(Newswire.net — July 27, 2020) — If you would ask anyone who was mature in the 1980s about Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, the question would be taken as an insult. Nobody knew that this digital form of currency would be the talk of the town. Everywhere including social media, is now full of this new trend of trading. Cryptocurrency has taken the global economy by surprise, with analysts suggesting that there are more to come. This is a form of decentralized digital trading where the transactions are done on the internet. The government and the center have no power to control transactions since the exchange of crypto assets is done on private grounds.
Nowadays, investors need only a digital wallet, and the buying and selling of crypto assets is facilitated in the comfort of their homes. You can also give it a try with help from Instant Loan and all the basics provided.
However, with the increasing speed of cryptocurrency, various groups of economists say that the introduction of crypto assets to the economy has adversely affected the regular business.
Despite its being related to the significant transformation of traditional modes of transaction, the big economies suggest that the new digital era is a threat to their dominance. Our focus today is on how cryptocurrency has disrupted the global economy with this short period of introduction.
1. Challenging the US Dollar
If you wonder how cryptocurrency challenges the US Dollar, then it’s worth noting that the US Dollar is the global economy’s reserve currency. This is to say that the United States dominates the global economy and political affairs. Before the introduction of cryptocurrencies, every single global transaction was done in US Dollars. With this dominance in the economy, any upheavals in the US financial market would lead to economic tension worldwide. A living example is the 2008 financial crisis that almost brought the global economy to a standstill.
Another example is countries like Russia and Venezuela, who have considered creating their state-owned cryptocurrencies. This move was initiated due to the US front lining for the economic sanctions in two countries. The Venezuelan president has already launched an oil-backed cryptocurrency.
The introduction of cryptocurrencies has come at the right time when there have been attempts to de-dollarize the global economy. De-dollarize means changing the US Dollar’s dominance and giving other currencies a place in the global economy. With cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in the economy, the decentralization of transactions does not have any links to the US Dollar. This has adversely changed the modes of international trade, diplomacy, foreign relations, and reduced economic sanctions. US Dollar, therefore, is slowly losing its popularity as many countries have decided to create their crypto assets.
2. Laying off Middlemen
Intermediaries have been playing a significant role in every transaction, whether international or local trading. An example of an international intermediary is Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). This organization provides a network for financial entities worldwide to transmit information in a safer and secure mode. This means that no financial transaction can take place outside the SWIFT network. The SWIFT network is responsible for money laundering, checking on terrorists, and illicit trade in drug and ammunition.
Cryptocurrency trading cuts out any form of intermediaries where the buyer and seller only transact directly. There have been numerous advantages associated with the cutting of go-betweens, including; no need for authorizing and authenticating transactions, minimal transaction fees, the transactions are secure with end-end privacy, and the trading is done within minutes. However, a coin has two sides. Having numerous advantages does not mean crypto trading lacks demerits. The elimination of mediators in the economy puts the global economy at the risk of money laundering and other illegal transactions since there is no watchdog to monitor and ascertain participants’ identity. The tension was confirmed by Christine Lagarde, the head of IMF, who warned that cryptocurrencies are likely to disrupt the Central Banking System.
3. Simplified Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is merely gathering money to start up a business. The idea has been used globally by entrepreneurs to start and build their businesses. Before the birth of crypto assets, entrepreneurs would convince big ventures, banks, and capitalists to fund their business. This was a profitable idea to banks such the World Bank in that they put their equities in small businesses to start. With cryptocurrencies, there has been the introduction of simple methods such as Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in 2017. This new method has simplified the crowdfunding process in that the new entrepreneurs need a shorter time to raise capital for their businesses. In this era, the conception of a tangible idea is tokenized and sold to the public.
However, large economies are opposed to introducing ICOs such as China, which ICOs in late 2017. These economies believe that ICOs are a threat because it denies them the commission and interests related to funding new ventures. Some countries have also placed strict restrictions on ICOs.
4. New Methods of Payments
The new digital era has introduced a new era of payment to the global economy. It’s no longer an era where cash payments were the primary form of payments. It only takes one to deposit a Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum into someone’s digital wallet for the service and product offered. How does that affect the economy? In a traditional means of payments, financial institutions such as banks could monitor the amount deposited into the accounts and deduct transaction fees. They also had the opportunity to deduct taxes, which was used to boost the economy. With the new payment mode, banks and other institutions do not have direct control of the payments. This limits the amount of taxes collected to finance the economy.
Final Words
Many investors and countries welcomed the idea of cryptocurrency positively. Cryptocurrency trading is a significant replacement to the traditional mode of transactions, and the users have direct control over their wallets. However, any innovation comes with its negativities. Despite cryptocurrency having merits on individual investment, it has adversely affected the global economy, and there are still more to come. US dominance in the global economy is at the fear of being replaced. But as it is said, we live to see what will happen.