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UofM Consumer sentiment falls to 63 providing support for gold 2 gains

October 15, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

UofM Consumer sentiment falls to 63, providing support for gold 2% gains

The gold market is holding on to solid gains Friday as U.S. economic data points to a growing risk of stagflation, as consumer sentiment continues to drop but inflation expectations rise sharplUofM Consumer sentiment falls to 63, providing support for gold 2% gainsy.

Friday, the University of Michigan said the preliminary reading of its Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 63, down from September's reading of 68.1. The data was significantly weaker than expected, as economists were forecasting a drop to 67.2.

"Consumer sentiment fell back about 7% this October following two consecutive months of very little change. Assessments of personal finances declined about 15%, primarily on a substantial increase in concerns over inflation, and one-year expected business conditions plunged about 19%. However, long-run expected business conditions are little changed, suggesting that consumers believe the current worsening in economic conditions will not persist," said Joanne Hsu, director of Surveys of Consumers, in the report.

The gold market was already seeing a significant rally ahead of the report. Still, the disappointing data has provided further support. December gold futures last traded at $1,925 an ounce, well above 2% on the day.

While falling consumer sentiment indicates weak consumption, the report also noted that inflation expectations jumped significantly. Consumers see inflation rising 3.8% by this time next year, up compared to 3.2% seen last month.

"The current reading is the highest since May 2023 and remains well above the 2.3-3.0% range seen in the two years prior to the pandemic," Hsu said in the report.

The survey also noted that long-term inflation expectations edged higher to 3.0%, up from 2.9%. However, consumer price expectations remain anchored in the new post-pandemic range.

"Long-run inflation expectations remain elevated relative to the 2.2-2.6% range seen in the two years pre-pandemic," the report said.

Neils Christensen

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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An Introduction to Blockchain Wallets and How They Operate

October 14, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

An Introduction to Blockchain Wallets and How They Operate

A blockchain wallet is a fundamental component of blockchain technology that allows individuals to store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies. Whether you're new to the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies or looking to deepen your understanding, this beginner's guide will help you grasp the basic concepts of how blockchain wallets work.

What is a Blockchain Wallet?

A blockchain wallet is a digital tool that provides users with the ability to interact with a blockchain network. It serves two primary functions:

Storage: It stores your cryptographic keys, which are essential for accessing and controlling your cryptocurrencies. These keys include your public address (for receiving funds) and your private key (for authorizing transactions).
Transaction Management: A blockchain wallet allows you to send and receive cryptocurrencies. When you initiate a transaction, your wallet uses your private key to digitally sign it, proving that you are the legitimate owner of the funds.

Types of Blockchain Wallets

There are various types of blockchain wallets, each with its own characteristics, security features, and use cases:

Software Wallets:
- Web Wallets: These are accessible through a web browser and are convenient for beginners. However, they might be less secure due to potential online vulnerabilities.
- Desktop Wallets: Installed on your computer, these offer greater security compared to web wallets. They provide control over your keys and can operate offline.
- Mobile Wallets: Designed for smartphones, they offer portability and ease of use. Mobile wallets are suitable for small, everyday transactions.
Hardware Wallets: These are physical devices specifically designed for securely storing cryptocurrency keys. They are considered one of the most secure options because they are typically offline and immune to online threats.
Paper Wallets: A paper wallet is a physical document containing a public address and private key. It's an extremely secure way to store cryptocurrencies, as it's offline and immune to digital attacks. However, it requires careful handling to prevent physical damage or loss.
Brain Wallets: These wallets are based on memorizing a passphrase or seed phrase. While they offer security through obscurity, they can be vulnerable if the passphrase is weak.

How Blockchain Wallets Work

Generating Keys: When you create a wallet, it generates a pair of cryptographic keys – a public key and a private key. The public key is your wallet's address, which others can use to send you cryptocurrency. The private key is your secret code that allows you to access and control your funds.
Receiving Funds: To receive cryptocurrency, you provide your wallet's public address to the sender. The sender initiates the transaction by signing it with their private key and broadcasting it to the blockchain network. Miners validate the transaction and, upon confirmation, update the blockchain's ledger.
Sending Funds: When you want to send cryptocurrency, you use your wallet to create a transaction. It's signed with your private key to prove your ownership. This transaction is then broadcast to the network for validation and inclusion in the blockchain.
Balance Tracking: Your wallet continuously monitors the blockchain for updates related to your public address. It keeps track of your cryptocurrency balance by aggregating incoming and outgoing transactions.
Security: It's crucial to protect your private key at all costs. Loss or compromise of your private key can result in the loss of your funds. Secure your wallet with strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and, if using a hardware wallet, physical protection.

Seed Phrases

Many wallets, especially software and hardware wallets, provide a seed phrase, also known as a recovery phrase. This is a list of words (typically 12 or 24) that can be used to recover your wallet in case it's lost or stolen. It's essential to store this phrase securely, as it can be used to regenerate your keys.

Conclusion

Blockchain wallets are an integral part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Understanding how they work and choosing the right type of wallet is crucial to ensure the security and ease of managing your digital assets. Always prioritize security measures and stay informed about the latest developments in blockchain and wallet technology to protect your investments.

Tim Moseley

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Gold Price News: Gold Consolidates As Middle East Conflict Boosts Haven Appeal

October 14, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Gold Price News: Gold Consolidates As Middle East Conflict Boosts Haven Appeal

Once again, gold has confirmed its key role as a safe haven amid market uncertainty.

Growing geopolitical concerns from escalating tensions in Israel and Gaza increased investors’ demand for bullion and pushed the price higher. In the last few days, gold has been supported by dovish remarks from Federal Reserve key speakers, after months of hawkish rhetoric and rate hikes.

gold kau on kinesis exchange

The temporary weakness of the greenback and the decline of yields are also supportive factors for gold. As a result, yesterday we saw the precious metal extending its gains and consolidating above the support zone of $1,850.

For the time being, the next key resistance zone, at $1,890, remains relatively far away, with the gold price currently steady around $1,860. Although from a technical perspective, the scenario has improved.

The gold spot price has shown resilience remaining above the $1,850 threshold in the last 24 hours, while volatility has declined. Investors are now waiting for the release of the minutes from today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and US inflation data, which will be released tomorrow. The reports are forecast to show a decline from 3.7% to 3.6%.

A confirmation of these expectations could reinforce the notion that a peak in interest rates for this cycle has been reached – or at least, is extremely near. This is all supportive of gold.

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold silver a bit weaker following warm US inflation report

October 13, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Gold, silver a bit weaker following warm U.S. inflation report

Gold and silver prices are slightly down in midday U.S. trading Thursday, following a U.S. consumer inflation reading that was just a bit higher than expected. The markets also saw routine corrective pullbacks from recent price gains. December gold was last down $2.90 at $1,884.20 and December silver was down $0.183 at $21.95.

Focus today was on a key U.S. inflation report: the consumer price index report for September. The CPI rose by 3.7% compared to the previous year–higher than the consensus estimate of up 3.6%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices advanced by 0.4%, easing from a 0.6% gain in August but exceeding market expectations of 0.3%. Core CPI, excluding food and energy prices, also increased by 0.3% for the month and 4.1% on a 12-month basis, aligning with expectations. It marked the lowest reading since September 2021. The slightly warmer-than-expected CPI reading today slightly dented bullish enthusiasm in the precious metals markets. Still, the safe-haven bid amid the elevated Middle East tensions is likely to at least keep a floor under gold and silver prices.

