In his latest Q&A on March 24th, 2018, Bitcoin evangelist, educator, and influencer Andreas Antonopoulos explains what the cryptocurrency industry needs next and his expectations for Bitcoin development.
4 Basic Things Bitcoin Must HaveAntonopoulos begins the Q&A by noting, partly in jest, that the industry does not need “some kind of artificially intelligent, neural network based, 3D printing, drone-based Mars expedition.”
Instead, he states:
"The truth is that the most important projects at this stage are really basic, basic infrastructure projects."
According to Antonopoulos, the four key things that the Bitcoin industry does need are more exchanges, continued wallet development, usable ATMs, and education systems.
More ExchangesAntonopoulos feels that exchanges cannot be truly global, they are attached to local culture, language, currency, and regulation and as such, every country needs 3-4 exchanges. Multiple exchanges would serve as “on ramps and off ramps” to sustain liquidity and activity in the cryptocurrency market and provide healthy competition. That’s 800 exchanges worldwide, not counting specialist exchanges.
As Antonopoulos explains:
"This economy is not yet self-sustaining it can’t operate entirely within the cryptocurrency domain, I think one day it will be, but not yet."
Wallet Development
Ongoing wallet development is another area where improvements need to be made – especially when it comes to onboarding cryptocurrency newcomers. Specifically, wallets that are secure, easy to use, intuitive, and which use the latest cutting-edge technology and are able to handle different types of fees and provide fee estimation are sorely needed.
Antonopoulos makes an excellent argument that wallets are the “front end” of the Bitcoin industry and that for most new users, their first experience with cryptocurrencies will be through a wallet of some kind. He goes on to point out that:
If the user interface sucks, if it is confusing, if it causes security problems, if it has problems with certain features, if it’s not using the latest technology, then [people] will have difficulty using cryptocurrency.
ATMsAs the market matures reliable, ATMs with reasonable fees are required for cash and instant transactions. Right now, many users find when they arrive at an ATM it’s simply not working, or the premiums are incredibly high.
Education SystemsAntonopoulos didn’t expand on this point, but it’s clear from his renowned speaking in the crypto-space and his teaching of the M.Sc. Digital Currencies at the University of Nicosia that he believes the world needs exposure to cryptocurrencies and the technology behind them.
Continue reading
>> http://bitcoinist.com/andreas-antonopoulos-4-things-bitcoin-needs-plus-a-hard-fork-in-2018/