Introduction

Cryptocurrency has been the next big thing since bitcoin was introduced in 2009. Especially since 2017, several blockchain technologies have emerged and many more continue to join this growing trend in blockchain business. Consider some figuress that support this growth:

• 18 billion+ USD - the average daily exchange-trading volume across all cryptocurrency assets since 2017.
• 325 billion+ USD - estimated market cap for blockchain instruments as of April 2018.
• 200+ - active cyptocurrency exchange platforms.
• 1 billion+ USD - combined daily trading volume of five cryptocurrency exchange platforms combined.
• 1 billion+ USD - combined market caps of top 16 coins alone

While we welcome current progress made in blockchain technologythe numbers above suggests that more is coming the way of blockchain technology in terms of individual and corporate involvement and the development of blockchain as a whole. Each progress made in any field of human endeavor comes with challenges. We begin this article by taking a look at how the numbers above are both exciting and challenging.

The Problem

A very large and growing number of blockchain platforms provide the environment to drive growth. However, it is a double-edged sword. The problem is in the numbers. For example, There are more than 200 cryptocurrency exchange platforms that offer differing rates and coins. It is nearly impossible or not practical to get the best rates and deals by comparing all of them. Again, to complete a single cryptocurrency transaction, a user may require several tools hosted on different platforms. It is usually challenging to trade a cypto asset by going through multiple platforms with different features and tools. It is also risky to transact on many exchanges because of frequent cases of hacking where digital assests are stolen. There is no single, secure and integrated ecosystem that provides everything needed for investors to do blockchain business efficiently. This greatly discourages individual users and corporate investors from doing blockchain business and many prefer traditional financial trading as a result. It also reduces the growth rate of blockchain technology and global mass acceptance.

At a glance, the three major problems affecting today's cryptocurrency platforms are as follows:

• Unreliable trade execution because tools are scattered across multiple platforms.
• Lack of a Comprehensive Reporting and Compliance system.
• Insecurity of digital assets due to recurring cases of hacking and intrusion.

There should be a way to securely harmonize cryptocurrency assets management and trading in one platform and that is what this project is all about. Let is explore why Caspian is unique and what it hopes to accomplish!

Caspian - Introducing a unique platform.

Caspian is an integrated cryptocurrency asset management solution that makes available all the tools and resources needed to do cryptocurrency business on one platform. Caspian provides a single gateway to access all major cryptocurrencies. It enhances blockchain interoperability by giving users the features and capacity to trade all cryto assets without leaving the immediate environment. With Caspian complete suite of sophisticated
trading algorithms, redundancy in the crypto space is all but eliminated and the cumbersome nature of today's crypto trading is enormously simplified. Consider how Caspian uses its integrated tools to tackle each of the major problems facing today's crytocurrency systems.

Caspian Cutting-edge Tools

Caspian provides a complete suite of tools to simplify each activity in cryptocurrency management and trading. Take a look:

1. Caspian Order Execution Management System(OEMS): This product tackles the main hurdle facing crytocurrency traders and investor - tools spread across multiple platforms. OEMS creates access to all the functionality in each cryptocurrence exchange platform; giving users the capacity to reach out to each tool when they need them. With this unified trading center, crypto users and investors, need not worry about harmonizing the output from each exchange platform since the features and functionalities of each of them is unique. Consider three of the many benefits of OEMS:

• Access to selected major digital asset exchanges through a single interface. For each specific exchange, OEMS enables access to all order types, asset types, and ticket sizes supported by a given exchange.
• APIs allowing traders to stage and send orders and slices; obtain order, execution, and position information; and receive pricing information, exposure breakdowns, and other transaction information. In the future, the API will be enhanced to allow access to margin information, additional Smart Order Router (SOR) control, and other
  metrics.
• Ability to view prices, bid/ask, and depths for each exchange to the smallest available ticket size.
  See more benefits of OEMS on page 10 of Caspian Whitepaper

Here is a Caspian OEMS demo video that provides further insight into this invaluable feature

2. Caspian Position and Risk Management System: Another big challenge of current systems is that a users data and portfolio is spread across several platforms that were used for crypto assets trading. It becomes nearly impossible to keep a comprehensive record of one's activity because of the cubersome nature of data spread across multiple channels.

Caspian solves this unique challenge using its Position Management System (PMS) and Risk Management System (RMS). These features enhances informed decision-making by creating a dynamic comprehensive report of a users current and historiacal trades in one view. An investor has the capacity to view all of its position and historical data on the go. This simplifies the complex task ofmonitoring and analyzing positions, keeping records of profitable or non-profitable transactions across several platforms, etc. Users can now make predictable decisions on when to invest, increase their current trades volume or pull out their funds.

