To say that the past month has been one of the most important in crypto’s history would be an understatement, this according to founder of Revix, Sanders….
We’ve been wondering what would take to catapult crypto into mainstream adoption and over the last few months, we seem to have found the answers.
Sean Sanders, the founder of the investment platform Revix, which is backed by JSE-listed Sabvest, explains “To say that the past month has been one of the most important in crypto’s history would be an understatement.”
At the time of writing, Bitcoin, the largest crypto asset, is trading at a three-year high above $16,000 and is within spitting distance of its all-time high daily close of $19,397, which occurred in December 2017.
These moves see Bitcoin up 40% in the past month, and more than 120% on a year-to-date basis, and that’s after its 91% return in 2019.
The Revix Top 10 Bundle, which equally weights the 10 largest cryptocurrencies, and Revix’s two crypto theme-based Bundles – which provide exposure to niche crypto themes of payment and smart contract focused cryptocurrencies are up also well up in 2020.
This price boom pushes crypto’s returns ahead of traditional assets like gold (up 24%) and the S&P 500 (up 12%).
Prices, however, are just part of the story. Developments over the past month have been equally exciting.
A few highlights:
PayPal—one of the world’s largest digital payment firms —announced that it would offer all 200+ million U.S. users the ability to buy and sell 5 of the largest cryptocurrencies (including bitcoin, ethereum, Litecoin, and bitcoin cash) by the end of the year. This has the potential to more than double the number of global crypto investors overnight which is estimated by the University of Cambridge to be around 100 million. The payment giant said that it would enable crypto payments at 26 million U.S. merchants in Q1 2021 which is a big first step for mainstream adoption.
Square—the payments platform headed by famous Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey— announced that they had invested 1% of their total assets in Bitcoin. This sizable investment of around $50 million, about 4,709 Bitcoins. The investment, which mirrors that of NASDAQ listed Microstrategy, was made due to the state of the global economy, interest in arguably the most discussed innovation in the financial sector this century, the maturation in the crypto ecosystem, and many other factors.
J.P. Morgan, whose CEO called bitcoin a fraud just three years ago, published an in-depth feature in its flagship research series comparing bitcoin to gold, and saying its price could double or triple if current trends continue. Earlier this year, J.P. Morgan also agreed to provide banking services to crypto pioneer Coinbase and has been getting involved in additional ways.
Institutional participation in crypto hit an all-time high, measured by the number of large institutions – such as pension funds, endowments, family offices, and hedge funds – holding significant positions in CME bitcoin futures—up 20% in a single month.
Revix had its own record-breaking month with thousands of new sign-ups. Record inflows from high net worth individuals and everyday investors looking to get started in the crypto space have started to accelerate.
Sanders elaborates: “Despite the news breaking headlines of positive crypto developments—a complete U-turn from just 12-months ago—for those of us working full time in crypto for several years, much of what has transpired this last month felt inevitable. We always believed that large institutions like PayPal would help normalise crypto for everyday use and institutional investors would come around to this new asset class and become bullish on the asset class and would invest in meaningful ways.”
He continues “What’s remarkable is that it all seems to be happening at the same time, and this is becoming a reinforcing cycle, where positive adoption news – like that of Paypal entering the crypto space or JP Morgan becoming bullish on crypto – puts pressure on other big-name payment institutions and financial firms to do the same. This becomes an accelerated cycle of adoption, which is what we’re seeing today and it’s resulting in an avalanche of developments that are bringing crypto from the shadows to the mainstream.
For investors looking to gain crypto exposure, Revix has brought low-cost diversified crypto-index investing to everyday investors through their ready-made crypto Bundles, making crypto investing as easy as buying the JSE Top 40. Revix is accessible as investors can get started with as little as R500 investment and what’s great is that you can sell out and withdraw your funds at any time after purchase. There are no lock-up periods like with other investment funds.
Revix charges no monthly subscription fees, but rather a simple 1% transaction fee for both buys and sells and a 0.17% per month rebalancing fee (which amounts to 2.04% a year) on the total Bundle value held.
Revix’s Top 10 Bundle aims to deliver on one promise: To make sure that customers own the ten largest, and by default the ten biggest success stories, in the crypto space, whatever they may be.
Revix also offers two theme-based crypto Bundles. The first is the Payment Bundle that provides exposure to the top five payment-focused cryptocurrencies looking to make digital payments cheaper, faster, and more global.
The second is their Smart Contract Bundle, which consists of cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum that enable developers to build applications on top of their blockchains, much like how developers build mobile apps on top of the Apple mobile iOS operating system.