Asian and European stocks were mostly higher overnight. U.S. stock indexes are mixed at midday. The U.S. stock indexes this week are “climbing a wall of worry” as the turmoil in the Middle East is on the front burner of the marketplace.

September sell-off presents buying opportunity for gold investors – WGC

The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index solidly higher, which was also a daily negative for the metals. Nymex crude oil prices are slightly higher and trading around $83.75 a barrel. The yield on the benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year note yield is presently fetching 4.651%.

Technically, December gold futures still see very early clues that a market bottom is in place. However, the bears still have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. A five-month-old price downtrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Bulls’ next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at $1,900.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,800.00. First resistance is seen at $1,900.00 and then at $1,913.60. First support is seen at Wednesday’s low of $1,871.70 and then at this week’s low of $1,857.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0

December silver futures prices scored a bearish “outside day” down today. The silver bears have the overall near-term technical advantage. A 2.5-month-old downtrend is in place on the daily bar chart. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $23.00. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the March low of $20.615. First resistance is seen at today’s high of $22.39 and then at $22.555. Next support is seen at this week’s low of $21.705 and then at $21.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0.

December N.Y. copper closed down 215 points at 359.05 cents today. Prices closed nearer the session low. The copper bears have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are in a choppy, two-month-old downtrend on the daily bar chart. Copper bulls' next upside price objective is pushing and closing prices above solid technical resistance at last week’s high of 378.60 cents. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid technical support at 350.00 cents. First resistance is seen at this week’s high of 367.45 cents and then at 370.00 cents. First support is seen at today’s low of 358.35 cents and then at the October low of 354.90 cents. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 2.0.

Jim Wyckoff

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold prices holding near one-week high as FOMC minutes support ‘higher for longer’ interest rates

October 12, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Gold prices holding near one-week high as FOMC minutes support 'higher for longer' interest rates

The gold market is holding solid gains even as the minutes of the Federal Reserve's September monetary policy meeting show that the central bank is committed to maintaining a "higher for longer" monetary policy stance.

Although the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its tightening cycle, the minutes showed that the committee continues to support elevated interest rates until it is confident that inflation is falling back to the 2% target.

"All participants agreed that policy should remain restrictive for some time until the Committee is confident that inflation is moving down sustainably toward its objective," the minutes said. "Several participants commented that, with the policy rate likely at or near its peak, the focus of monetary policy decisions and communications should shift from how high to raise the policy rate to how long to hold the policy rate at restrictive levels."

The gold market is not seeing much reaction to the latest minutes. December gold futures last traded at $1,885.50 an ounce, up 0.54% on the day.

The gold market continues to be well supported due to renewed safe-haven demand as investors remained focused on the growing chaos in the Middle East and the new war between Israel and Hamas.

Although the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain restrictive monetary policies for the foreseeable future, the minutes also show the committee recognizes the difficult path that lies ahead.

"Many participants commented that even though economic activity had been resilient and the labor market had remained strong, there continued to be downside risks to economic activity and upside risks to the unemployment rate," the minutes said. "Participants generally noted that it was important to balance the risk of overtightening against the risk of insufficient tightening."

Despite the Federal Reserve's relatively hawkish stance, markets expect that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged next month. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets see a less than 10% chance of a 25-basis point hike.

Andrew Hunter, deputy chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said that he expects that the Fed's tightening cycle has ended.

"With several officials this week suggesting that higher yields could reduce the need for further rate hikes, we think it is increasingly likely that the Fed's next move will be a cut. We expect that to come in the first half of next year, with rapidly falling inflation and weak economic growth convincing officials to cut rates by 200bp in total by end-2024," he said in a note following the release of the minutes.

Neils Christensen

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Gold prices reined in by risk-on sentiment but geopolitics USD pullback should offer support – City Index’s Razaqzada

October 11, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Gold prices reined in by risk-on sentiment, but geopolitics, USD pullback should offer support – City Index's Razaqzada

Today’s uptick in risk appetite is creating some drag on gold prices, but the precious metal’s weekend gap remains open, says Fawad Razaqzada, Market Analyst at City Index.

“In other words, gold is still comfortably higher than Friday’s close,” he observed. “More gains could be on the way for gold for as long as geopolitical risks remain elevated and if the upcoming US macro pointers trigger fresh selling in the dollar, after the greenback ended a run of 11 consecutive weekly gains last week.”

Razaqzada said that even though geopolitical risks such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict haven’t subsided, gold prices have moderated today, due in part to the rebound in bond yields.

“While gold may not be shining so brightly so far today, it could easily find renewed strength as the situation in the Middle East remains intense,” he said, underlining the potential for the conflict to widen. “This is why oil prices have remained elevated. Gold typically rises when there is heightened geopolitical risks.”

He said it’s possible that bond yields have peaked. “The stronger-than-expected US jobs report on Friday failed to deliver any more dollar strength and with the greenback falling further so far this week, the possibility that the dollar may have formed a top is undoubtedly something that many investors are wondering about,” he added. “If we see a similar response to this week’s upcoming data (FOMC minutes, CPI and UoM consumer Sentiment survey, among other things), then this will further fuel speculation that the worst is over [for] gold.”

Razaqzada said gold’s nearly 7% drop from its Sept. 21 high means prices were due to see a short covering rally. “So, some of the bullish price action since Friday could be just that – a short-covering bounce,” he said. “Therefore, one should not get too carried away by the recent bullish price action.”

He remains steadfastly bullish about gold’s long-term outlook, however. “[M]uch of the Fed’s hawkish repricing of interest rates are now done, meaning that the downside for bonds and, by extension, gold should be limited moving forward,” Razaqzada said. “So, be on the lookout for more bullish signals to emerge from here on.”

Razaqzada said that the fact that spot gold has not returned to Friday’s closing prices “must be making it uncomfortable to trade gold, as usually gaps tend to fill in highly liquid assets.” But he cautioned that this is not always the case. “I recall a gap on the EUR/USD a few years ago that remained unfilled for several months,” he said. “While a gap-fill would make things a bit more comfortable, gold can simply grind higher for a while, especially if the dollar selling gathers pace.”

He also offered some short-term strategies that may serve traders well in the current market. “One way to look for new trades while the gap remains open is to zoom in on the smaller time frames like the hourly, wait for a bit of consolidation and then look for long setups once price breaks higher, or about to,” he said, adding that traders can use short-term price structures as their invalidation levels.

“Obviously a much better scenario would be for gold to fill its gap and then create fresh bullish signals to trigger another rally,” Razaqzada said. “That could still happen, and the trigger could be the upcoming US data releases that will undoubtedly move the dollar and bond yields in the direction of the surprise.”

Spot gold continues to hold above $1857 on Tuesday afternoon, which Razaqzada said is the first key short-term resistance level. “While a bit of a move lower from here is understandable, the fact that support in the long-term area around $1805 to $1820 held last week, before the flare up of geopolitical risks, this could be a sign that the metal may have formed a low,” he said.

