2020 has been an eventful year for the crypto space in terms of fundamental developments and mainstream adoption of digital assets. Most notably was the defi craze which fuelled a crypto market rally between May and August, followed by PayPal's recent announcement that it is rolling out Cryptocurrency support, which propelled bitcoin to new yearly highs.
Today, there is over $11 billion locked within DeFi protocols while the total crypto market cap stands at almost $400 billion according to metrics from DeFi Pulse and Coingecko respectively. Recent weeks have also seen a spike in bitcoin interest from institutional investors, with industry leaders like Grayscale hitting AUM of $6.4 billion.
Although the uptick in crypto asset valuations may seem sudden, it is the consequence of years of building and development by crypto projects. These startups have done the unsung work of creating better onramps, interfaces, and jumping-off points, all of which will ensure that the current bull market is bigger than anything that's gone before. Let's take a look at five projects that are doing more than most to advance mainstream crypto adoption.
1. DAOWallet
DAOWallet is designed to cut transaction costs by up to 80% through its crypto payment gateway; users can integrate their websites via DAOWallet's SDK to receive crypto payments in BTC, ETH, USDT, TUSD, USDC, and BET. Its target clients include ecommerce, esports, SaaS, iGaming, and individuals seeking a more user-friendly crypto wallet service. The latest DAOWallet product is an invoice processing ecosystem that allows customers to make payment claims via crypto. With this innovation, DAOWallet users can create an invoice at a fixed exchange rate and send it to their customer via API, messenger, or email. Alternatively, they can integrate the DAOWallet SDK directly into their website. Charges can be as low as 0.5%, accompanied with automatic crypto-fiat conversions once the payment is made.
2. Velas
Velas is an AI-based next generation blockchain that was founded in 2019 by Alex Alexandrov, the CEO of CoinPayments. Velas is a self-learning and self-optimizing blockchain platform for secure, interoperable and extremely scalable transactions and smart contracts. It uses neural networks optimized by artificial intelligence to enhance its consensus algorithm, which maintains decentralization, stability, and security. Velas' slick multi-currency wallet allows users to store, stake and transfer digital assets in a secure environment, demonstrating that interacting with crypto can be as seamless as using a conventional digital wallet or neobank app.
3. Coin.Space
Coin.Space is a cryptocurrency platform that works to bring a simple wallet to everyone, especially people who have no access to a bank account. The Coin wallet can be used on an array of devices and functions well in low bandwidth conditions. To date, Coin.Space has recorded more than 20 million wallet registrations and is available in over 20 countries worldwide. Bringing cryptocurrency to a global audience, particularly citizens of developing nations, calls for digital wallets that can work on low-tech devices. The Coin wallet is ideally suited to this task.
4. StormX
StormX enables members to shop online at their favourite stores to earn as much as 85% cryptoback, including stores like eBay and AliExpress. StormX's online crypto cashback solution is supported by ultra-secure blockchain technology and a heavily experienced team committed to keeping users safe and maximizing the value delivered to StormX members. Making crypto spendable in everyday life –both in-store and online – is the key to attracting mainstream users, particularly those who are more interested in the utility than the tech. Here, StormX is leading the way.
5. Bluzelle
Led by startup vet and former gaming industry titan Pavel Bains, Bluzelle is a growing force in the data storage industry. For decentralized apps, using a distributed database service like Bluzelle – the 'Airbnb of databases' – keeps their proprietary data in a place that is both decentralized and yet accessible. Bluzelle allows dApp developers and users to keep their data safe from hackers through eliminating central points of failure. The data uploaded by users is stored across swarms of nodes, which are spread out all over the globe to ensure redundancy and low latency. Bluzelle will be instrumental in the evolution of decentralized finance applications that run on web3 architecture.
Conclusion
Crypto projects like these are on the frontlines of the fight to place digital assets in the hands – or rather hand-held devices – of every global citizen. Incrementally, these projects and dozens more are doing their bit to break down the barriers to broader crypto adoption. By the time grandma is shopping with crypto and CBDCs are being issued by every tech-savvy country, we'll know that crypto has truly made the mainstream and changed the world. The revolution is already underway. It's only a matter of time
