Saga is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol that allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. Learn more in this article.

 universe right now is the lack of accessible tools for developers. Many people interested in designing new 

 projects struggle to find the right software developer kits (SDKs) for their projects. The Saga ecosystem aims to fix this issue by providing unparalleled support to app and game developers. 

Can the Saga ecosystem really become the premier chain for web3 development? Keep reading to learn how it works and see whether it's likely to attract new developers.

 blockchain protocol. It allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. People who work on Saga all share the same security, scaling solutions and SDKs, but they each get their own unique chain that they can customize to suit their needs.

 of technology, crypto and finance enthusiasts. CEO Rebecca Liao is a co-founder of the Skuchain project, the designer of the 

 and a former international corporate attorney. Other members of the founding team include former Tendermint executive Jin Kwon, Blocktech Ventures founder Bogdan Alexandrescu and 

. They realized that there was a major need for a development-focused blockchain specifically designed for game project development. Saga's mission has attracted many major investors, 

Saga aims to create a new system for web3 project developers. Currently, most developers have to choose between the ease of working on an established chain like 

 versus the convenience and customization of designing their own chain. The Saga team realized that the most effective option for game developers would actually be a combination of the two types of development environments.

Saga wants to let developers set up their own sovereign blockchain so they can decide how things like 

 and transaction fees work. However, Saga also aims to provide extensive support for developers in its ecosystem. Its underlying framework ensures that people still have excellent security and a reliable validator set, no matter what their gaming project is.

 ecosystem, whose interchain web development standard is a set of protocols that allows a broad variety of blockchains to communicate with each other. The Saga network uses the 

 and the shared security system of the Cosmos ecosystem to manage the network, and has created its own Layer 1 chain that runs the entire Saga ecosystem and can do things like automatically launching 

The Saga Mainnet handles each developer's compiled smart contract binary. However, it also runs parallel dedicated chains that function as virtual machine (VM) modules capable of handling a specific set of smart contracts. End users for blockchain games and other apps interact only with the dedicated blockchain, while the developer's system manages the fees and individual transactions on the Saga Mainnet.

All of the chains on Saga are validated through optimistic coordination, which requires every Saga validator to validate each chain in the Saga ecosystem via 

 validation, verifying transactions by temporarily locking Saga tokens.

The Saga network contains a lot more than just the basic features offered through the Cosmos SDK and ecosystem. In addition to the software development tools and helpful interface for Saga's validators and developers, the ecosystem also contains the following features.

The overall layout of the Saga ecosystem starts with the Saga Mainnet. Built on the Cosmos hub, this framework includes a full validator set and a dedicated blockchain for handling all smart contracts. The basic protocols are passed on to each child chain in the system, and information is relayed back and forth between the main chain and all of the secondary chains. Saga's validators stake tokens, and then check to make sure every element of the topology follows Saga’s regulations.

 are a method for creating a dedicated blockspace that a developer can manage. These chainlets function as virtual machines that can handle smart contracts and automatically launch Celestia rollups. Each chainlet is its own blockchain that handles nothing but a specific gaming project. Developers decide on the gas fees they'll charge users, and can add chainlets as their projects expand and require more throughput from the remaining validators.

Saga's shared security relies on both the Cosmos hub and its own set of validators to secure the network. Validators on Saga’s network are monitored by auditors who can catch potential issues with individual dedicated chains. If anyone in the validator set fails to properly confirm a smart contract, their staked tokens are automatically confiscated.

 is a publishing system for gaming developers who want to create their own blockchains with help from Saga. It offers infinite scalability, seamless 

 and transactions without gas fees. In addition to use of the Cosmos SDK, developers who choose to publish their game through Saga Origins receive access to a variety of helpful marketing and distribution tools.

 is an interconnected blend of all the developers and projects in the Saga system. Though each sovereign blockchain is fully independent of others, they all join together to offer users a variety of exciting web3 projects. People interested in checking out the latest blockchain designs can join the Multiverse and browse all the neat concepts built on Saga.