“The next level of potential resistance is seen around $1885, followed by $1900, with the latter being the base of the previous breakdown,” Razaqzada concluded. “On the downside, the next potential support level is Friday’s high at $1835.”

Spot gold last traded at $1858.66, down 0.15% on the session.

Ernest Hoffman

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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Five Ways SEO Can Benefit Your Business

October 10, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Ways SEO Can Benefit Your Business: A Clear Guide

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential aspect of digital marketing that helps businesses to improve their online visibility. SEO involves optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords and phrases. By doing so, businesses can attract more organic traffic to their website, build trust and credibility with their audience, and ultimately increase leads and conversions. In this article, we will explore ways SEO can benefit your business.

Understanding SEO is crucial for businesses to stay competitive in today's digital landscape. By optimizing website content and structure, businesses can improve their search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic. Quality content is key to SEO success, as it helps to establish the website's relevance and authority in the eyes of search engines. Additionally, businesses need to conduct competitor analysis and keyword research to identify the best opportunities for ranking higher in SERPs.

By implementing best practices for SEO, such as building trust and credibility, link building, and improving user experience, businesses can reap the benefits of increased organic traffic, leads, and conversions. Local SEO is also essential for small businesses to attract customers in their local area. In this article, we will explore the various ways SEO can benefit businesses and provide tips for implementing an effective SEO strategy.

Key Takeaways

SEO can improve a business's online visibility and attract more organic traffic to their website.
Quality content, competitor analysis, and keyword research are crucial for SEO success.
By implementing best practices for SEO, businesses can increase leads and conversions, build trust and credibility, and improve user experience.

Understanding SEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-9cdtNaJg&embed=true

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to increase its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO involves making changes to your website's design, content, and structure to make it more attractive to search engines and users.

One of the primary goals of SEO is to improve the ranking of your website on search engines like Google. By optimizing your website for specific keywords and phrases, you can increase your chances of appearing on the first page of search results for those keywords, which can lead to more traffic and potential customers.

To achieve this, SEO professionals use a variety of techniques, including keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and technical SEO. Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for, and then optimizing your website's content to include those keywords.

On-page optimization involves making changes to your website's content and structure to make it more search engine-friendly. This includes optimizing your website's title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content to include relevant keywords and phrases.

Link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites to improve your website's authority and ranking on search engines. Technical SEO involves optimizing your website's technical elements, such as its site speed, mobile-friendliness, and security, to improve its ranking on search engines.

Overall, SEO is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy, and it can provide numerous benefits to your business, including increased visibility, traffic, and revenue. By understanding the basics of SEO and implementing effective strategies, you can improve your website's ranking on search engines and attract more potential customers.

Importance of Quality Content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVO3XeRIM54&embed=true

In the world of SEO, quality content is king. It is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. Quality content is not only important for your website visitors, but it is also important for search engines. In this section, we will discuss the importance of quality content and how it can benefit your business.

Content Creation

Creating high-quality content is the first step in any content marketing strategy. Quality content is original, relevant, and valuable to your target audience. It should be well-written, informative, and engaging. When you create quality content, you are establishing your brand as an authority in your industry. This can lead to increased brand awareness, website traffic, and conversions.

Blogging

Blogging is one of the most effective ways to create quality content for your website. By regularly publishing blog posts, you can keep your website fresh and up-to-date. Blogging also provides an opportunity to target long-tail keywords and answer frequently asked questions. This can help improve your website's search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to your site.

Infographics

Infographics are a powerful visual tool that can help you communicate complex information in a simple and engaging way. They are highly shareable and can help increase your website's visibility and backlink profile. Infographics can also help establish your brand as an authority in your industry and improve your website's search engine rankings.

In summary, quality content is essential for any successful SEO strategy. It can help improve your website's search engine rankings, drive more organic traffic to your site, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry. By focusing on content creation, blogging, and infographics, you can create high-quality content that resonates with your target audience and helps you achieve your business goals.

Boosting Organic Traffic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGyCeKbI9P0&embed=true

One of the biggest benefits of SEO for a business is the ability to increase organic traffic to its website. Organic traffic refers to the visitors who arrive at a website through search engine results pages (SERPs) without clicking on a paid advertisement.

By improving a website's search engine ranking for relevant keywords, SEO helps to increase organic search traffic. This type of traffic is high-quality because it is made up of people who are actively searching for products or services related to the business.

To boost organic traffic, businesses can use a variety of SEO techniques such as:

Conducting keyword research to identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for their business
Optimizing website content to include these keywords in a natural and meaningful way
Creating high-quality content that is valuable and engaging for the target audience
Building backlinks from other reputable websites to increase the website's authority and credibility
Improving website speed and user experience to reduce bounce rates and keep visitors on the site for longer

By implementing these techniques, businesses can improve their organic search ranking and attract more high-quality traffic to their website. This can lead to increased brand awareness, higher conversion rates, and ultimately, more revenue for the business.

Overall, boosting organic traffic through SEO is a crucial strategy for any business looking to succeed online.

Competitor Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEpNM5yvyh8&embed=true

One of the most important aspects of SEO is understanding your competition. Competitor analysis is the process of studying your industry's competitive landscape to understand competitor strategies and leverage those insights to improve your own SEO performance. By analyzing your competitors, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses and gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn't in your industry.

One of the main benefits of conducting a competitor analysis is that it allows you to learn from your competitors' success and develop a more effective SEO strategy. By analyzing your competitors' websites, you can identify the keywords they are targeting, the content they are producing, and the backlinks they are earning. This information can help you optimize your own website and content to better target the same keywords and attract the same backlinks.

Another benefit of competitor analysis is that it allows you to capitalize on your competitors' weaknesses. By identifying areas where your competitors are struggling, you can focus on those areas and gain a competitive advantage. For example, if your competitors are not targeting a particular keyword, you can focus on that keyword and potentially rank higher in the search results.

Competitor analysis can also help you understand what SEO tasks to prioritize going forward. By analyzing your competitors' SEO strategies, you can identify which tasks are most important and which can be deprioritized. For example, if your competitors are focusing heavily on content marketing, you may want to prioritize your own content marketing efforts to stay competitive.

Overall, competitor analysis is an essential component of any effective SEO strategy. By analyzing your competitors and understanding the competitive landscape, you can better optimize your own website and content to improve your search engine rankings and gain market share in your industry.

Keyword Research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QagqtYwtqdc&embed=true

Keyword research is a fundamental component of SEO. It involves identifying the words and phrases that people use to search for information, products, or services online. By understanding the keywords that your target audience uses, you can optimize your website content, improve your search engine rankings, and attract more traffic to your site.

Keyword research helps you to identify the search queries that your potential customers use to find your products or services. By analyzing these search queries, you can determine the intent behind them. This information is crucial for creating content that meets the needs of your target audience and aligns with their search intent.

Effective keyword research can also help you to identify new opportunities for content creation. By analyzing the keywords that your competitors are using, you can identify gaps in the market and create content that fills those gaps. This can help you to attract new customers and increase your online visibility.

