What are some key predictions for cryptocurrencies in 2018? If you’re from a world of crypto, ICO, and the Blockchain, you probably monitor dozens of news channels and various sources to check the latest predictions for a crypto field. But it’s pretty hard to track them all and make up your mind on something so fast-changing as cryptocurrencies.

As businesses embrace the crypto world, tokens and innovative Blockchain technology, what are the predictions for crypto 2018’s giants? We all know that Bitcoin will not disappear from the battle arena, but what will happen to other cryptocurrencies, in general?

Some will rise, some will fall, sure. However, we don’t like to speculate. Today, let’s talk about major concepts of cryptocurrency evolution during the present year.

ICO Development Predictions for Crypto in 2018

The biggest industries had already begun implementing the newest Blockchain projects: governments and healthcare field, FinTech and energy companies, media and telecommunications, retail and e-commerce shops, transportation and manufacturing, etc. But on a global scale, the world also began looking at cryptocurrencies closely and taking it more seriously, so we can expect the following predictions for crypto to become true.

1. Crypto Regulations and Blacklisting

It began last year and will continue in 2018 — more and more countries, banks and organizations decide to push into a view the stricter regulations for the usage of cryptocurrencies. And it’s worthless to say that some of that regulations aren’t helpful in this highly speculative emerge of ICOs. One of the instruments, in this case, will be blacklisting.

Some companies that are connected to criminal acts tend to exchange “corrupted” crypto addresses, which helps them to process their dirty money. So, the blacklisting would mean that exchange markets and various merchants won’t be allowed to accept digital coins from those blacklisted companies or affiliated addresses. It’s possible now due to the recent tendency — nearly every exchange around the globe adopted a technology to verify customer’s identity, along with this several professional organizations developed sophisticated Blockchain analytical tools that allow industry start the worldwide blacklisting program.

However, we believe that data protection laws and cryptocurrency regulations wouldn’t be a barrier for a global crypto exchange of private user data. However, the blacklisting has a really long way ahead. First of all, it needs to be integrated into private wallets so the users would know if their coins are corrupted as soon as they receive them. But the 2018 ‘s predictions for cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technological progress promises that we will see the first tangible steps in this direction.

2. To Blockchain or not to Blockchain, that is the question. The answer is — Off-chain

Among other predictions for crypto, 2018 will bring us the off-chain thing — non-blockchain data storing. But it would be on Ethereum and not on Bitcoin platform. There are many reasons for such off-chain payment networks, like Lightning, rising firstly on Ethereum.

For example, the main thing is that Lightning network on Bitcoin platform doesn’t suggest something entirely new — just financial transactions that aren’t so surprising anymore. As opposed to this, the Ethereum off-chain networks can build completely new apps:

• Decentralized marketplaces.
• Applications without zero knowledge proofs inside transactions.
• Sophisticated contracts (Crypto kitties) and possibly every smart contract you may want.

In addition, if you decide to create a decentralized world computer, then you won’t get far with going on-chain. Simply put, no blockchain in the Universe could handle even a fraction of the potential traffic for such computer. And the Ethereum platform is better prepared for this task than others.

Also, the Bitcoin wallets aren’t familiar with the smart contract required for Lightning network, so they will need to learn first. While the Ethereum wallets are already enabled to process a lot of contract code. The general network’s design consists big contracts, so it’s a strong starting point when you plan to create first hubs of your off-chain network. Some Ethereum’s examples already exist, so you may check them out — Raiden Network and Plasma. Experts say they will greatly rise this year.

3. Impressive variety in altcoins

The world’s great obsession with cryptocurrencies led to the current market situation where Bitcoin is slowly but steadily losing its market share. Other altcoins like Ethereum, Nano, QTUM, and Ripple are gaining their share. However, it’s still not enough to fill the gap that is being left by Bitcoin. When the share of a single currency on the global crypto market keep decreasing its ever-growing share will be divided by other cryptocurrencies.

And predictions for crypto in 2018 say that markets will continue to go further down the road of diversification in other altcoins. For now, the world is more focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, but it’s a temporary situation. In the future, as more and more crypto markets decentralize the investors will be answering with the diversification of their portfolios. And crypto platforms along with payment providers will begin to accept a large variety of altcoins, which will make solo coin supporters simply irrelevant.

