(Newswire.net — March 5, 2018) — If cryptocurrencies weren’t confusing before, adding a hedge fund, derivatives and futures trading to the mix may not make it any easier.
On one hand, adding traditional trading mechanisms will either make an investor more at ease because of familiarity with the vehicle or exacerbate the understanding of how cryptocurrencies actually fit into the currency market.
If you ask former Goldman Sachs banker, Alex Grebnev, he’ll tell you that now is the time for cryptocurrencies to enter the mainstream.
Grebnev smelled an opportunity early on in the crypto market. Unlike most people, however, he plans on taking action on this opportunity in a way most others cannot or would not be able to.
The futures market
Imagine taking cryptocurrencies beyond futures, where investors sell their crypto coins at a later date for an anticipated profit. Then, add on the component of investors actually lending out their cryptocurrencies and planting the ability to “repo” them if not redeemed.
The Oxygen platform is tied into the Ethereum network. “In exchange, they get another cryptocurrency, which they agree to take as collateral until their original currency is returned. Borrowers get access to a cryptocurrency they want to use or trade short-term. That could allow them to trade it or use it for transactions,” stated Grebnev.
If it sounds a bit confusing, you’ve never traded futures.
Alex Grebnev, a former banker for Goldman Sachs saw an opportunity in the cryptocurrency world and applied his experience in the equities and derivatives re-structuring arena.
With 10 years of experience at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch under his belt, Grebnev formed a company called Oxygen. Their concept is to sell the ability of hypothecation in lending.
This creates specific Repurchase Agreements in the form of securities lending… for cryptocurrencies.
While most cryptocurrency investors simply sit on their currency and are beholden to the whims of the market, Oxygen allows asset-holders to put their crypto to work. Traders can hedge against the inherent risk and even open short positions.
According to Grebnev, this provides increased market liquidity.
“The cryptocurrency market is developing very fast, but it should also be developing on a professional level, with the application of real-world concepts. There are already a number of users utilizing the crypto market and in order for it to develop, real-world applications must be brought into the crypto world. This is why we are applying the repo market to the crypto market – users can profit without losing their assets,” Mr. Grebnev told Forbes.
Grebnev is not alone in pioneering standard and proven trading, options and asset-based principles to the cryptocurrency market.
Startup bitcar.io is backing their cryptocurrency with a tangible asset that has outperformed the Dow year after year.
Exotic cars
While 99.99% of investors have never owned, let alone driven an exotic car, those lucky few who have, undxerstand their value.
For the past 20 years, these vehicles have increased in value for savvy owners who treat them as investments and not simply a fancy ride.
“We’ve backed our cryptocurrency with a tangible asset. We may even be the first to do so,” stated Dr. Gov van Ek, Bitcar’s co-founder.
Are futures trading and asset-backed currencies the wave of the future?
It may be too soon to tell, but one thing is for sure. Investors in Bitcar will at least have a chance of recouping any losses in the currency by owning a small portion of a tangible asset that has steadily increased in value over time.
Futures traders are not so lucky.