Keyword research tools can assist you in generating new content ideas. Sometimes it can be challenging to think of new content ideas for your blog. Luckily, most keyword research tools can be used to find new keywords and content ideas. By plugging in your competitor's domain, you can find all of the keywords that they are ranking for, and use this information to create new content ideas.

In conclusion, keyword research is an essential component of SEO. It helps you to understand the search queries that your target audience uses, and the intent behind those queries. By using this information to optimize your website content, you can attract more traffic to your site, and increase your online visibility.

Building Trust and Credibility

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e36bxQsbWY&embed=true

One of the key benefits of SEO is that it helps businesses build trust and credibility with their target audience. When a website appears at the top of search engine results pages, it is seen as a high-quality and trustworthy source of information. This, in turn, can help businesses establish themselves as industry leaders and attract more customers.

To build trust and credibility online, businesses need to focus on a few key areas. One of the most important is reviews. Customer reviews are an essential part of building trust and credibility with potential customers. Positive reviews can help businesses establish themselves as trustworthy and reliable, while negative reviews can damage their reputation. By encouraging customers to leave reviews and responding to them in a timely and professional manner, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and build trust with their audience.

Another important factor in building trust and credibility is having a strong online reputation. This means having a website that is well-designed, easy to navigate, and provides valuable information to visitors. It also means having a strong social media presence and actively engaging with customers on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By demonstrating their expertise and providing helpful information to their audience, businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy and authoritative sources of information.

Finally, businesses can build trust and credibility by being transparent and honest in their marketing efforts. This means avoiding exaggerated or false claims and being upfront about any limitations or drawbacks of their products or services. By being honest and transparent, businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy and build long-term relationships with their customers.

Overall, building trust and credibility is essential for businesses that want to succeed in today's competitive marketplace. By focusing on areas like reviews, online reputation, and transparency, businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy and reliable sources of information and attract more customers to their website.

Link Building

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yny5Hq2d85E&embed=true

Link building is a crucial aspect of SEO that involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These links serve as a way for users to navigate between pages on the internet and help search engines crawl the web. In SEO, the main purpose of link building is to boost a webpage's search rankings by acquiring high-quality inbound links.

One of the key benefits of link building is that it helps to increase your website's credibility. A site that ranks high on search engine results pages is typically considered high-quality and trustworthy by search engines. This, in turn, boosts the credibility of your website and can lead to more traffic, leads, and revenue for your business.

There are several popular link building strategies that businesses can use to acquire high-quality inbound links. These include:

Content marketing: Creating high-quality content that other websites will want to link to.
Guest blogging: Publishing articles on other websites that link back to your own.
Broken link building: Finding broken links on other websites and offering to replace them with links to your own content.
Influencer outreach: Reaching out to influencers in your industry and asking them to link to your content.

It's important to note that link building should be done ethically and naturally. Google penalizes websites that engage in manipulative link building practices such as buying links or participating in link schemes. Instead, businesses should focus on creating high-quality content and building relationships with other websites in their industry to acquire links naturally.

Overall, link building is an essential component of SEO that can help businesses to increase their website's credibility, search rankings, and traffic. By using ethical and natural link building strategies, businesses can improve their online presence and attract more potential customers to their website.

User Experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mpksvyLs68&embed=true

User experience (UX) is a crucial factor in search engine optimization (SEO) and can have a significant impact on the success of a website. Good UX can lead to increased engagement, higher conversion rates, and ultimately, better search engine rankings.

One of the most important aspects of UX is navigation. A well-designed navigation system can make it easy for users to find what they are looking for and can keep them on the site longer. This, in turn, can lead to higher engagement and lower bounce rates. A good navigation system should be intuitive, easy to use, and provide clear labels and categories.

Another important aspect of UX is mobile-friendliness. With more and more people accessing the internet on mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. A mobile-friendly site is one that is optimized for smaller screens, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate with a touch screen. Google has even introduced mobile-first indexing, which means that they use the mobile version of a site for indexing and ranking purposes.

Interactivity is also an important aspect of UX. Websites that provide interactive features such as quizzes, polls, and surveys can increase engagement and keep users on the site longer. This can lead to higher conversion rates and better search engine rankings.

Overall, a good user experience is essential for SEO success. Websites that provide a positive user experience are more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more visitors to their site. By focusing on navigation, mobile-friendliness, and interactivity, businesses can improve their UX and reap the benefits of better search engine rankings and increased engagement.

Increasing Leads and Conversions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBP0zjopruM&embed=true

One of the most significant benefits of SEO is the ability to increase leads and conversions for your business. By optimizing your website and content for search engines, you can attract more potential customers to your site and increase your chances of converting them into paying customers.

SEO can help improve your close rate by ensuring that the traffic coming to your site is highly targeted and relevant. This means that the visitors who arrive at your site are more likely to be interested in your products or services, and therefore more likely to convert into customers.

In addition to attracting more qualified traffic to your site, SEO can also help improve your conversion rate by optimizing your site for user experience. By ensuring that your site is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and provides a seamless experience for users, you can increase the likelihood that visitors will stay on your site and take the desired action.

Furthermore, SEO can help increase your return on investment (ROI) by providing a cost-effective way to attract high-quality leads and customers. Unlike traditional advertising methods, which can be expensive and difficult to track, SEO provides a measurable and scalable way to drive traffic and conversions to your site.

Overall, if you want to increase leads and conversions for your business, investing in SEO is a smart choice. By optimizing your site and content for search engines, you can attract more qualified traffic to your site, improve your close rate, and increase your ROI.

Local SEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqvKiXyUdRY&embed=true

Local SEO is a powerful tool for businesses that want to reach customers in their area. By optimizing your website and online presence for local searches, you can increase your visibility and attract more customers to your business. Local SEO is particularly important for small businesses that rely on local customers to drive sales.

One of the key benefits of local SEO is that it can help you rank higher in local search results. This means that when someone searches for a product or service in your area, your business is more likely to appear at the top of the results. This can lead to more traffic to your website and more customers for your business.

Google My Business is an essential tool for local SEO. By creating a Google My Business profile, you can provide customers with important information about your business, such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation. You can also include photos and reviews to help customers get a better sense of what your business is all about.

Another important aspect of local SEO is optimizing your website for local searches. This includes using location-specific keywords in your content and meta tags, as well as creating location-specific pages on your website. By doing so, you can help ensure that your website appears in local search results when someone searches for a product or service in your area.

In summary, local SEO is a powerful tool for businesses that want to attract more local customers. By optimizing your website and online presence for local searches, you can increase your visibility and attract more customers to your business. With the help of tools like Google My Business, you can ensure that your business is easily found by customers in your area.

Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses

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SEO can provide numerous benefits for small businesses, helping them grow and succeed in the competitive online market. Here are some of the key benefits of SEO for small businesses:

Increased Website Traffic

One of the most significant benefits of SEO for small businesses is increased website traffic. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your website's ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). This means that your website will be more visible to potential customers who are searching for products or services related to your business.

Improved User Experience

SEO involves optimizing your website's structure, content, and design to make it more user-friendly. This can help improve the overall user experience on your website, making it easier for visitors to navigate and find what they're looking for. A better user experience can lead to increased engagement, more time spent on your website, and ultimately, more conversions.

