Why We Need Gold and Bitcoin

gsiexchange.com

In today’s digital age, we live in two worlds: the physical world and the virtual world.

The virtual world cannot exist without the physical world (power outages will attest to this).

But we cannot exist in today’s physical world without the virtual world (digital technology has embedded itself into every aspect of life from personal to social to commercial, etc.).

Money, too, now exists in both worlds as cash and metals are being digitized.

The problem: government and banks are finding ways to make the digitization of money work toward their interests and advantages…at the expense of the people (e.g. the “war on cash”).

Government’s monopoly over the creation, distribution, and regulation of fiat currency works against the principles of a free market.

“Free market” entails the “freedom” to use and hold any form of money that fulfills the demands of the market. The notion of a free society also implies the individual’s right to “privacy” (including transactions and asset holdings).  

Government has severely restricted the freedom and privacy of individuals to conduct transactions and hold assets.

Government has monopolized money, making the manipulation, management, and artificial creation of money its sole privilege. This is government’s way of saying to its people: we can manage your wealth better than you can manage it yourself.

Gold and Bitcoin (and other acceptable “altcoins”) exist beyond this restrictive system.

Both operate outside the corruptive influence of government and central bank intervention and control.

Intrinsic Value: gold has physical intrinsic value—a commodity itself that has value beyond its currency value. Bitcoin’s intrinsic value is its generative process (algorithm) and coin limit as well as its underlying technological features and applications.

Scarcity: unlike fiat currency, gold is physically mined and finite; Bitcoin (and a few other altcoins) is algorithmically mined and finite.

Inflation Hedge: both gold and Bitcoin  are hedges against the inflationary degradation of fiat currency.

Universal Means of Exchange: gold and Bitcoin are recognized and exchanged across international lines.

Forgery-Proof: the quantity of gold can be reduced, but its material composition cannot be forged; Bitcoin cannot be forged.

Risk of Confiscation: it would be impossible for the government to confiscate your privately-owned “physical” gold; such a scenario would be virtually impossible with regard to cryptocurrencies. In contrast, digitized currency and metals (via CUSIP) can easily be tracked, monitored, taxed, and seized.

Gold is the ultimate measure of value in the physical monetary domain; Bitcoin and altcoins rule the digital monetary domain.

Wealth in today’s world means owning assets in the form of “sound” physical and virtual money.

Orginal Post: https://gsiexchange.com/need-gold-bitcoin/

How To Use A Bitcoin ATM: A Beginner’s Guide

coinme.com

How did you first hear about bitcoin? Maybe you saw a story on the news and did some research. Perhaps a friend or family member told you about it, and you were intrigued. You might have even seen a bitcoin ATM in your local mall or grocery store and decided to check it out. 

No matter how you heard about bitcoin, you probably realize by now that bitcoin is here to stay. However, the steps involved in making your first purchase can appear to be daunting. But don’t worry!

In this blog post, we will explain the basics of bitcoin ATMs and kiosks and help you find your nearest kiosk. Most of all, we will give you the confidence to make your bitcoin purchase and join the financial system of the future!

What is a Bitcoin ATM?

Bitcoin ATMs and kiosks are much like the standard ATMs you see every day. When you deposit cash into a traditional ATM, you enter your debit card first to access your account. Once you have finished depositing money into the ATM (minus any transaction fees) it’s credited into your bank account.

A Coinme ATM in a local shopping center

Bitcoin ATMs and kiosks work very much the same way with a few simple differences. Instead of a debit card, you typically scan or show your government-issued ID or enter your phone number, so the ATM or kiosk can verify where to send the bitcoin. Much like a traditional ATM, you will insert cash bills into the machine, but instead of depositing U.S dollars, it automatically exchanges that money for the equivalent amount of bitcoin. 

When using a bitcoin ATM, like a Coinme for example, you will receive a deposit of bitcoin directly into your digital wallet (which operates much like your bank account, but for storing digital currency like bitcoin.) When you are using a Bitcoin kiosk, such as a Coinstar kiosk powered by Coinme, you receive a redemption code on your receipt that you must enter online later to receive your bitcoin. 

Some Bitcoin ATMs also offer two-way functionality which allows for you to do the same transaction in reverse: Withdraw bitcoin that is immediately exchanged into US dollars that are then dispensed from that ATM.

How Do I Use A Bitcoin ATM?

Using a bitcoin ATM or kiosk is quite simple and often offers the easiest and most secure way to purchase bitcoin for cash. The screen itself typically provides a step-by-step tutorial, but for this article, we will show you how simple it is using a Coinstar kiosk, powered by Coinme.