To help get the Saga validator system started, Saga released 

 to its community members. People were eligible for the 

 if they had participated in the staking program or played in tournaments to promote Saga ecosystem games. The airdrop eligibility period required remaining validators and other participants to be active between January and October of 2023. Once the airdrop began allowing people to claim tokens, it continued to run until Mar 27, 2024.

 consists of four separate phases. The company has already completed the Andromeda and Cassiopeia phases, which focused on designing the Mainnet and setting up the system of Saga validators. Currently, the Saga team is in the Pegasus phase, which is about releasing tokens and opening the Saga Mainnet to the public. Sometime in late 2022, Saga’s team hopes to reach their Mainnet V2 phase, which will prioritize a new version of the Saga Mainnet with more features and options for dedicated blockspace.

SAGA tokens are the primary method for paying fees on the Saga network. These tokens are also used for staking, and function as a method of confirming Saga transactions. There are a total of 

, of which around 90 million have thus far been released. Saga plans to distribute its tokens as follows:

SAGA is still in the early stages of its token launch. However, it’s already surprised investors, having debuted at $4.91 on Apr 9, 2024 before quickly surging to its ATH to date of $7.60. It then steadily declined over the next few days to its current price of $3.06 as of Apr 19, 2024.

 SAGA, with its experts believing SAGA’s price will reach $15.73 by 2025 and decrease in 2027 to $6.27, before rising again to $13.45 by 2030. This bullish sentiment is amplified by analysts at Changelly, 

 SAGA’s price will increase to $6.91 in 2025, $14.21 in 2027 and $44.36 in 2030.

Looking to trade Saga tokens? Bybit now offers SAGAUSDT Perpetual contracts. To get started, you’ll first need to 

, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

SAGA has done an extremely impressive job of attracting users, and seems poised to become the big coin debut of April 2024 with its high price.

However, it's hard to say whether SAGA can maintain its price in the long run. It's quite common for new startups to have a strong start and then drop in price once their project fails to take off. If the Saga ecosystem can’t attract new developers and continue to release impressive projects, investors could see some major SAGA losses in the future.

Since this coin is so volatile right now, investors need to 

. It has the potential for both big profits and big losses, so you’ll want to carefully consider how these price shifts might affect your portfolio. For best results, avoid investing more than you can afford to lose, make sure you diversify your investments — and 

By offering developers the chance to create their own dedicated chains, Saga offers a more convenient and scalable system for blockchain gaming. Its helpful features and low transaction fees have already attracted many people, and it's no surprise that many others are interested in the project. Furthermore, SAGA tokens have had a promising start with extremely impressive growth. If the Saga company can successfully capitalize on its early buzz, it has a bright future.

Intermediate

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Saga (SAGA): Catalyzing the Multiverse With Scalable Chains

Discover Masa, a platform empowering individuals to control and monetize their data, decentralizing AI storage and promoting ethical data sharing.

Few areas of the crypto industry are as popular these days as artificial intelligence (AI). AI-related tokens and projects experience some of the highest growth rates, with particular interest attached to generative AI technology and large language models (LLMs), all thanks to OpenAI's massively popular ChatGPT tool. This is no surprise, as blockchain technology has the potential to address many of the limitations of LLM algorithms, particularly those related to the issues of data and centralization of AI models.

The Masa network (MASA) is a new AI-focused crypto platform that brings a fresh paradigm to the world by allowing individuals to control and monetize their personal data. Its platform also contributes to the AI revolution by decentralizing the storage of both the user data and the LLMs utilizing it.

 (MASA) is a blockchain platform that provides access to user-consented, hyper-specific behavioral and personal data and decentralized LLM algorithms. 

The platform launched its operations on Apr 11, 2024. Masa operates as a subnet on the 

 (AVAX) blockchain. To enable cross-chain functionality, it has also integrated 

 technology. This lets Masa bridge assets, initially to two key blockchains, 

 (BSC), with additional chains to be added in the future.

Masa provides user-consented AI data that’s stored in a decentralized way. As of mid-April 2024, more than 40 million data points from over 1.4 million 

 user wallets are available via its permissionless data layer. Masa represents an entirely new decentralized AI paradigm: while most data providers use centralized storage solutions, its platform's data is always stored in a decentralized, blockchain-based format.