Cost-Effective Marketing

Compared to other forms of marketing, such as paid advertising, SEO can be a cost-effective way for small businesses to promote their products and services. While SEO requires an initial investment of time and resources, the long-term benefits can be significant, helping small businesses achieve sustainable growth and success.

Increased Credibility

A website that ranks high on SERPs is typically considered high-quality and trustworthy by search engines. This, in turn, can help increase your business's credibility and reputation among potential customers. By investing in SEO, small businesses can establish themselves as credible and trustworthy sources of information, products, and services in their respective industries.

Business Growth

Ultimately, the goal of SEO for small businesses is to drive business growth. By increasing website traffic, improving user experience, and establishing credibility, SEO can help small businesses attract new customers, retain existing ones, and ultimately grow their business over time.

SEO Best Practices

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To achieve the best results from SEO efforts, it is essential to follow best practices. These practices are constantly evolving as search engines update their algorithms, and it is important to stay up to date with the latest developments.

One of the most important best practices is to create high-quality, relevant content that provides value to the user. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more. It is important to use relevant keywords in the content, but not to overdo it, as this can lead to penalties from search engines.

Another best practice is to ensure that the website is optimized for mobile devices. With more and more people accessing the internet on their smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. This includes using responsive design, optimizing page load times, and ensuring that all content is accessible on mobile devices.

In addition to these best practices, it is important to stay up to date with algorithm updates from search engines. For example, Google recently introduced core web vitals as a ranking factor, which includes factors such as page load speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Keeping up with these updates and making necessary changes to the website can help improve search engine rankings.

Overall, following SEO best practices can help businesses improve their search engine rankings and attract more traffic to their website. By creating high-quality content, optimizing for mobile devices, and staying up to date with algorithm updates, businesses can achieve long-term success with SEO.

SEO Tools

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One of the key benefits of SEO is that it provides businesses with a wealth of data and insights into their website's performance. This data can be used to make informed decisions about how to optimize the website further and improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). There are several SEO tools available that businesses can use to gain these insights and make data-driven decisions.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool provided by Google that businesses can use to track website traffic and user behavior. It provides a wealth of data, including the number of visitors, their location, the pages they visit, and how long they stay on each page. This data can be used to identify which pages are performing well and which ones need improvement. Google Analytics also provides insights into the sources of traffic, including organic search, paid search, and social media.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that provides businesses with a range of features, including keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor analysis. It allows businesses to track their website's performance over time and identify areas for improvement. Ahrefs provides detailed reports on keyword rankings, search volume, and traffic potential, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve their search engine visibility.

Moz

Moz is another popular SEO tool that provides businesses with a range of features, including keyword research, site audits, and link building. It allows businesses to track their website's performance over time and identify areas for improvement. Moz provides detailed reports on keyword rankings, search volume, and traffic potential, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve their search engine visibility.

SEMrush

SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that provides businesses with a range of features, including keyword research, site audits, and competitor analysis. It allows businesses to track their website's performance over time and identify areas for improvement. SEMrush provides detailed reports on keyword rankings, search volume, and traffic potential, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve their search engine visibility.

In conclusion, SEO tools provide businesses with valuable insights into their website's performance and help them make data-driven decisions to improve their search engine visibility. Google Analytics, Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush are just a few of the many SEO tools available that businesses can use to gain these insights.

SEO vs PPC

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When it comes to digital marketing, businesses have two primary options to increase their visibility in search engine results: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and it's important to understand the differences to choose the best option for your business.

SEO

SEO is a long-term strategy that involves optimizing your website's content, structure, and code to improve its ranking in organic search engine results. It takes time to see results from SEO, but the benefits can last for years. SEO is also cost-effective compared to PPC campaigns, as it does not require a constant stream of advertising dollars.

SEO is a good option for businesses that want to establish a strong online presence and improve their brand awareness. It's also a good option for businesses that have a limited budget for advertising.

PPC

PPC is a short-term strategy that involves paying for ads to appear at the top of search engine results. Businesses bid on keywords related to their product or service and pay each time someone clicks on their ad. PPC campaigns can be expensive, but they can provide immediate results.

PPC is a good option for businesses that want to generate leads quickly or have a specific promotion or event they want to advertise. It's also a good option for businesses that have a large advertising budget and want to maximize their exposure.

Which is Better?

The answer to this question depends on your business's goals and budget. SEO is a good long-term strategy for businesses that want to establish a strong online presence and improve their brand awareness. PPC is a good short-term strategy for businesses that want to generate leads quickly or have a specific promotion or event they want to advertise.

Ultimately, a combination of both SEO and PPC can be the most effective way to drive traffic to your website and increase your online visibility. By using both strategies, you can maximize your advertising dollars and reach a wider audience.

Long-Term Benefits of SEO

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SEO is not a quick-fix solution for your business, but rather a long-term investment with numerous benefits. In the long run, SEO can help your business achieve its goals and objectives by increasing visibility, traffic, and conversions.

One of the most significant long-term benefits of SEO is increased organic traffic. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can attract more visitors to your site over time. This traffic is more sustainable than paid advertising because it does not require constant investment. Organic traffic also tends to have a lower bounce rate, which means visitors are more likely to engage with your content and convert into customers.

Another long-term benefit of SEO is improved brand awareness and credibility. When your website ranks higher in search engine results, it sends a signal to potential customers that your business is reputable and trustworthy. This can lead to increased brand recognition and customer loyalty over time.

SEO can also help your business achieve its long-term goals by aligning with your overall business strategy. By identifying the right keywords and optimizing your content, you can attract the right audience and increase conversions. This can help you achieve your business objectives, such as increasing sales, expanding your customer base, or improving customer retention.

Overall, SEO is a valuable long-term investment for any business looking to improve its online presence and achieve its business goals. By focusing on sustainable growth and optimization, businesses can reap the benefits of increased visibility, traffic, and conversions over time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SEO is an essential tool for any business looking to improve its online presence. By optimizing their website for search engines, businesses can increase their visibility, engagement, and revenue. SEO is also a cost-effective way to reach a target audience and improve the user experience on their webpage.

Through the use of relevant text, meta descriptions, and other on-page optimization techniques, businesses can improve their SERP rankings and drive more traffic to their web pages. This increased visibility can result in higher engagement rates and ultimately lead to more conversions and revenue.

In addition, SEO can help businesses stay ahead of their competition by ensuring their website is up-to-date and relevant to their target audience. By monitoring their website's analytics and making necessary adjustments, businesses can continue to improve their online presence and maintain their position in search engine rankings.

Overall, SEO is a powerful tool that can benefit businesses of all sizes and industries. By investing in SEO, businesses can improve their online visibility, engage with their target audience, and ultimately increase their revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does SEO impact your business?

SEO impacts a business in several ways. It helps to increase the visibility of a website on search engines, which leads to more traffic and potential customers. It also helps to establish credibility and trust with customers since businesses that rank higher on search engines are considered more trustworthy. Additionally, SEO can help businesses stay ahead of their competitors and increase their revenue.

What are the top benefits of SEO?

The top benefits of SEO include increased visibility, credibility, and trust with customers, improved user experience, higher website traffic, and increased revenue. SEO can also help businesses stay ahead of their competitors and establish themselves as industry leaders.