In traditional financial trading, several parties involved in completing a trade reconciles their records to ensure that trading has been done as agreed. It happens in the digital space too. But with current systems, this is a complex task and it takes time to harmonize records across multiple platforms. Caspian simplifies this process with its reconciliation feature. With this tool, Caspian reconciles a users position across each individual exchange. This harmonizes the positions in Caspian and the individual exchanges, making sure that they are the same.

Watch this video that explains more about portfolio management

3. Caspian Compliance: In the traditional markets, finacial trading rules must be obeyed and limits acknowledged. It happens in cryptocurrency too. Caspian takes care of this. It provides unique layers of functionality defining the limits and rules of workflow for each user. Caspian compliance is swift and efficient as embodied by this statement:

The Caspian Compliance server checks tens of thousands of simultaneous orders against dozens of complex portfolio-based compliance rules with 0.0005 seconds of latency or less.

There are two types of limits in this system: Pre-trade limits and post trade limits. Pre-trade limits are implemented at various stages of a trade. These limits must be acknowledged otherwise the execution of a trade order could be delayed. There are three limit types in pre-trade limits:
(A): Warning limits - to alert the user that he has broken a rule. This limit could be ignored.
(B): Approval limits - a supervisor must approve the order before it can be executed.
(C): Absolute limits - must be acknowledged and can never be ignored.

Post-trade limits includes alerts, monitoring, and reporting. Alerts and reports can be delivered to users via email or other mechanisms, either on a schedule or as they occur.

This is a screen grab of a compliance window

This is a screen grab of a compliance alert

4. Caspian Reporting : one major challenge facing crypto traders today is the lack of a comprehensive reporting system that cuts across all boards. Because of the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency markets, exchange rates, coin values and other metrics change constantly. Without a proper reporting system, an investor could lose out an opportunity to invest, make more profits, withdraw his funds or avoid disaster.

[Caspian](https://caspian.tech reporting system keeps you duly informed. It provides all the data you need to know about executions, orders, compliance limits, positions, exposure, etc. The flexible nature of the reporting tool ensures that critical data is available to investors in several formats such as pdf, interactive dashboards, Excel format or Powerpoint. The web-based dashboard is especially invaluable since it gives users real-time insight of what is happening to their investments.

5. Caspian Algorithms:To achieve optimal results in today's crpto space, the processes involved in exchanging, trading and managing crypto assests are largely manual and require high technical skills as well as time. Caspian hopes to lift this burden off your shoulders by fine-tuning workflow strategies to achieve great results. It does this through standard algorithms that automate most processes.

Here are the key features of the Caspian Algorithms

• Complete suite of institutional grade trading algos including VWAP, TWAP, Implementation Shortfall, and Volume In-line.
• Pairs algo that can trade pairs across multiple exchanges and crypto currency pairs with each leg being potentially traded on different venues in different currencies.
• Intelligent Smart Order Router technology takes both commission and at exchange fiat and crypto balances into account.
• Integration of algos with distributed exchanges and OTC desks, driving liquidity to DEX’s
• Comprehensive post trade TCA reporting capabilities to analyse algo performance/exchange execution quality

The Technical Aspect of Caspian

Caspian is built on the cloud with different units handling various microservices. There are compact User Interfaces and APIs through which users can connect to the various services and functionality. The system supports users whose data are hosted by public cloud-based services or private clouds. This flexibility helps the system to grow with the ever-growing nature of the blockchain technology as well as users on the platfrom.

How it works:

Each aspect of the system is managed by a distinct service with a dedicated communication channel, its own API, and a built-in protocol for subscribing to its data. On the back end, the services are either configured to run in dedicated processes, or several (usually related) services can be bound together to run into a single process. The services can offer data through both a request/reply and a publish/subscribe mechanism.

The image below illustrates how each aspect of Caspian Architecture is integrated

The Caspian Architecture Scores high in each efficiency metric

Take a look at why Caspian can be trusted to deliver and excel at the services it offers:

1. Performance: was originally built to process large volumes of data. Its range of operation caters to the need of the average crypto user or investor. It can process 50,000 orders and 400,000 executions per day per user, with a throughput of over 2,500 orders while maintaining optimal performance. Messages are sent or received from one exchange platform to another, Caspian keeps their latency low enough to keep operating at a normal speed.

2. Scalability: the limits on the amount of transactions a blockchain platform can process has always been a strong weakness for most systems. Caspian overcomes this challenge by building a data and communications partition for each client. These partitions can further be broken down into smaller groups depending our how many classifications are available. This ensures that the entire platform can grow depending on the needs of users while still maintaining efficiency.

3. Reliability: Caspian was built upon the Tora system which has a kept a track record of reliability over the years. This has been achieved through a number of Tora features such as load balancing, fault tolerance and high availability, tools and processes, etc. Read more about these in the Caspian Whitepaper page 16.