The data made available via Masa’s platform is user-consented for collection and privacy-protected using its Zero-Knowledge 

 (zkSBT) technology, which allows users to share their personal data securely and confidentially by storing this encrypted data on the blockchain. Thanks to the zkSBT, users can share fairly detailed personal data while protecting their identities and the specifics of their online activities.

This user-consented data is directly sourced from users through the Masa App and Masa Chrome browser extension with their consent. Users have complete control over their data, which is collected in a highly detailed, verified and ethical manner. 

As such, it's different from the typical user-aggregated data collected from the internet by companies. Compared to user-consented data, user-aggregated data tends to be less granular and, obviously, has ethical strings attached to it: in most cases, users don't consent to the collection of such data, or (at best) provide reluctant consent by clicking on annoying "Accept All Cookies" buttons.

While focusing mostly on user-consented data, the Masa platform also offers developers a way to access user-aggregated data for a richer data network. Using Masa's web data scraper, developers can extract data from websites, social media posts, blogs and online databases.

User-aggregated data is collected by data node workers via the Masa Oracle network and Masa Chrome extension and stored on the platform, benefiting from the 

In addition to datasets, Masa enables the decentralized execution of LLM algorithms, facilitated by the Oracle node workers, who leverage their surplus CPU and GPU computing power to run open-source LLMs for fine-tuning AI models.

The Masa project aspires to achieve goals crucial to the development of all data and AI industries. First, Masa allows individuals to completely control their own personal data by choosing what to share with the outside world while protecting their confidentiality. The blockchain-based storage mode also ensures the security of the stored data. Additionally, users can monetize access to their personal data, becoming a major beneficiary of its use.

All of these benefits are in stark contrast to the traditional way user data is collected, stored and used on Web 2.0 platforms. In this traditional mode, one is often unaware of what personal data is collected about them, as well as when and by whom. Although the data used for analytics purposes might be in an aggregated form, together with the details of other online users, individual users are still part of the "guinea pig" cohort whose details have been unceremoniously extracted and utilized without their knowledge or consent.

Moreover, when hit online with some fairly relevant advertising based on past search phrases, one begins to realize that data isn't always used in an aggregated format. In fact, its utilization can be quite personalized. And of course, in the traditional mode of data collection, we’re all rarely reimbursed for the data we share.

Another aim of the Masa project is to provide a secure and efficient decentralized infrastructure for running LLM algorithms. Traditional, centralized hosting solutions for AI models face challenges, such as technical capacity and security issues. For instance, many centrally hosted LLM-based solutions suffer from performance degradation when large numbers of users access them simultaneously. Masa's approach to leveraging decentralized resources for running open-source LLMs efficiently addresses these capacity limitations, providing enhanced scalability and reliability for AI applications.

Masa operates as a subnet on the Avalanche blockchain, using cross-chain communications supported by LayerZero to access other networks as well. Avalanche subnets are completely independent 

 networks with their own set of rules and functionalities. Subnets, including Masa, use Avalanche's validators, or a subset of validators, to secure the network and achieve consensus.

Besides the validators, the Masa network has another type of functional nodes — 

. These special Masa nodes play a critical role in providing structured data and advanced AI models while prioritizing data privacy.

The Masa Oracle network acts as a decentralized web scraper, gathering data from the internet and organizing it for AI training and development. This approach gives developers access to hyper-personalized training data to improve language model performance. It also supports the decentralization of LLMs, making them easily accessible without complex setup.

As mentioned above, users can manage access to and monetization of their personal data via Zero-Knowledge Soulbound Tokens (zkSBTs), which provide a secure way of providing access to users’ personal data without compromising their privacy.

 is the main gateway for users to interact with the Masa platform. It lets them provide access to personal data and earn crypto rewards by staking data in four different ways:

Masa’s native cryptocurrency, MASA, is a utility and 

 used to reward users for providing their data to the network. 