What are some effective SEO techniques for businesses?

Some effective SEO techniques for businesses include keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation. Keyword research helps businesses identify the most relevant keywords for their industry, while on-page optimization involves optimizing website content, meta tags, and images. Link building involves acquiring high-quality links from other websites, and content creation involves creating high-quality, relevant content that engages customers.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of SEO?

The advantages of SEO include increased visibility, credibility, and trust with customers, improved user experience, higher website traffic, and increased revenue. However, the disadvantages of SEO include the time and resources required to implement effective SEO strategies and the constantly changing nature of search engine algorithms.

What are the challenges of implementing SEO for a business?

The challenges of implementing SEO for a business include understanding and keeping up with constantly changing search engine algorithms, identifying and targeting the most relevant keywords, and creating high-quality, relevant content that engages customers. Additionally, businesses may face competition from other businesses and may need to invest significant time and resources to implement effective SEO strategies.

Where should businesses apply SEO?

Businesses should apply SEO on their website, social media platforms, and other online channels to increase visibility and reach more potential customers. Additionally, businesses should focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that engages customers and helps establish credibility and trust with them.

Tim Moseley

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Coinbase fears crypto sector could follow semiconductors offshore due to lack of US support

October 9, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Coinbase fears crypto sector could follow semiconductors offshore due to lack of US support

At a time of robust crypto and Bitcoin news coverage, widespread investor interest, and a burgeoning array of new businesses competing within the sector, it almost seems implausible to suggest that this industry is somehow at risk.

And yet, that's exactly what Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal fears will happen if the US doesn't step up its support and commitment to lead the digital asset economy, in what he feels could be a case of history repeating itself if the country drops the ball on nurturing a new technology.

"We know exactly how this will look because we've seen it time and again when this country has ceded its traditional leadership role when it comes to new technologies and other countries have grabbed the mantle,” Grewal told Kitco News correspondent Matt Nesto in the attached video interview.

In likening crypto and digital assets to the present plight of the semiconductor industry, Grewal says there are multiple reasons to ensure the domestic digital asset incubator stays warm.

"For example, there's recently been a tremendous debate in the United States about semiconductors and how over the last 30 years, the industry that we developed, that we grew, has somehow found its way to countries far from the United States and countries that may not always have the United States interest,” he said.

So, while some may argue that this alarmism is unwarranted, this lawyer and former U.S. magistrate judge can't help citing precedent.

"I don't want, and Coinbase doesn't want, to find ourselves 30 years from now asking the same kinds of questions that we're asking about (semis),” he said. "We don't want to be asking in 30 years, ‘Who lost crypto?’”

You Only Get One Chance

Baseball fans often point to big opportunities and at-bats to change the course of a game and history, and from Grewal's purview, the present state of the domestic crypto industry is not all that different, with the country and its 50 million digital assets investors facing a put up or shut up moment of sorts.

"So this is an important technology and Americans have made it clear that they want this as part of their future,” he said, while calling on the country's investors to share their views and send a message to their elected representatives.

"Unless these 52 million Americans and others share their views with their representatives and make it clear to their elected representatives that they want to see sensible, fair, balanced regulation as applied to digital assets, the United States is going to lose this opportunity. We're going to lose this moment,” he said.

This call to action, so to speak, is all part of a broader Coinbase effort to ensure that digital assets are part of the campaign conversation and new standwithcrypto.org website.

"Call your congressman, send an email to your senator, let them know that we all want sensible digital asset legislation passed,” Grewal said. "Not in 5 years, not in 10 years, but now. This is too important an industry, too important a part of our economy.”

More Than Just Tech at Stake

Grewal's argument in support of the domestic crypto industry is not only based on nurturing the new tech and building a strategic geopolitical moat of sorts but it's also tied to keeping millions of good-paying jobs from moving offshore.

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"Do we really want to hand over a million developer jobs and 3 million other high-paying jobs to overseas jurisdictions simply because we can't get our act together in the US?” Grewal said in a recent post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

In short, Grewal said that the Crypto, Blockchain, Web3 as Job Growth Engine story is not some out-there concept.

"It is happening,” he said. "The best research we see right now is that this industry will generate millions of jobs looking ahead,” he added.

"If these jobs are coming, and we know they are, Wouldn't we want to have at least a fair share of those here in the United States? I think the answer to that is an obvious one; Yes.”

That Enforcement Problem

In addition to industry support, national security and job creation, Grewal also took aim at the current regulatory environment.

"We think (enforcement) is appropriate, indeed, laudable that the Department of Justice has gone after the scammers, the fraudsters that target our industry, but that's no reason to throw out the entire baby with the bathwater,” he said.

In pointing to the fact that over 80% of the G-20 countries have already adopted cryptocurrency regulations or frameworks or are on their way to doing so, Grewal said it is imperative for the US to do more in order to be at the forefront of guiding the industry.

"The United States is falling behind. That's the bad news,” he said. ”The good news is there's still plenty of time to catch up,” he added, noting a number of bills that are currently pending in Congress. "The U. S. can still get this right, but it's time for us to act.

Matt Nesto

For Kitco News

Time to Buy Gold and Silver

Tim Moseley

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The Dark Secrets Behind Crypto Market Manipulation

October 9, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

The Dark Secrets Behind Crypto Market Manipulation

Cryptocurrencies have been at the center of extensive debates in recent years, with much of the discussion revolving around their value and regulatory aspects. However, there is a pressing need to delve into the issue of market manipulation, with a particular focus on the behavior of cryptocurrency exchanges.

The spotlight on crypto and market abuse intensified in late 2022 following the collapse of FTX. This exchange, which had, at one point, held the position of the world's third-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume during its three-year existence, experienced a dramatic downfall. Its founder and CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, now faces a series of serious charges, including conspiracy to commit commodities and securities fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and engage in campaign finance violations. These charges stem from allegations that Bankman-Fried defrauded investors about $1.8 billion. FTX has been entangled in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States since November of last year.

The high-profile and large-scale nature of FTX's collapse has triggered a wave of inquiries into the functioning of cryptocurrency exchanges and the risks associated with market manipulation. It's important to note that market manipulation is not a phenomenon exclusive to crypto exchanges; it's an illicit practice in the financial markets with a historical presence dating back centuries.

In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, a question that looms large in the minds of new investors and enthusiasts alike is whether the crypto markets are manipulated. The topic has been the subject of intense debate and speculation, with proponents on both sides presenting their arguments. In this article, we aim to shed light on this intriguing issue, examining the various factors and evidence that contribute to the perception that the crypto markets are indeed manipulated.

Source: Solidus Labs

Insights from the Solidus Labs Report

Before delving into the specifics of market manipulation, it's essential to understand the context in which the crypto markets operate. Cryptocurrency, most notably Bitcoin, has gained unprecedented popularity and attention in recent years. Its decentralized nature and the potential for substantial financial gains have attracted investors from all walks of life. With the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies reaching astronomical heights, it's no wonder that questions about manipulation have arisen.