4. Security: Security is a key feature that has hunted blockchain systems. Frequent cases of hacking have undermined the continued growth of cryptocurrency. Caspian implemented a number of security features to counter current and future threats. For example, the backend is not accessible to general users. Only authorized users who provide support and administrative roles are permitted to enter the back end. Also, users can login through a dual-layer authentication process. They are also required to form complex passwords using numerous entities. Connections to various the various exchange networks are secured with encryption if this feature is supported by the exchange platform.

4. Audit: As many organizations and corporate bodies consider adopting blockchain technology, they want to see a robust system as well as a means to validate blockchain-based business processes and the related control environment. Currently, there is no standardized auditing infrastructure in most blockchain platforms. Caspian is unique in this aspect. Every action is permanently recorded with details about the user who implemented such actions or changes. Details include time, the nature of transaction, the user and other related information. This creates a standard trackback capability that enables auditors to understand what happens in the system, when and who was responsible.

4. Modularity and Third-Party Integration: Caspian is a complete system made up of lots of microsystems that are integrated. This is possible because of the modular nature of the platform. Many of it's tools are built in separate modules integrated into the whole system. Third-party Dapps can connect to the modules and function independently. This feature aims to attract a wide range of clients who can use individual components of Caspian to achieve their project objective.

5. Support: Support is very necessary in every system especially new systems. Caspian has a robust "customer care" team from its parent platforms of Tora and Kinetic. Read how it works:

• All issues are sorted according to their Service Impact Level, with anything that affects trading activity assigned the highest urgency.
• Caspian’s support team is skilled and experienced at using enterprise software to provide a level of support unparalleled in the digital asset space.
• Senior developers are rotated among support teams so that both level 1 and level 2 Support issues can be handled intraday with no delays.

6. Ongoing development and adaptability: Caspian leverages Tora’s development
team of over 150 people to swiftly implement any changes to the cryptocurrency exchange space. Everything changes quickly in blockchain technology. There should be an efficient standby team to swiftly make changes to the platform to accommodate new coins, exchanges and any digital assets. This dynamic team creates the much needed flexibility to adapt to spontaneous changes in blockchain business.

The Caspian token (CSP)

The Caspian Token (CSP) is designed to provide some form of incentive for users and third-party developers. It is a form of utility token compliant with ERC-20 of the Ethereum blockchain. The token is not needed to access the rich features of Caspian, but it will give holders unique access to a variety of benefits and enhance user experience. For example, the token will be used to reward developers who extend the platform's functionality by offering their third-party apps for free. Of course, their apps need to be authorized before they can launch it as part of the system.

Users that have the token can receive discounts on certain features and they can also contribute ideas or vote for new features or apps that will enhance user experience on the platform development.

use case 1

John is a crypto trader in London. He personally manages his cryptocurrency investments. He uses 15 exchange platforms to monitor exchange rates and make informed trading decisions. But John lost significant amount of his investment after travelling for a 3-day programme. He had little time to check and study the 15 exchange sites and so did not sell when the price was high within that time. When he came back, the rates have plummeted and he sold below the purchasing price.

A friend who is also into crypto trading told him about Caspian and how it simplifies crypto trading. John decided to study the system and found out that Caspian could have saved his investments during his travels. He signed up and start enjoying the huge features of Caspian and has not lost any investment even during longer periods of being away.

Conclusion

Currently, the nature of cryptocurrency trading and exchange is mind-boggling even for crypto investors with years of experience in blockchain business. The singular thought of harmonizing and interacting with hundreds of tools hosted in multiple blockchain platforms discourages newcomers from embracing cryptocurrency.

Caspian provides a unique integrated platform that hosts all the tools, exchanges and any other blockchain materials in one place. With easy-to-use interfaces, cryptocurrency handlers can easily monitor digital assets and evaluate trends happening across various blockchain platforms. This simplified access and management of crypto investments and the security of an otherwise vulnerable crypto sphere will enhance a mass adoption of blockchain technology.

With Caspain, the growth of blockchain development and increase of users is all but guaranteed!!!!!

Provisional 12-Month Roadmap

The Team

The Advisors

Strategic Partners

Watch this short Intro Video

Find more information from the resource centers below:

Caspian Website
Caspian WhitePaper
Caspian Steemit
Caspian YouTube
Caspian Telegram
Caspian Videos
Caspian Blog
Caspian Events
Caspian News
Caspian Linkedin
Caspian Management

Who Organized this Contest?

This contest was organized by @originalworks. You can participate in the contest by clicking here.

Image credits

Unless otherwise indicated, all images in this article were taken from the Caspian website and whitepaper.

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