized investment advice).

Visit Here to Automatically Register Right Now

Free Training Event with Hedge Fund Manager Teeka Tiwari

In a few days, a special free event is about to take place, and I’d like to invite you to be among the first to take part in it. Former Wall Street hedge fund manager Teeka Tiwari is holding a FREE investment event about how you can get started making serious money from cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin…

For the past 12 months, Teeka has been showing a small group of a few thousand regular people how to trade these “cryptos” for profit. He’s given them the chance to bank gains of 2,050% on May 24, 1,522% on August 8, and 14,354% on August 7 – and that’s just the beginning.

“$1,800 has grown to $29,000. My wife and I appreciate your wisdom more than you can imagine!” – David C.

“My original [investment] is now close to a 20 bagger. $600 going close to $10,000. Wow!” – Ron L.

“I was left nearly speechless last night when I discovered my $300 had grown to over $43,000. I have never heard of such gains in a short amount of time.” – Jon M.

But according to Teeka, the gains seen in cryptocurrencies is 2017 has just been the appetizer. In 2018, he believes there could be even more incredible investment opportunities.

That makes his event so special.

Teeka’s going to show you the exact strategy he’s used to spot all his biggest winners. And if you attend, you’ll have the chance to claim a portion of $1 million dollars in Bitcoin that he’s giving away.

Visit Here to Register for Free

Whether you’ve invested in Bitcoin before or you don’t know the first thing about it. This is a must attend event.

Among other things, Teeka – who’s traveled to more than 5 countries building relationships with the founders, CEOs, and investors behind some of the biggest cryptocurrency success stories of 2017 – will show you the exact strategy he’s used to help everyday people get the chance to capture returns of 582% in 8 months… 1,190% in 3 months… 1,241% in 6 months… 2,050% in 13 months… and even 14,354% in 6 months.

Here’s what you’ll get if you sign up right now….

*  Teeka’s 7 part Cryptocurrency Academy video training series – this is Teeka’s guide for how to get started in cryptocurrencies, even if you’ve never heard of Bitcoin before (the first special report will be sent to your inbox immediately after you register here.)

*  A complete breakdown of Teeka’s investment strategy (the exact strategy that’s helped him spot multiple 1,000%-plus winners)

*  A live Q&A session with Teeka – where he’ll answer your most burning questions (keep in mind, he can’t give personalized advice).

A 90 minute emergency briefing: Teeka and a special mystery guest – one of the co-founders of the second most popular cryptocurrency on the market – will reveal why cryptocurrencies could experience another major breakout, beginning January 2018.

Plus, you’ll have the chance to claim free Bitcoin during our $1 million dollar Bitcoin giveaway. That’s right, Teeka’s so bullish on Bitcoin that he’s buying $1 million (yes, $1,000,000) dollars’ worth of Bitcoin and giving it away during his emergency briefing. When you attend the event, you’ll have the chance to claim a portion of this money.

And those are just some of the things you’ll get for participating.

There’s no cost to attend, but everything will only be available for a limited time.

Simply Visit Here Now to Get Started

It costs you nothing to take his 7 Part Crypto Academy Video Training, or his free emergency briefing on Thursday, November 2nd. So please, don’t hesitate to Register. I already have.

See you in the Cryptocurrency Market!
Ray @ the Crude Oil Trader

Could There Be a Reversal Coming to the Major U.S. Markets?

Technically speaking, this week could be very important for the major U.S. equity markets. There is an appearance of a “TOPPING PATTERN” forming. I am now awaiting confirmation by the actions of the equity markets, this week. Expect downward pressure beginning this month of August of 2017.

The Only Chart You Need To See!

There is currently limited upside potential in the SPX relative to potential downside for the months of August, September and the early part of October 2017.

There are signs for the short, intermediate and longer term trends returning for the best six months of trading officially inaugurated in November of 2017! This is the timing framework when ‘The Next Runaway Leg Up In The Stock Market Will Resume.’

In last weeks’ market action as the profit taking rotation out of the high-tech sector rotated into the Dow Industrials, it reflected

a more defensive approach while being invested in “Blue Chips” during which time it achieved a new high. Sector rotation increased especially noticeable in the transports and technology sectors that were leading the markets higher. If they continue lower, more sectors will join the decline. I am expecting a coming pop in the VIX on Aug 4, Aug 23, Sept 11 or 12 and finally Sept 28 or 29. 2017. There was a flight to safety in the Yen as well as a strengthening of the price of Gold, Silver, Bitcoin and WTI Crude Oil.