Revix is offering customers a remarkable November promotion.
New customers who sign-up to the platform at www.revix.com with the promo-code CRYPTO and who deposit and invest between R2 000 and R5 000 in any one of their three crypto Bundles before the end of December will receive 10 days of crypto investing completely free of loss.
That’s up to 10 days of fully covered investing where the worst you can do is break-even. You’ll keep all your profits and Revix will cover any downside.
Head over to www.revix.com and sign-up for a free account,
Make sure to enter the Revix promo code – CRYPTO – when signing-up in the referral code textbox,
Deposit between R2,000 to R5,000 before the 5th of December to qualify for a Fully Covered 10-day period,
Make sure that you receive an email confirming that your account is Fully Covered within 12-hours of signing up,
Use the full amount that you deposited to buy any one of Revix’s crypto Bundles, and
You’ll be on your way with Revix’s Fully Covered November promotion.
If crypto investor ‘Joe’ signs-up for a Revix account using the promo code “CRYPTO”, he will receive an email letting him know that his 10-days Fully Covered promotional period has started.
Joe will then need to verify his account and invest between R2,000 to R5,000 into one of Revix’s 3 crypto Bundles.
In the case where Joe’s investment has increased in value, he will be entitled to keep all of his gains and either keep his Revix Bundle investment open or withdraw his funds. No strings attached.
In the case where Joe’s investment has gone down in value, Revix will deposit ZAR into Joe’s Revix account which will return him to the exact same amount that he deposited. Joe can then either keep his Revix investment open or withdraw his funds. Again, no strings attached.
In either case, Joe has his initial investment amount guaranteed for 10-days and can keep all his returns.
Don’t wait, sign-up now so you don’t miss out on this truly Fully Covered investment opportunity.
Revix brings simplicity, trust, and great customer service to investing. Its easy-to-use online platform enables anyone to securely own the world’s top investments in just a few clicks.
Revix guides new clients through the sign-up process, to their first deposit and first investment. Once set up, most customers manage their own portfolio, but can access support from the Revix team at any time.
This article is intended for informational purposes only. The views expressed are not and should not be construed as investment advice or recommendations. This article is not an offer, nor the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets or securities mentioned herein. You should not invest more than you can afford to lose, and before investing please take into consideration your level of experience and investment objectives, and seek independent financial advice if necessary.
Featured image: Supplied
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Algebra Ventures launches $90-million fund to invest in startups –
Algebra Ventures has announced the launch of its second fund worth $90-million. The fund is dedicated to investing in startups in Egypt and the MEA region.
Cairo-based venture capital firm Algebra Ventures has announced the launch of its second fund worth $90-million. The fund is dedicated to investing in startups in Egypt and the MEA region.
The VC is reportedly targeting its first closing in the third quarter of 2021 and the fund is focused on investing in the following sectors; fintech, logistics, healthtech, and agritech.
Algebra Ventures has launched a second fund worth $90-million
Karim Hussein, Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures explains that there is untapped potential in the tech startup space in Egypt and that the VC aims to support its growth with the new fund.
“Having built a couple of successful technology companies in the US, I see tremendous opportunities for tech transformation in the Egyptian economy and continue to meet exceptional entrepreneurs who address these challenges. I am also encouraged by the significant steps taken by the government to facilitate the growth of tech-enabled businesses in Egypt.”
Algebra Ventures
Founded in 2016, Algebra Ventures is focused on investing in entrepreneurs and startups in the tech space that are driving transformation in Egypt and the MEA region.
According to the Egypt-based VC, it has invested in 21 startups since its launch and its portfolio of Series A investments is the largest in the country. As a result of its investments, Algebra Ventures claims that it has, directly and indirectly, assisted in creating over 20 000 jobs.
Tarek Assaad, Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures comments on the rapid growth in the tech space in Egypt.
“I am grateful for the LPs of fund I, specifically EAEF, EBRD, and IFC who supported us back when there was no venture capital to speak of in Egypt. Over the ten years, I have worked in venture capital, I have witnessed the evolution of the tech entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt which has grown steadily over that period and exponentially in the past three years – vastly exceeding our expectations. Growth rates, capital deployed, sophistication of investors, track record of entrepreneurs are all pointing to unparalleled growth moving forward.”
Everyshop, a new eCommerce platform has launched in South Africa and offers consumers online access to a range of local and international brands.
Everyshop has officially launched
Established by the JD Group, a South African retail company that is
part of Pepkor Holdings Limited, EveryShop aims to be a one-stop online shop for local consumers.
