Recently, the hottest financial head line of the news paper: the central bank strictly controls ICOs
最近財經版最常出現的提目：中央銀行嚴勵管制ICO
在2017年的變化萬千的經濟新聞中, 不乏頻頻出現比特幣（bitcoin)及ICO (Inital Coin Offering) 的身影吸引讀者眼球的注意力。以比特幣為首的加密貨幣家族在過去被聯繋上不少負面新聞：層壓式活動, 駭客, 非法集資, 騙案等等,隨手在資訊發達的互聯網上都可以容易找到。就是這些負面新聞,令到不少投資者對這位經濟系統新星望之卻步。但隨著互聯網+ 的急速發展, 整個加密貨幣家族影響力越來越大。到低這項科技如何改變傳統經濟系統及人們集資的方法? 人們如何把握這個千載難逢的機會協助自己達到財務自由呢?
In 2017, bitcoin (bitcoin) and ICO (Inital Coin Offering) are the hottest head line of fininal news which attracted many attentions of puplic. The crytocurrency family, led by Bitcoin, has been linked to a lot of negative news in the past: ponzi schem, hackers, illegal fund raising, deception, etc.All information would be easily found in the internet. These negative news made investors were dreadful and frustrated about crytocurrcy and bitcoin. However, with the rapid development of the Internet +, the market of crytocurrcy increased its marketcapital by 300% this year. How can this technology change the traditional economic system and how people raise money? How do people take advantage of this golden opportunity to help their achievment in financial freedom?
時勢做英雄
在2008年, 由雷曼兄弟清盤而引發的金融海潚後,由於貪婪銀行家，再加上美國進行量化寬鬆的措施，多人對現有金融體系失去信心。眼見手上的紙幣日漸縮水,購買力大不如前, 再加上因為低息環境,造成資產價格不斷上升，令基層市民百上加斤。普羅大眾開始出現一種要求金融業“還政於民“的素求, 他們不希望經濟是集中在一小群人,包括政府,銀行家及富人手中的遊戲。 人民渴望一個沒有集中權力,透明及公平的金融及貨幣系統。於是在2009年,世界上的一種加密貨幣-- 比特幣橫空出世。
加密貨幣的核心在於區塊鏈（blockchain), 是以P2P 型式管理的密碼學系統, 能夠提供一個環境建立一個去中心化,公開及資源共享的金融平台。以比特幣為例, 比特幣的發行權並不屬於任何一間公司,任何一個機構或任何一個政府部門, 他的發行權在於大眾對區塊鏈的應用及參與, 系統亦會對有供獻用家進行獎勵。作一個簡單比喻，區塊鏈就好似一本帳簿,記錄了比特幣從一出生到現在所有的交易。所有比特幣用家可以記錄在這本帳簿上,並得到比特幣作獎勵。而在比特幣的區塊鏈系統內,並不像各國政府的貨幣政策，無限量印察貨幣, 而是有一個上限---2100萬個。此外, 所有轉帳紀錄都公開在互聯網上及大眾可參與驗證在帳簿上紀錄的真偽。由於帳簿是共同及公開的,基本上不可能由一少部分操控。即使是世上最強大的起級電腦,亦不可能對抗全球互聯網近億部電腦的運算力,從而實現去中心化的系統。而ICO (Initial Coin Offering) 是以區塊鏈平台集資的一個經濟新項目。
In 2008, after the financial crisis caused by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, many people lost confidence in the existing financial system as a result of greedy bankers, coupled with quantitative easing in the United States. The currency (paper money) on our hands was less purchasing power as before. With the low interest rate environment,the result caused rising asset prices, and people lived in poverty. The general public began to question financial industry and fighted for their right. Citizens do not want their resources concentrated in a small group of people, including the government, bankers and the riches. The people are eager to have a decentralized, transparent and equitable financial system. In 2009, therefore, the world first of cryptocurrency , Bitcoin, was born.