An Unusual Anomaly

Over the past couple of weeks, there was this unusual Anomaly which occurred, as you can see in the chart below. It now makes me more cautious about our long understanding of “risk interconnectivity”.

How can the equity, gold, silver, crude oil and bitcoin markets ALL go HIGHER together?

Tune in every morning for my video analysis and market forecasts at The Gold & Oil Guy to know where the main ‘asset classes’ are headed tomorrow, this week, and next month.

In short, the major equities trend remains to the upside but its likely to take shape in a slow grinding process with downward pressure starting in August fora couple months.

Be sure to follow my daily pre-market video forecasts and ETF trades by visiting here at The Gold and Oil Guy

Chris Vermeulen

Will Warren Buffett Really Let This Deep Value Slip By?

By Jeff Clark, Senior Precious Metals Analyst

Right now, even the staunchest gold investors are weary of the years-long drubbing the gold price has taken since its $1,921 peak in August 2011. Whether the frustrating experience is the work of a market rigging conspiracy, government manipulation of data to hide inflation, those blindingly loyal Keynesians who keep pounding us with messages that gold is nothing but a “shiny bitcoin,” or the gullibility of mainstream investors who tell themselves that, gee, since Warren Buffett is a billionaire, his “gold has no utility” mantra must be right, it hasn’t been fun. The nasty downcycle has offered no respite.

That’s all about to change.

If there’s one constant in the resource sector, it’s the boom-bust-repeat cycle that over the past 40 years has been almost predictable. This is particularly the case with gold stocks.

We charted every major cycle for gold stocks (producers) from 1975—when gold again became legal to own in the US—to the present. You can easily see that not only do gold stocks cycle up and down repeatedly, but the percentage gains for buyers at a cycle bottom can be downright mouthwatering.

What’s interesting about where we sit today in early 2015 is that gold stocks have now logged the second-deepest bear market since 1975—rougher even than the selloff following the 1980 mania.

This history teaches three “how to get rich” lessons.

1. For the recent bear market, the bottom for gold stocks is almost certainly in.

2. The next major cycle in gold stocks will be up.

3. The profits could be spectacular, because as the patterns show, triple-digit gains have been common.

Gold stocks have finished the bust that tormented investors for more than three years and are now preparing for another boom. All you have to do is hold on and wait for the next cycle to begin. No timing required.

The only thing we don’t know is if Mr. Buffett will see this chart and jump on the in-your-face deep value that gold stocks are showing right now.

Gold stocks will soon go vertical again—just as they have many times in the past—and investors with just a smidgen of patience will see their gold portfolios driven by a hurricane-force bull market. Virtually all gold stocks will go much higher. As in the past, gains for the strongest juniors will be 10-to-1, and you can expect a few superstars to return 100-to-1.

I talk about this rich opportunity with some of the most successful investors in the gold sector—Pierre Lassaonde, Frank Holmes, Rick Rule, Bob Quartermain, Ron Netolitzky, Doug Casey, and Louis James. Check out our free webcast, Going Vertical, a can’t miss one hour event that will show you the life-changing profits waiting just ahead.

And yes, we extend our invitation to Warren Buffett.

The article Will Warren Buffett Really Let This Deep Value Slip By? was originally published at caseyresearch.com.

Get our latest FREE eBook "Understanding Options"....Just Click Here!

The 5 Phases of Bitcoin Adoption

By Mauldin Economics

What will it take for Bitcoin to gain broad adoption and become the foundation of a new global financial system?

Worth Wray sat down with Barry Silbert, founder of the Bitcoin Investment Trust, to discuss. As one the most active venture capitalists in the industry (with investments in over 30 Bitcoin related portfolio companies through the Bitcoin Opportunity Corp.), Barry has gone all in on Bitcoin and Bitcoin related businesses.

He believes the rise of Bitcoin from 2009 to 2014 is just the beginning..... and the virtual payment system may be approaching a big inflection point as Wall Street takes the baton from Silicon Valley.

Silbert thinks about Bitcoin adoption in five general phases.

(1) Experimentation Phase. (2009–2010)

• No real value associated with Bitcoin. Hackers and developers playing around with the source code. Experimenting with Bitcoin as a medium of exchange.