When you approach the kiosk, you simple hit get started and select the option that says “Buy Bitcoin. After you review the brief terms and conditions, you are directed to enter your phone number. This part of the process ensures your security and links your phone number to the bitcoin purchase so no one else can gain access to your bitcoin. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ufuZZ9RUU

After that is complete, you will see on the screen the exchange rate for your bitcoin purchase, and you can then enter your dollar bills into the bill acceptor. Typically this is down and to the right of the screen. Once you have inserted all your bills, you can verify the amount entered and hit the buy bitcoin button on the lower, right-hand side of the screen. 

Once you have finished your purchase, the kiosk will print out your receipt. This is important to keep safe and secure, as it does include your bitcoin redemption code. As we mentioned above, you will need to visit Coinme.com/redeem and enter that code along with your phone number to have your bitcoin deposited into your digital wallet.

What Do I Do Next?

After you have finished purchasing your bitcoin, the process of redeeming the voucher is simple as well. Once you have your receipt, you can visit Coinme.com/redeem and begin the redemption process. 

After you have entered in the needed information, you will be directed to create your very own Coinme wallet. Follow the step-by-step guide on your laptop or cell phone. The entire process is simple, secure, and should only take a few moments. After that process is complete, you will be able to see your bitcoin balance in your Coinme wallet.

Redeeming your Bitcoin voucher is simple and easy with Coinme

If you are already a Coinme customer, log in to your Coinme Wallet and click on the tab that says “Redeem.” Enter your phone number and the redemption code you received at the kiosk. You can then return to the main account page, and your balance will reflect the purchase you just made. 

Is A Bitcoin ATM Safe?

While this does vary based on the company operating the machine, customer safety is a primary area of focus for Coinme. We take multiple steps to ensure the security of your account including ATM and kiosk locations and service and support from our team.

We have a dedicated team of developers and engineers continually looking at all aspects of machine security, providing a safe and secure user experience for all of our customers. Our support team is also available Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm PT.

We also ensure our ATMs and kiosks are in well-lit, public spaces like shopping malls and grocery stores, providing a safe and secure user experience for everyone.

Are Bitcoin ATMs Legal?

Bitcoin ATMs are legal to use, however, there are levels of regulations on both the federal and state level for ATM and kiosk companies to operate legally in the United States.

The primary federal law is Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and operators like Coinme need to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN and have Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) programs in place. State-level regulation varies from state to state, but typically, operators must register for money transmitter license (MTL) or as a money service business (MSB).

Coinme is proud to have been the first licensed Bitcoin ATM company in the United States and as part of our commitment to safety and security, all customers must submit their ID’s through our KYC verification process. The purpose of this program is to help prevent money laundering and other financial crimes and it adds an extra layer of security by ensuring no one but you can gain access to your account.

How Do I Find A Bitcoin ATM?

Bitcoin ATMs and kiosks have grown in popularity in recent years, making it easier than ever to find a location close to you. While there are websites like CoinATMRadar that show you ATMs based on your location, not all ATMs and kiosks listed are licensed and operating legally.
Coinme is the first licensed Bitcoin ATM company in the United States and thanks to our collaboration with Coinstar we now operate the largest bitcoin kiosk network in the United States with over 2,500 locations across 21 states and the District of Columbia.
To find the nearest location to you, visit Coinme.com/Locations  and enter your location into the search bar. You will find the closest location to you and can even click further to receive detailed directions via Google Maps. 

Conclusion

You now hopefully have the knowledge and confidence to make your first purchase at a bitcoin ATM or kiosk!
Hopefully, you will share your knowledge with others so everyone so your friends and family will also be able to join the financial system of the future safely and securely. 

This article originally appeared on coinme.com

Cryptocurrencies: A Pipe Dream Investment

gsiexchange.com

Investors across the globe have invested nearly $57 BILLION into cryptocurrencies

Among the 100 cryptocurrencies that make up this total market capitalization, Bitcoin, the most popular of these alternative currencies, makes up roughly 50% of this entire volume (over $28 billion).

Bitcoin’s market cap is so large that if it were a country, it would take its place among the top 50 nations in the world, according to World Bank statistics.

But despite the increasing popularity of these alternative monies, the question remains: are they sound? Can they even be considered as legitimate money? Sure, cryptocurrencies obviously have “money-ness,” at least enough to be used as a medium of exchange. But placing the speculative impulse aside, are cryptocurrencies sound money investments?