It's important to understand the key findings of a recent report by Solidus Labs, a crypto research firm. The report, aptly titled "The 2023 Crypto Market Manipulation Report," was published by Solidus Labs in June. Although some time has passed since its publication, the facts and figures remain largely relevant.

The report is divided into two main sections: insider trading and wash trading. Insider trading involves individuals with privileged information trading to their advantage. The report highlights the significance of addressing market manipulation to foster crypto adoption, especially considering the ongoing discussions about exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the crypto space. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been hesitant to approve crypto ETFs due to concerns about market manipulation. While the report acknowledges that the issue may be up for debate when it comes to Bitcoin (BTC), it suggests that most altcoins are susceptible to manipulation.

The report identifies a startling statistic: 56% of ERC-20 tokens listed on crypto exchanges in 2021 showed evidence of insider trading, even on major exchanges. The authors of the report discovered a network of 51 interconnected wallets believed to be responsible for a significant portion of this insider trading activity. Unfortunately, the report does not specify which exchanges were analyzed, leaving some details unclear.

Insider trading, as defined by the report, includes any wallet that consistently buys a token shortly before it is listed on a major exchange. Surprisingly, the subsequent insider trading often occurred on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) rather than centralized exchanges (CEXs). However, only a few cases involved insiders selling their tokens on the exchanges where the tokens were listed. This might be attributed to fears of detection by insider trading detection mechanisms on these exchanges.

A case study in the report highlights one individual or entity involved in insider trading who conducted 14 listings using DEXs and 22 more using CEXs. Interestingly, the gains from this insider trading activity were not as substantial as one might expect, with an estimated profit of $300,000 against an investment of $2.7 million. This suggests that the individual or entity involved likely possessed substantial financial resources, potentially indicating an institution or a seasoned actor in the crypto space.

Another noteworthy discovery in the report was the identification of 54 additional wallets created specifically for insider trading. These wallets were found to be associated with transactions related to tokens about to be listed or newly listed tokens. The entities behind these wallets used various methods to obscure their activities, including privacy protocols like Tornado Cash, smart contract-enabled privacy coins like Secret Network, and crypto exchanges with lax Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.

Source: Solidus Labs

The report also raises the possibility that crypto exchanges themselves might be involved in insider trading, a serious allegation that has been made against some exchanges in the past. The authors acknowledge that some of the wallets identified may have been purely coincidental, but the overall pattern suggests insider trading. They speculate that token issuers, market makers, and investment firms could be the entities behind these wallets.

Moving on to the section of the report focusing on wash trading, it reveals some eye-opening statistics. Since 2020, liquidity providers on Ethereum have engaged in wash trading involving over $2 billion worth of cryptocurrencies. This behavior was identified in 20,000 tokens, taking place in 67% of the over 30,000 liquidity pools analyzed. Wash trades accounted for an average of nearly 15% of trading activity in these pools.

Wash trading is a form of market manipulation where an entity simultaneously buys and sells the same asset, creating a deceptive impression of market activity while no actual change in ownership occurs. Notably, the authors believe that the extent of wash trading on DEXs on Ethereum is even higher, but the reported data only covers 1% of the analyzed information.

The report further suggests that wash trading is detectable and preventable in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. It argues that DeFi protocols could implement similar regulatory measures as centralized exchanges to combat wash trading. Additionally, on-chain analysis can help identify suspicious liquidity providers.

Source: Wash trading in centralized crypto exchanges – Cepr.org

So, what does all of this mean for the crypto industry? The short answer is that these revelations are not good news for DEXs. However, it's worth noting that the report appears to focus exclusively on insider trading and wash trading on DEXs, whereas similar issues have been found on CEXs, with fake trading volumes being a significant concern.

Transparency is a critical factor in regulating market manipulation, and DEXs, with their publicly viewable and traceable transactions, have the potential to be more transparent and less prone to manipulation than centralized exchanges. DeFi protocols are also exploring ways to implement regulatory measures at the smart contract level.

While market manipulation is a challenge that the crypto industry must address, it is a problem that can be tackled with the right tools and regulations. DEXs are gradually working towards mitigating this issue, and their transparency can serve as a model for the broader crypto ecosystem. However, the crypto industry must also confront larger issues, including centralization, privacy concerns, and censorship resistance. As blockchain analytics companies like Solidus Labs lead the way in addressing market manipulation, the industry can move forward with greater transparency and accountability.

Ultimately, market manipulation is one of the more solvable issues in the crypto space, and once it is effectively addressed, attention can be directed towards other critical challenges facing the industry.

Summary

The debate over whether the cryptocurrency markets are susceptible to manipulation continues to persist, and while no definitive consensus has been reached, there are indeed compelling reasons to consider the possibility of manipulation within these markets. Several factors contribute to this perception, shedding light on why investors remain cautious when participating in the crypto space.

First and foremost, the absence of comprehensive regulatory oversight is a fundamental concern. Unlike traditional financial markets that operate under strict regulatory frameworks enforced by government authorities, cryptocurrency markets exist in an unclear regulatory landscape. This regulatory void creates an environment in which individuals or entities may exploit loopholes and engage in illicit practices without fear of legal repercussions. This lack of oversight can significantly contribute to the perception of vulnerability to manipulation.

Another prominent factor that reinforces the perception of market manipulation is the prevalence of "pump and dump" schemes. These schemes involve artificially inflating the price of a cryptocurrency through coordinated buying, often based on misleading or exaggerated information. Once the price reaches its zenith, those orchestrating the scheme sell their holdings at a profit, resulting in a swift and severe decline in price. These schemes not only deceive investors but also erode trust in the integrity of the market.

The influence of crypto whales, individuals or entities holding substantial amounts of a specific cryptocurrency, is another element contributing to the perception of manipulation. These whales possess the capacity to sway market sentiment and price movements through their significant trades. A single large sell order from a whale can trigger panic selling among smaller investors, leading to rapid price fluctuations. This unequal distribution of power can lead to a sense of vulnerability among market participants.

Furthermore, the lack of transparency on many cryptocurrency exchanges adds to the perception of potential manipulation. Some exchanges do not provide adequate information about their operations, trading volumes, or even the identity of their owners. This opacity can raise suspicions about the fairness and integrity of these platforms, further fueling concerns about market manipulation.

In light of these factors, it is prudent for investors in the cryptocurrency space to exercise caution and diligence. Conducting thorough research and due diligence before participating in any cryptocurrency investment is essential. Being aware of the risks associated with market manipulation and staying informed about the latest developments in the industry can help investors make more informed decisions and protect their interests.

While the cryptocurrency market offers exciting opportunities, it is not without its challenges. Acknowledging the existence of potential manipulation and taking proactive measures to mitigate these risks is a crucial step for investors looking to navigate this dynamic and evolving landscape successfully.

This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About: Prince Ibenne. (Nigeria) Prince is passionate about helping people understand the crypto-verse through his easily digestible articles. He is an enthusiastic supporter of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | and my LinkedIn Profile.

Tim Moseley

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Waterfall decline in gold induces miner capitulation

October 8, 2023 Thomas Prendergast Leave a comment

Waterfall decline in gold induces miner capitulation

The headwinds from persistent strength in the U.S. dollar and 10-year bond yields moving closer to 5% have proved too much for the gold market as prices have fallen to their lowest level since March. Gold lost key support at $1900 in September, when the month and quarter ended last Friday. With the Chinese market being closed during "Golden Week," Western bullion banks were primed to continue covering short positions into October during a waterfall decline in Gold Futures down towards its rising 200-week moving average at $1820.