(2) Early Adopters Phase. (2011–2013)

• Interest from investors and entrepreneurs started to grow with substantial press coverage in the wake of the Silk Road bust. First generation of Bitcoin-related companies (exchanges, merchant processors, wallet providers, etc.) started. Potential began to shine through poor management.

(3) Venture Capital Phase. (2013–Present)

• World-class VCs started investing in Bitcoin companies and rapid ramp-up is already outpacing the early days of the Internet. VCs poured more than $90 million into Bitcoin-related businesses in 2013 and more than $300 million in 2014 (compared to $250 million invested in Internet-related businesses in 1995).

(4) Wall Street Phase. (2015?)

• Institutional investors, banks, and broker-dealers begin moving money into Bitcoin. Rising price and volume (in addition to development of derivatives) become the catalyst for mass adoption as retail investment follows.

(5) Global Consumer Adoption Phase. (?)

• Only happens if (i) companies continue to innovate and make it easier for consumers to buy, hold, and spend Bitcoin, (ii) volume expands dramatically so that large merchants can start accepting payment in Bitcoin, and (iii) Bitcoin awareness continues to rise with these developments.

If Barry is right, the rise of Bitcoin could be as transformative for finance as the Internet has been for commerce and communications… and it could happen FAST.

To learn more about Bitcoin and hear more from Barry and other world-class thinkers, check out Mauldin Economics’ latest documentary, Why Bitcoin Matters.

The article The 5 Phases of Bitcoin Adoption was originally published at mauldin economics

Get out latest FREE eBooK "Understanding Options"....Just Click Here

Paper Gold Ain’t as Good as the Real Thing

By Doug French, Contributing Editor

For the first time ever, the majority of Americans are scared of their own federal government. A Pew Research poll found that 53% of Americans think the government threatens their personal rights and freedoms.


Americans aren't wild about the government's currency either. Instead of holding dollars and other financial assets, investors are storing wealth in art, wine, and antique cars. The Economist reported in November, "This buying binge… is growing distrust of financial assets."

But while the big money is setting art market records and pumping up high end real estate prices, the distrust in government script has not pushed the suspicious into the barbarous relic. The lowly dollar has soared versus gold since September 2011.

Every central banker on earth has sworn an oath to Keynesian money creation, yet the yellow metal has retraced nearly $700 from its $1,895 high. The only limits to fiat money creation are the imagination of central bankers and the willingness of commercial bankers to lend. That being the case, the main culprit for gold's lackluster performance over the past two years is something else, Tocqueville Asset Management Portfolio Manager and Senior Managing Director John Hathaway explained in his brilliant report "Let's Get Physical.

Hathaway points out that the wind is clearly in the face of gold production. It currently costs as much or more to produce an ounce than you can sell it for. Mining gold is expensive; gone are the days of fishing large nuggets from California or Alaska streams. Millions of tonnes of ore must be moved and processed for just tiny bits of metal, and few large deposits have been found in recent years.

"Production post 2015 seems set to decline and perhaps sharply," says Hathaway.

Satoshi Nakamoto created a kind of digital gold in 2009 that, too, is limited in supply. No more than 21 million bitcoins will be "mined," and there are currently fewer than 12 million in existence. Satoshi made the cyber version of gold easy to mine in the early going. But like the gold mining business, mining bitcoins becomes ever more difficult. Today, you need a souped-up supercomputer to solve the equations that verify bitcoin transactions—which is the process that creates the cyber currency.

The value of this cyber dollar alternative has exploded versus the government's currency, rising from less than $25 per bitcoin in May 2011 to nearly $1,000 recently. One reason is surely its portability. Business is conducted globally today, in contrast to the ancient world where most everyone lived their lives inside a 25 mile radius. Thus, carrying bitcoins weightlessly in your phone is preferable to hauling around Krugerrands.

No Paper Bitcoins

 

But while being the portable new kid on the currency block may account for some of Bitcoin's popularity, it doesn't explain why Bitcoin has soared while gold has declined at the same time.

Hathaway puts his finger on the difference between the price action of the ancient versus the modern. "The Bitcoin gold incongruity is explained by the fact that financial engineers have not yet discovered a way to collateralize bitcoins for leveraged trades," he writes. "There is (as yet) no Bitcoin futures exchange, no Bitcoin derivatives, no Bitcoin hypothecation or rehypothecation."

So, anyone wanting to speculate in Bitcoin has to actually buy some of the very limited supply of the cyber currency, which pushes up its price.