Before we answer this question, let’s think for a moment about why cryptocurrencies exist, how they actually function, and why their emergence has been greeted with such an immediate surge of interest and hasty investment.

Cryptocurrencies reflect a genuine need that fiat money cannot satisfy

Cryptocurrency demand has seen a tremendous rise, and for a good reason: people want to use money that  cannot be manipulated so easily by governments; money that cannot be artificially created or inflated; money that is not subject to coercive government taxing and control.

It’s about exercising free choice and possessing assets that exist beyond the reach of government control. People are simply tired of the Federal Reserve’s ineffective monopoly over the US Dollar. They want something better; something that stands apart from government’s interventionist tendencies.

In short, cryptocurrencies exist because people have lost faith in government-issued and government-controlled fiat money. People want “good money.” And there’s no other compelling reason for this rise in cryptocurrency demand.

But are cryptocurrencies money?

Here is where cryptocurrency experts have it all wrong: electronic money will most likely never replace fiat money or sound (commodity) money. People who think otherwise have a gross misunderstanding of the nature of money, how it functions, and how it becomes a common medium of exchange.

Throughout history, robust forms of money started as an actual commodity with a pre-existing exchange value. From its value as a barter item, a commodity then became a medium of exchange. It still had its value as a commodity, but it now has a second value to facilitate transactions for other commodities. The main point, all robust forms of money started as a commodity with a pre-existing exchange value.

Fast forward to the future, some commodity money–such as gold and silver–became more frequently used for their purchasing power rather than for their original commodity use (e.g. to make jewelry or to use for industrial purposes). This is why paper money, such as the US Dollar, is still used as a means of exchange despite it not being an actual commodity: people are aware of its purchasing power from when it once represented gold. Consequently, government manipulation of paper money has also weakened people’s view of this historical link in value.

In stark contrast to commodity money, cryptocurrencies have no form, shape, or weight–they are neither visible nor tangible. They have no pre-existing exchange value nor do they have a pre-existing use value (they are not, nor were they ever, “commodities”).

The only real measure of cryptocurrency value is its convertibility into paper currency. And paper currency itself is already an unsound medium of exchange.

So are cryptocurrencies money? The answer is a resounding NO! Instead, cryptocurrencies are merely a way of deploying paper money.

THIS MAKES CRYPTOCURRENCY INVESTMENT NOTHING MORE THAN A MERE PIPE DREAM.

Enter the Colored Bitcoin – a gold substitute

Recently, collective efforts have been made to create a gold-backed bitcoin. They are called “colored bitcoins.” To buy colored bitcoins, you have to first buy the gold to back it. Again: you first have to buy gold. A colored bitcoin is a “gold substitute.” Of course, you can imagine that transactions of various sizes or amounts may prove challenging, especially if physical gold has to be delivered for payment.

Better to stick with the real thing

If bitcoin’s reliability as money is held up by people’s faith in its ability to deploy or convert into paper currency, then its extreme volatility demonstrates the instability of that faith. And if bitcoin is the most liquid of all cryptocurrencies, then how much more unstable might be the other 99 competing cryptocurrencies?

Perhaps gold- or silver-backed cryptocurrencies may one day become a more reliable form of sound money. But you have to remember that its reliability will stem solely from the value of gold and silver–metals that you have to own in the first place in order to convert into something less stable.

Original Post: https://gsiexchange.com/cryptocurrencies-pipe-dream-investment/

What is CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)?

jefflenney.com

As a full-time Affiliate ​Marketer, I've been ​utilizing CRO ​(conversion rate optimization) along with my SEO strategies for quite a few years now, with mind-blowing results.

It blows me away when I come across websites online that seem to "tick" all the right boxes when it comes to SEO, but their content strategy and CRO is pure horse-shit.

I've had online campaigns that have made me $250,000 in pure profit in just 7-Days time, not because I'm some sort of marketing genius (I'm really not), but because I was smart enough to incorporate CRO into what I was doing.

​Believe it or not, CRO does NOT take a lot of time, ​and the results of your ​work can easily 10x or more your profit margin.  

So, let's cut to the chase:

What is CRO ​Exactly?

In simplest terms, CRO describes the percentage of visitors to a website that becomes actual customers. The more customers, the better - naturally. 

In the online world numbers are everything. The more people that visit your website, the more potential customers you have.

For a lot of people, CRO is simply testing your forms and CTA's, but there is really quite a bit more to it than just that.

But having people visit your website isn't enough.

In this post, I'm going to address CRO from simply a blogging perspective.  I'm not going to go into the A/B testing and CTAs etc just yet.