4. Unicorns, beware of the slaughter

Continuing with predictions for crypto in 2018, the exchange market currently holds more than 45 available cryptocurrencies with a market capital that reaches past one billion dollar line. People call them crypto unicorns. But only a handful of them is being really used on a global scale — Bitcoin, BitcoinCash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, IOTA, etc. As for another handful of those cryptocurrencies, they are kind of a functional backup, a fork for the coins named first — Dash, Zcash, Bytecoin, Ethereum Classic, and more. Anything else, as they say, is pure speculation.

It’s obvious that there is no economically rational reason to justify the existence of 45+ crypto unicorns. The huge part of which isn’t practically viable. Humanity won’t need so many cryptocurrencies with such size, even if the world would completely adapt to the crypto reality. For example, just recently we’ve seen future predictions for ZRX crypto till 2020 and it’s supposed to reach like $5 tops… And let’s not talk about other currencies that cost less than $1.

For such cryptocurrencies to hold long among other giant competitors… The predictions for crypto in 2018 state that it’s highly possible that in 2018 a lot of crypto unicorns will see their end.

5. 2018’s Turbulence for IOTA

IOTA is not only a cryptocurrency but also an innovative platform that goes beyond Blockchain and operates on a technological resource-as-a-service principle. It transforms all possible tech resources into potential services to be traded on the market in real time and without fees. Which helps companies and organizations to explore various new B2B models.

But for now, predictions for crypto in 2018 show that IOTA will face a pretty thrilling year. At the end of last year, this ‘Internet of Things’ cryptocurrency has received some love from huge brands like Bosch Telekom. But the expectations are pretty high and it’s still uncertain if IOTA will manage with this pressure.

The answer will depend on whether or not IOTA platform would succeed in shutting down the centralized administrator. Also, the topic of network’s stability and the ability to eliminate Spam is still open too. Experts aren’t sure if the system will become more reliable when traffic volume will increase.

So, we expect that 2018 will give us some clarity. If the answers will be positive, then IOTA can become a strong candidate for one of the top currencies of the machine economy. However, if results would be opposite… the crash would be massive.

6. The trend of Non-fungible tokens

Along with the above predictions for crypto, 2018 will be the thriving party of dozens emerging ICOs — tokens sales that represent some kind of value other than stocks or stakes of ownership in a particular company (like Tesla or Telegram).

But most ICOs startups use fungible tokens — it means that one is exactly like the other. While non-fungible tokens are individual and the market has an ongoing demand for them. One can use such tokens to sell real estate, law and securities services, financial shares and bonds, art and insurances, play games or collect various items. Crypto Kitties game has already proved in late 2017 that those tokens really work. The year of 2018 will show us their massive rise since Ethereum has even established a standard for creating a non-fungible token.

7. Get used to ICO boom

As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, the era of wild-ICOs-west has begun in 2017. So it’s only reasonable that predictions for crypto in 2018 promise the crazy profitable opportunities for both ICO startups and investors. ICOs will continue to be an essential tool to raise funds and involve in projects a wider number of people from around the world. Even the non-crypto and non-IT companies keep showing interest in ICO campaigns.

However, you’d be aware that with such a boom there would be a lot of unregulated ICOs and you’ll need be careful and avoid malicious scammers. If you plan to invest in some ICO ask professionals to give you an advice whether or not it’s a good idea.

Conclusion

As we all see, we dived into one of the most technologically advanced age in our history. The recent global adaptation of Blockchain platforms in so many industries shows that the predictions for cryptocurrencies made a couple of years ago were finally fulfilled.

Crypto world is getting more and more attention across the globe, which leads to new cybersecurity regulations and laws. So it opens up a whole new chapter in the history of cryptocurrency and we’re here to witness this expansion of decentralization from the crypto money to organizations and platforms.

Your predictions for cryptocurrencies in 2018

Do you have any predictions for cryptocurrencies in 2018? Let me know what do you think in the comments below.