 MASA also earns you crypto rewards. Entities who wish to utilize data held by the network pay for access to it in MASA tokens. The token is also used to reward the Oracle nodes.

As a governance token, MASA lets you participate in votes on any changes and upgrades to the platform's rules or fee structure.

The token's supply economics doesn't specify a maximum cap. MASA's total supply is 1,588,866,523, which will be released gradually over a period of around four years starting in April 2024. Token supply allocation shares are per the table below.

The MASA token is available on Bybit via a 

. Bybit's Spot and Derivatives markets provide you with opportunities to trade hundreds of cryptocurrencies and crypto-based products. If you don’t have a Bybit account, you can easily 

 to access Bybit's range of crypto products and assets.

The Masa network is a refreshing addition to the data industry, whose user consent and privacy have been under attack for many years. The Masa platform puts data ownership in users' hands, allowing them to control access to their data and benefit from its monetization. As online privacy concerns and invasive Web 2.0 advertising shenanigans grow, more users will be attracted to Masa's unique data concept.

In addition to allowing individuals to control and monetize their data, Masa also contributes significantly to the development of 

, which is important because the decentralized mode of data and model storage championed by the platform has the potential to solve many technical limitations of LLMs and other types of AI algorithms. This is a network full of merit and promise; all it needs now is wider recognition and user adoption.

Advanced

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Masa (MASA): Powering AI With User-Centric Data Monetization

Today’s outperformer is LSK, which jumped 17.63% after Lisk partners with Velodrome to enhance blockchain access and drive ecosystem growth.

The SPX index is down 0.22% as the market anticipates less Federal Reserve rate cuts, considering the possibility of no cuts this year. The broader cryptocurrency market is up, with Bitcoin and Ether rising by 4.18% and 3.19%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Lisk (LSK), launched on May 2016, is a cryptocurrency platform that enables developers to build decentralized applications (dapps) using JavaScript and TypeScript. It supports custom "sidechains" within its network, offering tools like a software development kit. Lisk has announced a partnership with Velodrome to support and expand its blockchain ecosystem. Lisk will purchase and lock $VELO tokens for voting, directing VELO emissions to key pairs on Lisk. This collaboration aims to support existing protocols on Lisk, attract new developers, and enhance blockchain accessibility and adoption in emerging markets. Velodrome will back Lisk's Layer 2 initiatives, aligning with the goal of creating a scalable, interoperable Ethereum future.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

The Runes protocol is set to debut alongside Bitcoin's 2024 halving, heralding a new phase in Bitcoin's evolution by enabling the creation of fungible tokens directly on its network. This follows the impactful Ordinals protocol, which significantly expanded Bitcoin's functionalities. The Runes protocol will spark competition among developers to issue and acquire the first tokens, with global exchanges ready to support these tokens from day one. The halving event will also feature a race to mine a highly valuable "Epic" satoshi. As Bitcoin approaches this transformative era, extensive preparations and educational initiatives are underway to equip users for the forthcoming changes, marking a profound shift in Bitcoin's operational and cultural landscape.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have yet another day of outflow, however, yesterday’s outflow was close to neutral. The market has seen fluctuating flows in these ETFs, with significant activity in some and none in others, reflecting mixed investor reactions. Recent substantial outflows echo trends from March, but analysts regard such fluctuations as typical for ETFs and not indicative of failure. Despite this volatility, the outlook for Bitcoin ETFs remains positive as they continue to draw institutional interest and shape market dynamics.

Avail, a blockchain data-availability protocol developed using Polygon’s SDK, has announced an airdrop of 600 million AVAIL tokens, marking its one-year anniversary since spinning off from Polygon Labs. The "Unification Drop" aims to bring together various blockchain communities by rewarding developers, governance contributors, educators, rollup users, stakers, and others who have significantly contributed to the ecosystem. Avail's infrastructure includes three segments: Nexus for cross-chain transactions, Fusion for liquid staking on chains like Ethereum and Bitcoin, and DA for scaling rollups through technologies like KZG commitments. The airdrop will distribute tokens to 354,605 wallet addresses and includes significant allocations for various roles across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, Cosmos, and more, emphasizing a unified Web3 environment.