Having a lot of traffic won't do you a whole lot of good if you're trying to make money with your website, but not optimizing properly for your traffic.

I can break down CRO into 2 very simple steps:

1. What you need is to find a way to get as high of a percentage of site visitors as possible to become customers.
2. The higher percentage of site visitors that become customers, the more money your online business is going to make.

It really is that simple.

Unfortunately, improving your CRO isn't as simple as wanting to do it.

You need to employ strategies designed to get site visitors to follow through and become paying customers.

Once you learn these strategies you will be able to maximize your profits and help your business to grow and thrive.

1. Make A Human Audience Your Priority ​

You need to implement an SEO strategy for your website.

​SEO is short for ​Search ​Engine ​Optimization. 

Basically, it's a way of arranging text and media on your website in a way that helps it to attract the attention of search engines. SEO is important for getting your business noticed. 

However, it shouldn't be the only thing that you focus on when putting content on your website.

Content that has been search engine optimized may be great at attracting the attention of search engines, but it's not often the best means of keeping the attention of visitors once you get to your site.

​Because of this, it's more important to focus on providing content that makes sense when read that it is ensuring that is is search engine optimized.

After all, if you keep visitors to your website interested then they are going to be much more likely to become a paying customer.

2. Provide Content That Is Useful And Integrates Conversion Links

If you want visitors to your site to become customers then you need to give them something of value.

That means you need to provide them with content that they enjoy reading while also teaching them about the subject matter.

In addition to providing them with great content, you should also take care when placing links in that content that will lead them to become a customer.

What you ​DON'T want to do is to put a button or bold piece of text asking people to click on it.

Instead, you should make a keyword in the text a link that leads a site visitor to a portion of your website that will get them to become a source of income for you.

This approach is much more interesting than blatantly inviting them to click on a link. In this way, you are encouraging them to become a customer instead of outright asking them.

You also want to be sure to keep the links relevant to the content they're being placed in.

For example, those wanting to learn affiliate marketing may not be ideal for a post like this on CRO

​Instead, I'd want to ​present an offer that teaches advanced SEO and CRO Techniques, such as Robbie Richards SEO Playbook​ (which is also probably THE best course on SEO I've ever taken).

3. Use Photos, Graphics, Videos, And Other Visuals To Make Your Website More Interesting

If you want to get someone who clicks on your site to turn back quickly, then, by all means, have a boring website that presents ​the info in the form of giant blocks of text.

Or, if you want a business that has an actual chance of succeeding then do the exact opposite of this. If there is one thing to remember about the online world it's that there is a huge amount of competition out there. ​

No matter what niche your online business occupies, there are going to be other businesses that are in the same niche that are fighting you for the same customers.

What you have to do is to make certain that your website is as interesting as possible.

How do you do that? ​

You do it by breaking up all of that text with visuals, like I'm doing with this very post.

Photos, graphics, and any other type of visual​ are great ways to capture the attention of someone visiting your website, while also breaking up the giant wall of text that will drive most people in the opposite direction.

The content you provide has to be compelling, but it also has to be visually appealing to the people that visit your site.  Study any post on my website (well, the newer ones) and you'll see exactly what I mean.

If your site doesn't use visuals to break up text, then you can bet your competitors probably are.

That means that they will likely be stealing business from you, which is the last thing you want.

4. Keep Your Website On Point

When you first decide to launch an online business your first instinct may be to try to capture as many visitors as possible by expanding the subject matter your site covers.

For example, if you have a website about camping equipment you may be tempted to expand into survival gear, then self-defense gear etc. While this may seem like a good idea, in theory, the reality is that doing this can actually decrease the amount of traffic your website gets.

How can trying to reach a wider audience decrease the number of visitors to your website?

Think about this, how often do you sit down and type in the web address for a site you are trying to visit if you have never visited that site before?

Your answer would probably be rarely, or even never.

So you use a search engine to find the type of websites you are interested in just like the rest of the population does.

The point here is that you, and everyone else that uses the internet, rely on search engines to find what you are looking for.

Do you know what the web crawlers that search engines use like when they are looking for a website? They like websites that are focused on their niche and that provide relevant well-organized content.

Not only will keeping your website focused attract more visitors to your site, it will attract the right kind of visitors.

It will attract visitors to your site that are interested in the subject matter of your site, which means that they will be more likely to become paying customers.

So by keeping your website focused, you can actually really move the need in a positive direction in regards to how many visitors to your website become a source of revenue for you.

Original Post: https://jefflenney.com/internet-marketing/what-is-cro/