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Buy Arbitrum (ARB)?: Arbitrum makes Ethereum more efficient and cost-effective. So what is ARB? Why do people buy its token (ARB)? How does it work?
Imagine you're trying to order pizza online during a big game. The website is slow, and it costs extra to get your pizza delivered quickly. That's kind of what using Ethereum can be like sometimes – slow and expensive. Arbitrum aims to fix that problem.
It is like a super-efficient lane for Ethereum. It's a separate network that works alongside Ethereum but processes transactions in a timely manner and at a fraction of the cost. This is possible because it uses a technology called "optimistic rollups."
Think of it like this: Instead of every single pizza order being cooked and delivered individually (which takes time and money), optimistic rollups bundle a bunch of orders together and deliver them all at once. This is much more efficient.
ARB is the native token. People buy and hold ARB for a few reasons:
ARB holders get to vote on important decisions about Arbitrum's future. It's like having a say in how the pizza place runs its business.
Sometimes ARB tokens are given out to users as a reward for participating in the network. It's like getting a free pizza slice for being a loyal customer.
If more and more people start using it, the demand for ARB could increase, potentially driving up its price although the value can fall as fast as it can rise.
Bundle Up: Arbitrum takes a bunch of Ethereum transactions and bundles them into one big group.
Off to the Races: This bundle is sent over to Arbitrum, where it's processed super quickly and in a cost-effective manner.
Back to Ethereum: The results of those transactions are then sent back to Ethereum, where they're officially recorded.
If you're using Ethereum for things like playing games, buying digital art, or using decentralised finance (DeFi) apps, Arbitrum could possibly make your experience much smoother and more affordable.
Arbitrum is a scaling solution for Ethereum, designed to make transactions faster and cost-effective compared to Ethereum mainnet. It was developed by Offchain Labs, a New York-based company founded by Ed Felten, Steven Goldfeder, and Harry Kalodner, computer scientists from Princeton University.
It uses optimistic rollups to process transactions off-chain, bundling them together for efficiency. This allows for better performance and cost-effective execution of smart contracts and Ethereum dApps. In the rare case of a dispute, a fraud proof mechanism ensures the validity of transactions.
ARB is the native token. It's used for governance within the Arbitrum DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organisation), allowing holders to vote on proposals that shape the future of the platform.
The Arbitrum network is overseen by the Arbitrum Foundation, which is responsible for the overall development and growth of the ecosystem. The foundation also works with the Security Council, a group of experts who monitor and respond to any potential protection threats.
Building on Arbitrum offers developers several advantages. They can leverage the existing Ethereum infrastructure and tools while benefiting from efficient transaction speeds and competitive gas fees. This makes it convenient and more cost-effective to create and deploy Ethereum dApps that require high throughput or frequent transactions.
Arbitrum significantly outperforms Ethereum in terms of speed and cost. Transactions on Arbitrum are typically processed in a timely manner and at a fraction of the gas fees compared to the Ethereum mainnet.
This makes it a more attractive option for users and developers who prioritize efficiency and affordability.
Standard Risk Warning: The above article is not to be read as investment, legal or tax advice and it takes no account of particular personal or market circumstances; all readers should seek independent investment advice before investing in cryptocurrencies.
The article is provided for general information and educational purposes only, no responsibility or liability is accepted for any errors of fact or omission expressed therein. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
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Specific risks associated with DeFi tokens Decentralised Finance (or 'DeFi') tokens (e.g. UNI, AAVE) are crypto-assets linked to financial applications and protocols built on decentralised blockchain technology. DeFi tokens carry the following risks:
Smart contract risk: DeFi relies heavily on smart contracts. Even a minor coding error or oversight can lead to a contract being exploited, potentially resulting in significant losses for DeFi tokens.
Regulatory risk: DeFi operates in a decentralised manner, often without intermediaries or financial crime controls. Regulatory bodies across jurisdictions might introduce new regulations impacting the use, value, or legality of certain DeFi protocols or assets.
Rug-pulls / Exit scams: Some DeFi projects might be launched by anonymous or pseudonymous teams, increasing the risk of "rug pulls" where developers abandon the project and withdraw funds, leaving investors with worthless tokens.
Data/oracle risk: DeFi protocols often rely on external data sources or 'oracles. Manipulation or inaccuracies in these data sources can lead to unintended financial outcomes within the protocols. Protocol complexity: The complexity of some DeFi protocols can make it difficult for average users to fully understand the mechanisms and associated risks.
Specific risks associated with meme coins:
'Meme coins' (e.g. DOGE, SHIB, PEPE) are crypto-assets whose value is driven primarily by community interest and online trends.
Meme coins carry the following risks:
Volatility risk: Meme coins can have extreme price volatility, often experiencing rapid and unpredictable price fluctuations within short periods. The value of meme coins can be influenced by social media trends, celebrity endorsements, and other factors unrelated to traditional investment fundamentals. Lack of utility: Meme coins often lack intrinsic value or utility, being primarily driven by community interest, online trends, and speculative trading.
Market manipulation: Meme coins may be susceptible to increased risk of market manipulation including 'pump-and-dump' schemes, where the price is artificially inflated followed by a sudden crash.
Lack of transparency: Meme coins may have limited available information about their development teams, goals, and financials. This lack of transparency can make it challenging to assess the credibility and potential of a meme coin accurately.
Emotional investing: Meme coins often garner strong emotional reactions from investors, leading to impulsive decisions. Emotional trading activity can amplify losses.
Specific risks associated with stablecoins:
There is a risk that any particular stablecoin may not hold their value as against any fiat currency; or may not hold their value as against any other asset. Stablecoins carry the following risks:
Depegging events: Depegging events may occur with stablecoins that fail to maintain adequate controls and risk mitigants. A depegging event is when the value of the stablecoin no longer matches the value of the underlying asset. This could result in a loss of some or all of your investment.
Counterparty risk: Counterparty risk arises when an asset is backed by collateral, involving a third party maintaining the collateral, which introduces risk if the party becomes insolvent or fails to maintain it.
Redemption risk: Redemption risk refers to the possibility that an asset's ability to be redeemed for underlying collateral may not be as anticipated during market fluctuations or operational issues.
Collateral risk: Collateral risk refers to the possibility of the collateral's value declining or becoming volatile, potentially impacting the asset's stability, particularly when it is another crypto-asset.
Exchange rate fluctuations: Stablecoins, often denominated in US Dollars, expose investors to fluctuations in the USD:GBP exchange rate. Algorithmic risk: Algorithm risk refers to the possibility of an asset's stability being compromised due to unexpected failure or behaviour of the underlying algorithm, potentially leading to loss of value.
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We recommend you obtain financial advice before making a decision to use your credit card to purchase cryptoassets or to invest in cryptoassets. Capital Gains Tax may be payable on profits.
CoinJar’s digital currency exchange services are operated in the UK by CoinJar UK Limited (company number 8905988), registered by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Cryptoasset Exchange Provider and Custodian Wallet Provider in the United Kingdom under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, as amended (Firm Reference No. 928767).
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