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Runes Protocol Revolutionizes Bitcoin with New Token Capabilities Ahead of 2024 Halving

Nolus is a decentralized finance lending protocol with cross-chain capabilities. Learn more about how it works in this article.

One of the big advantages of decentralized finance (

) is that it provides more options for users. People who cannot get traditional loans because a typical bank deems them "high-risk" can turn to the DeFi sector to borrow crypto assets. The Nolus Protocol is a new DeFi lender that offers users all sorts of exciting opportunities. To see how this intriguing project works, explore this guide to learn all about Nolus.

 is a DeFi lending protocol. It has cross-chain capabilities that let people choose the most favorable rates possible and avoid the need to save up funds for liquidity.

Nolus was founded by Ivan Kostov and Kamen Trendafilov. Kostov worked in traditional finance, while Trendafilov has a background in marketing and business. During their time in these sectors, Nolus's founders realized that blockchain networks had the potential to revolutionize banking. They decided to join together and create a new leasing system that makes the most of DeFi products instead of just trying to mimic past banking methods.

Nolus started work on its plans in 2022 and officially launched its mainnet in 2023, having successfully completed several investing rounds and receiving 

 Token Metrics, Autonomy Capital, Everstake and more.

Nolus aims to tackle three problems common in crypto lending markets:

 software developer kit (SDK). Its code is entirely open sourced, and is updated and changed only when all stakeholders in the Nolus community vote to do so. According to the Nolus white paper, its ecosystem’s goal is “to build a novel user experience–driven automated money market” that facilitates direct interactions between lenders and borrowers without involving any other users.

The Nolus lending method starts with lenders choosing to supply 

 to the system. Any borrower who submits a down payment can get a loan from this supply of stablecoins. Both the coins and the down payment are 

, and interest is determined based on the value of the items. There’s no fixed repayment schedule, but the smart contracts ensure that interest is automatically removed from the collateral, and then paid to the lender at regular intervals. Once the user decides to repay the lease, the original assets are released from the smart contract.

Nolus's lending protocol includes many ways for customers to profit and enjoy convenient services. Here are the main DeFi products you can access through Nolus.

DeFi leasing on Nolus is designed to be as convenient as possible. Customers don’t have to go through a lengthy application or pay a lot of fees to other users. You just enter your collateral and get a loan of up to three times the value of the initial investment. Interest rates vary between 11% and 18%, based on the market value of the digital assets. The 

 allow the loan to be repaid on your own schedule. However, keep in mind that you pay more interest if you wait a longer amount of time to repay the loan.

If you want to earn money based on your existing crypto, you can join one of the many 

 on Nolus by submitting stablecoins in exchange for interest-bearing Nolus crypto. When you're ready to withdraw your funds and stop participating in DeFi leasing, you can cash out your Nolus tokens to receive your initial asset, plus any additional interest or network fees you’ve earned.

Nolus's system of money markets isn't the only thing they provide. Users who decide to 

 a crypto asset on Nolus can earn more money. The Nolus ecosystem offers the option of staking NLS tokens in exchange for various incentives. Lenders receive higher amounts of rewards for lending stablecoins, and borrowers get a lower interest rate.

Nolus has had some impressive growth since its launch in 2023. In just six months, the lending protocol has assisted with thousands of loans, collectively worth $8.6 million in total. Its team calculates that they've managed to achieve an average 

Nolus hopes to expand on this momentum in 2024. Its main plan is to continue marketing the lending protocol heavily, attracting more users who want to do their own research and find the best possible loans. To further attract users from the DeFi sector, Nolus aims to add more support for other crypto tokens and increase network liquidity. Nolus stands for community-led governance, so they don't have a long-term road map in place. Instead, they plan to evolve and adjust to suit whatever community needs arise in the future.