Yet, once you step back to look at the bigger macro picture that is currently unfolding, it is not hard to see that the stars are aligning for gold. Although the bears have been able to break through the six-month gold floor at $1900, rising energy prices coupled with slower economic growth are creating a stagflationary environment which will eventually push Gold Futures back above $2000 an ounce.

As we transition through the final quarter of 2023, the list of known risk factors is expanding as an unrelenting selloff in government bonds has sent global treasury yields to levels last seen prior to the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. Government borrowing costs influence everything from mortgage rates for homeowners to loan rates for companies.

Rising debt and geopolitical instability could also make U.S. bonds less attractive to foreign investors. The risk now is that the Federal Reserve loses control of yields and is forced to be a buyer of last resort. If yields continue to climb, the world's most powerful central bank may be forced to increase its balance sheet with new quantitative easing measures before cutting rates. Not to mention the Fed publicly giving up on its fantasy of getting back to 2% inflation, which would be a major positive for the gold price.

The speed of the bond rout has spooked stock investors as well, with all major equity indexes wiping out their gains for the year. The S&P 500 erased all its gains for 2023 and tumbled into correction territory this week. Some analysts have compared the strong run-up in stocks in 2023 to the price action leading up to the 1987 crash.

In 1987, the S&P 500 rallied about 39%, peaked in August, the crashed in October to erase all its gains in just two weeks. The current rally that started in October 2022 gained about 31% into July, and is now setting up a potential panic move lower. If the S&P 500 closes below critical support at 4200 later today, the odds of a waterfall decline during crash season would increase significantly.

The gold price has been incredibly resilient in the face of skyrocketing bond yields. The 10-year bond rate was around 2.5% a year ago, and gold was trading around $1820. Now, after rates have nearly doubled up to 4.8%, gold is still trading at $1820 as Eastern central banks continue to add more bullion to their reserves.

According to the latest data from the World Gold Council this week, central banks bought 77 tonnes of gold in August, a 38% increase compared to buying in July. Over the last three months, central banks have bought 219 tonnes of gold. This comes after record purchases during the first half of the year.

The continued buying shows central bank gold demand is far from being saturated. The U.S. dollar's persistent strength means that nations with U.S. dollar-denominated debt continue to face high financing costs. The only way to reduce those costs is to diversify away from the U.S. dollar and gold remains the most attractive global monetary asset.

As 10-year bond yields move closer to 5%, Western investors may be close to waking up to the growing debt risks in the U.S. Once Western investors begin to become more defensive as recession fears grow, we will start to see investment demand for gold pick up.

Most economists have felt over the past several months that the Federal Reserve has gone one rate hike too far. And with the odds increasing of another rate hike coming next month, the biggest risk is that the Fed may commit yet another policy error after insisting inflation was "transitory" for a year before beginning to hike rates in March 2022.

By waiting far too long before hiking rates as inflation raged, the Fed has boxed itself into a corner after raising rates at its fastest pace in over 40 years – while government eliminated the debt ceiling. The further the central bank goes into restrictive territory, the more likely it becomes that we begin to see black swan events – just like we saw recently with the second, third and fourth largest bank failures in U.S. history.

If the Fed pushes too hard on rates, the 10-year could spike above 5% and this would raise the odds of breaking something in the financial system. The regional banking crisis in March sparked an over $250 move higher in the gold price from levels it has come back to test this week. But if the central bank stands pat, back-to-back pauses would support an end to the tightening cycle, which would also be bullish for gold.

The U,S, ADP report this week revealed a twelfth straight weekly decline in wages on a debt-saddled population. We should expect to see further volatility and uncertainty in the U.S. dollar as the country's government debt continues to grow along with its citizenry.

Consumer credit card balances and personal interest payments are soaring. U.S. credit card balances crossed the $1 trillion mark this summer as more Americans turned to debt to fund their everyday needs. With interest on credit cards now over 22% the average debt-laden consumer is getting crushed, resulting in delinquencies also climbing as that strategy becomes increasingly untenable.

U.S. debt is approaching $33.5 trillion. At the same time, the deficit is on pace to increase by $2 trillion this year. The eventual economic consequences of the burgeoning government debt include slower growth as more resources get used and allocated by the government.

A likely monetary consequence is that regardless of what senior members of the Fed currently say and think (they naturally insist that the Fed is independent), there is a high probability that the Fed eventually will yet again be called upon to help finance the government.

Historically, the biggest positive for the gold price has been loss of confidence in Fed policy and government. The looming U.S. government shutdown may still be a catalyst for gold even after the current crisis has been pushed out for 45 days.

A split Congress is at loggerheads yet again over government funding just as U.S. bond markets are pricing the most expensive Treasury borrowing in 16 years – while also rethinking the long-term trajectory for interest rates and fiscal policy.

A near-miss on a debt ceiling showdown in the Spring led to the loss of another Triple-A sovereign credit rating, followed by further brinkmanship over next year's spending bills. According to a recent warning from Moody's, the dysfunction in public financing and potential for debt servicing disruption may threaten the last remaining AAA credit rating of the main three agencies.

Furthermore, the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in its history has booted its speaker out of the job, as infighting in the narrow and bitterly divided Republican majority toppled Kevin McCarthy from the position. This unprecedented action now creates a political crisis, plunging the House of Representatives into inevitable confusion and uncertainty, not to mention a highly contentious battle over the speaker position.

Until a House speaker is installed, it is unlikely that further action will be taken on bills to fund the government, with lawmakers facing a Nov. 17 deadline to provide more money or face a partial government shutdown. Republican lawmakers said they would need at least a week to choose a new speaker, which will eat into the time necessary to pass that needed legislation.

This dilemma coincides with Republicans simultaneously battling the calendar to complete the appropriations process and continues its impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, gold stocks are presenting the best risk/reward situation we have seen since late 2015 after Gold Futures have now printed nine consecutive daily red candles to become deeply oversold. Both GDX and GDXJ are testing the lower boundary of their respective downtrend channels as a final capitulation by worn out gold stock investors takes place.

A similar correction pattern amid sector capitulation occurred into the second week of 2016. The exact low back then came in the form of an intra-day bear-trap reversal to the upside, which took many bottom-fishers accumulating quality juniors since early Q4 2015 quickly out of position.

There was no major news to trigger the event, it was just the algorithm switch being flipped after a similar capitulation had run its course. And those investors who sold were left to watch many of the juniors they capitulated go 5-10x higher in just six months, while refusing to buy them back at higher prices along the way after being burned.

In anticipation of the incredible gains the junior sector should begin to experience once the gold price prints a technical breakout above $2100, the Junior Miner Junky (JMJ) newsletter has accumulated a basket of quality juniors with 3x-10x upside potential into 2025-26.

If you require assistance in accumulating the best in breed precious metals related juniors, and would like to receive my research, newsletter, portfolio, watch list, and trade alerts, please click here for instant access.

David Erfle

Contributing to kitco.com

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