In contrast, the shinier but less-than-cyber currency, gold, has a mature and extensive financial infrastructure that inflates its supply—on paper—exponentially. The man from Tocqueville quotes gold expert Jeff Christian of the CPM Group who wrote in 2000 that "an ounce of gold is now involved in half a dozen transactions." And while "the physical volume has not changed, the turnover has multiplied."

The general process begins when a gold producer mines and processes the gold. Then the refiners sell it to bullion banks, primarily in London. Some is sold to jewelers and mints.

"The physical gold that remains in London as unallocated bars is the foundation for leveraged paper gold trades. This chain of events is perfectly ordinary and in keeping with time-honored custom," explains Hathaway.

He estimates the equivalent of 9,000 metric tons of gold is traded daily, while only 2,800 metric tons is mined annually.

Gold is loaned, leased, hypothecated, and rehypothecated, over and over. That's the reason, for instance, why it will take so much time for the Germans to repatriate their 700 tonnes of gold currently stored in New York and Paris. While a couple of planes could haul the entire stash to Germany in no time, only 37 tonnes have been delivered a year after the request. The 700 tonnes are scheduled to be delivered by 2020.

However, it appears there is not enough free and unencumbered physical gold to meet even that generous schedule. The Germans have been told they can come look at their gold, they just can't have it yet.

Leveraging Up in London

 

The City of London provides a loose regulatory environment for the mega banks to leverage up. Jon Corzine used London rules to rehypothecate customer deposits for MF Global to make a $6.2 billion Eurozone repo bet. MF's customer agreements allowed for such a thing.

After MF's collapse, Christopher Elias wrote in Thomson Reuters, "Like Wall Street cocaine, leveraging amplifies the ups and downs of an investment; increasing the returns but also amplifying the costs. With MF Global's leverage reaching 40 to 1 by the time of its collapse, it didn't need a Eurozone default to trigger its downfall—all it needed was for these amplified costs to outstrip its asset base."

Hathaway's work makes a solid case that the gold market is every bit as leveraged as MF Global, that it's a mountain of paper transactions teetering on a comparatively tiny bit of physical gold.

"Unlike the physical gold market," writes Hathaway, "which is not amenable to absorbing large capital flows, the paper market, through nearly infinite rehypothecation, is ideal for hyperactive trading activity, especially in conjunction with related bets on FX, equity indices, and interest rates."

This hyper leveraging is reminiscent of America's housing debt boom of the last decade. Wall Street securitization cleared the way for mortgages to be bought, sold, and transferred electronically. As long as home prices were rising and homeowners were making payments, everything was copasetic. However, once buyers quit paying, the scramble to determine which lenders encumbered which homes led to market chaos. In many states, the backlog of foreclosures still has not cleared.

The failure of a handful of counterparties in the paper-gold market would be many times worse. In many cases, five to ten or more lenders claim ownership of the same physical gold. Gold markets would seize up for months, if not years, during bankruptcy proceedings, effectively removing millions of ounces from the market. It would take the mining industry decades to replace that supply.

Further, Hathaway believes that increased regulation "could lead, among other things, to tighter standards for collateral, rules on rehypothecation, etc. This could well lead to a scramble for physical." And if regulators don't tighten up these arrangements, the ETFs, LBMA, and Comex may do it themselves for the sake of customer trust.

What Hathaway calls the "murky pool" of unallocated London gold has supported paper-gold trading way beyond the amount of physical gold available. This pool is drying up and is setting up the mother of all short squeezes.

In that scenario, people with gold ETFs and other paper claims to gold will be devastated, warns Hathaway. They'll receive "polite and apologetic letters from intermediaries offering to settle in cash at prices well below the physical market."

It won't be inflation that drives up the gold price but the unwinding of massive amounts of leverage.
Americans are right to fear their government, but they should fear their financial system as well. Governments have always rendered their paper currencies worthless. Paper entitling you to gold may give you more comfort than fiat dollars.

However, in a panic, paper gold won't cut it. You'll want to hold the real thing.

There's one form of paper gold, though, you should take a closer look at right now: junior mining stocks. These are the small cap companies exploring for new gold deposits, and the ones that make great discoveries are historically being richly rewarded… as are their shareholders.

However, even the best junior mining companies—those with top managements, proven world class gold deposits, and cash in the bank—have been dragged down with the overall gold market and are now on sale at cheaper than dirt prices.

Watch eight investment gurus and resource pros tell you how to become an "Upturn Millionaire" taking advantage of this anomaly in the market—click here.


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