. It allows users to adjust their interest rates, and it's also a 

. People with NLS tokens can vote on how the platform is run and help implement new changes for the platform. The NLS token has a total supply of 1 billion. Nolus’s plan is to gradually mint tokens over a ten-year period, and implement a token buyback program to help maintain value. NLS token distribution will be as follows:

When the NLS token was released in the summer of 2023, Nolus prices were fairly stable. However, now that investors can sell their NLS tokens, prices have become more volatile. Starting in December 2023, NLS prices 

, and although the token currently seems to be dropping from its all-time high of $0.10, more price increases seem likely in the future.

Not only is the market for the NLS token quite bullish right now, but the Nolus lending protocol is also attracting a lot of positive attention in the crypto space. If the network can maintain its positive attention and attract more users, prices seem likely to rise even further. CoinCodex predicts Nolus prices will stay in the $0.04 to $0.19 range for 2025, and hit 

. This attitude is backed up by crypto influencers such as Crypto Revolution, 

 an underrated crypto with a lot of potential for growth.

The Nolus project is a well-thought-out crypto protocol that offers users significant advantages. Its innovative approach to lending could potentially attract a lot of users from the DeFi space. In addition to having a reliable system backed with effective technology and a detailed white paper, NLS digital assets have also experienced some promising growth patterns. The crypto asset has had a slow yet steady climb in price, and now that it's trending in crypto news, it seems poised to take off.

However, keep in mind that it's still important to 

 on digital assets. Some crypto investors might find it concerning that the Nolus project is mostly backed by marketers, instead of blockchain enthusiasts. There have also been some tech issues, such as the 

 that led to some unnecessary margin calls. Subsequent issues could limit price appreciation of its crypto assets. Therefore, it's necessary to approach Nolus with caution and not overextend your finances.

Nolus's DeFi lease system allows people to obtain easy access to crypto. Its innovative approach provides investors with significant advantages. Unlike traditional finance, there's no lengthy application process, and in contrast to many other blockchain networks Nolus doesn't have frequent margin calls or high network fees. As long as Nolus doesn't run into any technological issues or financial problems, its network is likely to have a lot of success in the DeFi space.

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Nolus (NLS): Crafting Liquidity's Future With Leading DeFi Leases

Crypto

Investing

Bitcoin

Inflation, in general, increases the prices of goods and services due to a decrease in purchasing power. While, deflation is the entire opposite, resulting in the decline in the price of an economy.

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Inflation and its opposite, deflation, have an impact on the price of Bitcoin. The general increase in inflation tends to boost Bitcoin’s price. And when the inflation rate turns negative, deflation tends to drive the price of Bitcoin lower.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that results in an economic crisis, central banks around the world have been trying to stimulate the economy by printing more money. The world economy is in a cycle where central bankers are reluctant to remove money from the economy and have generally been adding more. As a result, the cycle of money printing has created an impact on Bitcoin’s price.

In economics, inflation is a general rise in the price level of an economy over time. Deflation, on the other hand, is the opposite — namely, the general decline in the prices of an economy.

When you buy a loaf of bread, you’ll pay about $1.37 per pound. About 70 years ago, that bread would have cost $0.14 per pound. The price has increased nearly tenfold over the past 70 years. That price increase is due to inflation. 

A little inflation of prices in an economy is positive. Inflating the prices of goods and services a little bit suggests there is an inherent demand for those products. Otherwise, when an economy experiences deflation, prices readjust lower and businesses lay off employees or go bankrupt, creating a negative feedback loop.

The topic of inflation versus deflation can be confusing to people at times. The reality is that anything can be inflated or deflated — whether a bicycle tire or prices in an economy. Therefore, it’s important to understand what is being referenced when the topics of inflation and deflation are introduced.

Inflation of Fiat Money: Supply and Credit

Most media outlets are referencing the general rise or fall in prices when they discuss inflation. 

For example, the chart above illustrates how prices have inflated over the past 100 years.

When prices inflate, the purchasing power of each dollar decreases.

In the chart above, we can see purchasing power depreciate consistently over the past 100 years. The $10 in 1913 is not the same as $10 in 2021, because what you can purchase with that $10 has changed significantly. You aren’t able to buy as many goods and services with that $10 today as you could almost a century ago.