Peter Griffiths – Chief Executive Officer at the JD Group comments on the launch of the new platform and provides insight into its mechanics.
“JD Group, a division of Pepkor Holdings, already offers extensive online shopping to South African consumers through its retail brands that include Incredible Connection, HiFi Corp, Bradlows, Rochester, and Sleepmasters. Immense know-how, e-commerce, and logistics capabilities, and infrastructure have been built up to provide world-class online shopping experiences with swift and efficient delivery options. The opportunity to also offer South African online shoppers access to a vast array of other product categories resulted in launching this new exciting online retailer – Everyshop. With the support of our existing retail businesses, we have partnered with some of South Africa’s most well-known and loved brands across a number of industries including Specialist Electronics & Appliances, Furniture, Fashion, Footwear, and DIY to deliver true value to the South African shopper. Everyshop’s customers will be spoilt for choice in a convenient and affordable manner with access to the products that they need and the brands they love.”
Everyshop
With an initial testing phase in March, the platform has officially launched this month and is a result of the growing eCommerce sector in South Africa.
The eCommerce platform offers a range of products from fashion, homeware to DIY materials, tech, and more. Everyshop’s is home to a range of international branded products and is accessible to anyone across the country as it overs nationwide delivery of its goods.
Various secure online payment methods have been added to the eCommerce platform that is mobile-first and easy to navigate.
In an official press statement, Everyshop points out that it aims to shake up the existing eCommerce sector in South Africa with its innovative tech and business model.
“With everything in one place and supported by some of the latest e-Commerce innovations whilst underpinned by a nationwide logistics infrastructure, Everyshop is a guided digital-first experience providing every shopper a unique and tailored departmental shopping experience – intent on being a true disruptor in the e-Commerce landscape.”
Currently, the eCommerce startup claims to have 15 large-scale distribution centres that are located in close proximity to customers nationwide offering fast and affordable delivery to consumers.
The local tech startup plans to add more merchandisers and expand its list of more available retailer products listed on the platform.
Supporting local SMEs and entrepreneurs
While the new eCommerce platform may be home to renowned international brands such as Nike, Samsung, Apple, and more, Everyshop is committed to supporting homegrown brands such as Me&B, The T-shirt Bed company, and Move Pretty to name a few.
With a focus on empowering entrepreneurs and supporting local, the eCommerce website has interwoven both an international and local offering of products.
“We are proud to be part of Pepkor Holdings with its many trusted brands and combined we are a diversified retailer of clothing, footwear, furniture, household appliances, and consumer electronic goods. Now, even more, is offered with Everyshop – our brand new online platform,” concludes Griffiths
Quarterly Employment statistics reveal over 500 000 jobs lost in 2020 –
Stats SA’s Quarterly Employment report has revealed that half a million individuals lost their job in the period between December 2019 to December 2020,
Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Employment report has revealed that half a million individuals lost their job in the period between December 2019 to December 2020, indicating the devastating impacts of Covid-19 on the local economy and the employment landscape.
Employment has decreased by half a million in one year
In the official press statement, Stats SA provides insight into the number of jobs lost in the reported period.
Key findings
“Total employment decreased by 594 000 or (-5,8%) year-on-year between December 2019 and December 2020.”
According to the report, full-time employment decreased by 11 000 from September 2020 to December 2020 and can be attributed to decreases in the construction, manufacturing, business services, transport, and mining sectors.
Although there was a decrease in full-time employment, part-time positions saw an overall increase of 9.2% with 87 000 additional jobs reported between September 2020 to December 2020 with the following industries experiencing an uptake of employment; manufacturing, trade, business services, and community service.
In comparison to the dismal findings of the number of jobs lost between December 2019 to December 2020, the report however indicated that from September 2020 to December 2020, total employment has increased by 76 000 due to trade, community services, and business services.
Wages
Stats SA has reported total earnings have decreased by R36,1-billion between December 2019 to December 2020 but there has been an uptake within the last four months of 2020.
“Year-on-year, total gross earnings decreased by R36,1 billion or (-4,6%) between December 2019 and December 2020. Basic salary/wages paid to employees increased by R18,6 billion or (3,0%) from R631,8 billion in September 2020 to R650,4 billion in December 2020,” says Stats SA.
The basic salary and wages reportedly decreased by R22.9-billion between December 2019 and December 2020.
“Year-on-year, basic salary/wages decreased by R22,9 billion or (-3,4%) between December 2019 and December 2020.”