Blockchain, the core of the cryptocurrency, is a cryptographic system which provides an environment to establish a financial platform for decentralized, public and resource sharing. In the case of Bitcoin, the right of creating Bitcoin does not belong to any company, any institution or any government department. The right of distribution lies in the application and participation of the blockchain. For example, the blockchain is like a book, recording the transaction of the currency from birth to the present . All Bitcoin users can record on this book and get a bitcoin for rewards. Unlike the governments' monetary system with unlimited amount of printing paper money, Bitcoin was set 21 million as limit. In addition, all transfer records are publicly available on the Internet and the public can participate in encryption of the records on blockchain. As block chain are opened source which basically can not be controlled by small group of people . Even the world's most powerful computer is impossible to fight the global Internet network nearly which was formed by 100 million computer . ICO (Initial Coin Offering) is a newest economic project that help entrepreneurs raise fund in block chain platform.
安全性問題
2014年2月, 日本著名比特幣交易所Mt. Gox因為受到駭客入侵, 超過70萬個時值超過4.7億美元比特幣被盜並宣報破產。事由件令大眾對比特幣失去信心, 價值從$1200美元幾個月內暴跌至$200美左右。大眾當時都會問：到底加密貨幣是否安全,會否容易被盜？
加密貨幣用家有三種儲存幣的方法：交易平台, 綫上私人錢包及線下紙錢包。Mt. Gox 是屬於交易平台儲存方式, 其優點是交易方便, 快速交易。好像今天我見到比特幣價錢好,我可用自己在平台的預付款, 購入比特幣,就像股票比台一樣。而最大的問題是平台被駭客入侵或者平台倒閉,用家會招致全部損失。若用家不是作頻繁交易, 可選其他兩種方法。
In February 2014, the famous Japanese currency exchange, Mt. Gox, was stolen and declared bankrupt because of the hacker. It lost more than 700,000 bitcoin which eqeal to $ 470 million USD in 2013. Puplic lost confidence in bincoin and the value of bitcoin droped substantially from $ 1200 to $ 200 in just a few months. Will crytocurrency be easily stolen?
There are three ways to encrypt a currency: trading platform, online private wallet, and paper wallet. Mt. Gox was a trading platform. the advantages of trading storage are convenience and fast transactions. For example, the exchange rate is good today and I can exchange it very first just like stocks. The biggest problem of the platform storage is hacker platform collapse, users will incur all losses. If the users don't do transactions frequently, an other methods would be safer.
綫上錢包是把加密貨幣最普遍存放的方法, 用家可下載錢包到手機, 電腦或互聯網版, 用法十分方便。其保安程度亦十分高, 需要多從認證才可登入使用貨幣。唯一一個問題是密碼, 如果當時人忘記了密碼, 是比較難以收復。最後是線下紙錢包, 是最安全的一種, 因為加密課幣會被存放到印有二維碼的紙上, 當使用時用軟件對應二維碼,便可使用,而且沒有被駭客盜取的風險。
只要對加密貨幣的機制,保密性及風險等有基本的了解, 投資加密貨幣並不是傳媒所描述的神秘。隨藉世界各地的商貿住來因著互聯網一日千里的發展而頻繁,加密課貨幣的重要性越來越重。大家把握著這個新機遇，應可以創造下一個經濟奇績。
Online wallet is the most common way to store encrytocurrency. Users can download wallet to the phone, computer or use Internet version and it is very convenient. Its security is also very high and the users need many verifications before using the currency. The only problem is the password. If users forgot the password, it is difficult to recover the wallet. Finally, offline paper wallet is the most secure one, because the crytocurrency will be stored on paper with QR code printed. When redeeming the currency, corresponding software use the QR code.
Understanding the basic mechanism, confidentiality and risks of crytocurrency , the investment of new financial opportunities is not as mysterious as the media described . Due to the rapid development of the Internet, business and financial institutions dependce of internet are heavier and heavier. Therefore , we can ride the new trend of weath explosion .