Inflation and Deflation: Cause and Effect

Could it be that the change in consumer prices is the effect of inflation and not the cause? If so, what is the cause of inflation and deflation?

A better way to look at inflation is the expansion of money in the economy. Let’s oversimplify an example: bicycles. Let’s assume the demand for new bicycles is steady from year to year, and a new bicycle costs an average of $500.

If the amount of money in the system increases by 10%, then the cost of the bicycle will eventually need to increase as well — because there’s more money chasing the same amount of bicycles. The supply of money has increased, so more money is needed to buy the same product.

On the other hand, if the amount of money in the economy decreases, and there’s less money available, people simply wouldn’t be able to pay that much for bicycles. In this instance, the manufacturer would have a hard time selling their bicycles at $500 and would need to drop the price — or risk sitting on unsold goods.

In the bicycle example above, note that the need for bicycles remains constant, but the willingness of people to buy them has changed, depending on how much money is available in the economic system.

Therefore, we can define inflation and deflation as follows:

Deflation within an economy is often seen as an undesirable thing — and for the most part, it is. During the 1930s, the United States experienced deflation of its economy and the effects lingered for a decade.

In 2007–08, the worldwide economy deflated as the banking system seized up, freezing the flow of money around the world. 

However, deflation of consumer prices is not always a bad thing, as it could imply a more productive economy. 

Technology, for example, is deflationary by nature. The cost of a computer has decreased significantly over the past 25 years while the processing power of the computer has increased. 

In essence, you get a better computer today at a cheaper cost than 25 years ago, which is quite deflationary. Those cheaper computers allow us to be more productive — and to invest in other creations.

There are a lot of factors to weigh when determining whether an economy is experiencing inflation or deflation. For example, we touched on the productivity of an economy. A highly developed economy using computers is quite economically productive versus a village in a rural part of the world without advanced technology.

The demographics of the population over long periods matter, too. An aging population means fewer productive workers, whereas a young and growing population has a lot of future workers and pent-up demand. Part of the reason for massive price inflation over the past 70 years is the baby boomer generation. The population exploded, came of age, and became productive workers, while simultaneously creating a lot of demand.

The availability of credit also plays a part in the inflation-versus-deflation story. The cycles of inflation and deflation tend to be guided by banks’ willingness to lend money. There comes a point in time where society has over-consumed and the economy has overproduced. At that point, the ability to pay back loans comes under pressure, and banks pull back the amount of credit they offer. As credit contracts, so do the economy, leading to a deflation of prices.

The Inflation of Bitcoin Supply and Protocol

Earlier, we mentioned that anything can be inflated, from money in an economy to bicycle tires. Bitcoin was created to be a currency and store of value, and its inflation rate is preprogrammed into its code.

As you may know, Bitcoin is the fuel to maintain and secure the Bitcoin blockchain. Approximately every 10 minutes, new transactions are confirmed to the next block of the Bitcoin chain. The miners who confirm those blocks receive newly created Bitcoin as their reward for doing the work. Therefore, every 10 minutes, a new Bitcoin is getting added to the economy and is available to spend.

To limit and cap the number of bitcoins that will ever be created, Satoshi Nakamoto programmed a halving cycle into the code. Approximately every four years, the reward a miner receives is cut in half. New Bitcoin continues to be created but at a slowing rate.

On the chart above, the slope of the curve is decreasing, signaling a corresponding decrease in the amount of new Bitcoin being created each year. The next halving cycle is expected to take place around 2024, and the rate of new Bitcoin will slow even more at that time.

Eventually, the reward will become less than 1 Satoshi and no more Bitcoins will be created. At that point, there will be 21 million bitcoins available. However, that won’t happen for several generations, as it’s expected to take place around the year 2140.  

One of the biggest reasons people have been investing in Bitcoin is the scarcity of supply. There is a limit to the number of bitcoins that will ever be available, and the inflation rate can mathematically be figured out at any time.

What Happens to BTC Prices During Money Inflation?

Now that we know the supply of Bitcoin is fixed, the other primary factors that will affect its price will be the demand for Bitcoin and the supply of money in the economy. 

The demand for Bitcoin will rise and fall based on many different factors. It can be argued that Bitcoin is still in the early adoption stage of new technology. A recent survey found that 

, which cannot be considered mass adoption by any stretch. As a result, it can be argued that generally speaking, demand is likely to rise for Bitcoin, which may tug prices higher.

Let’s put demand to the side for a moment, assuming that it will remain constant or grow slightly. How might the inflation or deflation of fiat money in the world’s economies affect the price of Bitcoin?

The main developed economies in the world are increasing their money supply. When we have a worldwide economy with more money in it and a fixed number of bitcoins, the cost of Bitcoin priced in the fiat currency will rise.

The above chart represents the size of the Federal Reserve’s assets. The Fed is the central bank for the United States, and the size of its assets is a broad gauge for estimating how much money they are authorizing to be printed.

Before 2007, the Fed’s assets totaled nearly $1 trillion. In 2021, this number has ballooned to over $8 trillion. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the price of Bitcoin has been trending higher, as more money is being printed by developed economies.

What Happens to BTC Prices During Monetary Deflation?

On the other hand, there are times when money is destroyed or credit collapses, which creates a deflationary environment. Generally speaking, when the forces of deflation take over, we typically see the price of Bitcoin collapse as well.

The above chart shows the price of Bitcoin during the COVID-19 pandemic. When people are forced into their homes, they spend less in general, yet businesses have inventory and expenses to pay. As a result, during the pandemic businesses have fired workers, and revenues have collapsed.

The price of Bitcoin collapsed during this time as well. Some people may need the value of Bitcoin converted to their local fiat currency. For others, the price collapse could have been expected, as the pandemic began dragging prices lower with no end in sight.

The important point to remember is that the price of Bitcoin generally follows money creation. If the supply of money is increasing substantially, then the price of Bitcoin likely will rise. If the supply of money is decreasing, then the price of Bitcoin likely will fall. These trends don’t correspond directly, however, and are to be looked at in general terms, because the demand for Bitcoin also has an impact on prices.

Inflation vs. Deflation: Where Are We Now?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks around the globe have been printing a lot of money. 

— red circle indicates when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States

As an example, the Federal Reserve has printed nearly 4 trillion dollars between March 2020 and July 2021. This is an astounding 100% increase in the money available in the U.S. economy.

Since the introduction of vaccines, businesses have reopened and commerce is returning in many areas. However, the effects of the pandemic are still being felt in high unemployment rates. In the chart above, the U.S. unemployment rate has fallen but is still above levels just before the pandemic started. 

One way to measure the effect of inflation or deflation is to review the consumer price index (CPI). 

The CPI involves complex calculations to determine if the costs of certain goods and services are increasing. When the CPI is rising, it suggests inflation’s effects are being felt in the economy. With better employment and increasing amounts of money printing, the CPI reading has been accelerating higher of late. As a result, the current inflationary environment should be supportive of Bitcoin prices.

If there comes a time when the central banks begin to hold levels of money printing or shrink the amount of the money supply, then it’s possible Bitcoin’s price may correct lower.

Can Bitcoin Be an Effective Hedge Against Inflation?

Fiat currency inflation occurs when the amount of money in the economic system grows significantly, causing the price of goods and services to rise. Therefore, citizens will want to invest in tools that can store the purchasing power of their wealth and act as a hedge against inflation. This could be investing in another economy, or in companies that tend to perform well in high inflation environments.

However, if your investments or inflation hedges aren’t keeping up with the rate of inflation, you’ll end up losing purchasing power and seeing your wealth evaporate. Since Bitcoin has a fixed amount of supply that can never be increased, it’s believed to be a store of value that can preserve the purchasing power of fiat money.

 In the image above, you can see that when the amount of money expands (blue line moves higher), Bitcoin tends to perform well and move higher as well (orange line). However, when the blue line moves lower, then deflation is at hand and Bitcoin tends to underperform.

Should You HODL Your Bitcoin or Spend It?

Inflation vs. Deflation: The Effects on Bitcoin’s Prices

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