Apartment (APARTMENT) news

What are Security Tokens? Digital Ownership Made Simple

A security token represents real ownership in actual assets - think stocks, real estate, or company shares - but stored digitally on blockchain. Unlike regular cryptocurrencies that might represent nothing tangible, security tokens give you legal rights to real-world assets with actual value. Imagine owning a piece of a $10 million building for just $100, or buying Apple stock that trades 24/7 instead of only during market hours. That's what security tokens make possible. For users interested in this intersection of traditional assets and blockchain technology, Bitget offers tokenized stock trading and access to security token markets. Why Should You Care About Security Tokens? Here's what frustrates many investors: you can't buy just $50 worth of expensive real estate, you can't trade stocks on weekends, and investing in private companies requires being wealthy or well-connected. Security tokens solve these problems. Real Examples That Matter: ● Buy $100 worth of a luxury apartment building instead of needing $50,000 minimum ● Trade your Apple shares at 2 AM on Sunday if you want ● Invest in a private company's growth without being an accredited investor ● Sell your real estate investment instantly instead of waiting months The technology removes middlemen who charge high fees and create barriers. Instead of paying multiple brokers, transfer agents, and clearinghouses, smart contracts handle everything automatically and cheaply. What Security Tokens Can You Own Today? Tokenized Stocks: Bitget's xStocks platform lets you trade fractional shares of Tesla, Apple, and other major companies on blockchain. You get real exposure to stock price movements with the benefits of 24/7 trading. Real Estate Tokens: Companies like Securitize tokenize office buildings, apartments, and commercial properties. You can buy small pieces of real estate that previously required huge investments. Treasury Bills: ArCoin represents U.S. Treasury fund shares, giving you low-risk, government-backed returns through a simple token purchase. Private Company Shares: Platforms like tZERO and INX let you buy tokens representing equity in private companies, opening access to investments once limited to wealthy individuals. These aren't theoretical - they're live platforms processing real transactions today. Bitget provides educational resources explaining how these Security Token Offerings work. How Do Security Tokens Compare to Regular Crypto? What You Get Security Tokens Regular Crypto Real ownership Legal rights to actual assets Usually just speculation Income potential Dividends, rent, profits Only if price goes up Regulation Protected by securities laws Wild west Stability Tied to real asset performance Extreme volatility Trading Need KYC verification Anyone can trade Security tokens prioritize real value over speculation. When you buy a tokenized real estate token, you're buying actual property ownership, not betting on hype. What Are the Real Trade-offs? What You Gain: ● Ownership of real, valuable assets ● Ability to buy expensive things in small pieces ● 24/7 trading instead of limited market hours ● Lower fees than traditional brokers ● Legal protections under securities laws What You Give Up: ● Need to verify your identity (KYC requirements) ● Can't trade anonymously like regular crypto ● Limited selection compared to traditional stocks or crypto ● More complex regulations to understand ● Early-stage market with fewer platforms Who Benefits Most: ● Investors wanting real asset exposure with blockchain benefits ● People locked out of expensive investments due to minimums ● International investors wanting access to U.S. or European assets ● Anyone frustrated with traditional broker fees and limited trading hours What About Regulations and Compliance? Here's the simple version: security tokens are regulated like traditional stocks, which means more paperwork but better protection. You need to verify your identity, the companies issuing tokens must follow securities laws, and you have legal recourse if something goes wrong. The SEC in the U.S. requires security tokens to register or qualify for exemptions. This creates complexity for issuers but provides the same investor protections you get with regular stocks. Bitget maintains comprehensive compliance measures across multiple jurisdictions to ensure safe trading. Different countries have different rules, so tokens legal in one place might be restricted elsewhere. This is why platforms like Bitget focus on regulatory compliance and proper licensing. Is This Worth Your Time Right Now? For most people, security tokens are interesting but not yet essential. The market is growing but still small compared to regular stocks or crypto. Limited options and regulatory complexity mean it's not as simple as buying Bitcoin. However, the technology solves real problems. If you've ever wanted to invest in real estate but lacked the capital, buy stocks outside market hours, or access private company investments, security tokens provide genuine solutions. Best For: ● Investors wanting real asset exposure with crypto benefits ● People interested in fractional real estate or private equity ● International investors seeking broader market access ● Anyone frustrated with traditional investment limitations Skip For Now If: ● You're happy with regular stock brokers and crypto exchanges ● You prefer maximum simplicity in investing ● You're not comfortable with additional regulatory requirements How Can You Get Started? Start Simple: Try Bitget's tokenized stocks to experience blockchain-based asset trading without complexity. Trade fractional shares of major companies and see how it compares to traditional brokers. Learn First: Bitget's educational content explains tokenization principles and helps you understand the technology before investing larger amounts. Verify Requirements: Check your local regulations and prepare for KYC verification. Most platforms require identity verification similar to opening a bank account. Start Small: Begin with small amounts to understand how the technology works before making larger investments. The goal is learning, not getting rich quickly. Why Use Bitget for Security Token Exposure? Bitget provides practical access to tokenized assets without the complexity of specialized security token platforms. Trade tokenized stocks, access educational resources, and participate in regulated digital asset markets through a familiar interface. What Bitget Offers: ● Tokenized stock trading with major company exposure ● Comprehensive compliance features and regulatory licensing ● Educational resources covering security tokenization ● Bridge between traditional finance and blockchain innovation The platform makes tokenized assets accessible without requiring specialized knowledge or separate platforms for each asset type. What Should You Expect Going Forward? Security tokens represent the practical middle ground between traditional finance and blockchain innovation. They solve real problems around asset accessibility, trading limitations, and high fees while maintaining the protections investors expect. Expect steady growth rather than explosive hype. As regulations become clearer and more assets get tokenized, options will expand. Real estate, private equity, and traditional securities will likely lead adoption. The technology works - the question is whether enough investors value fractional ownership and 24/7 trading to drive mainstream adoption. Early indicators suggest yes, but growth will be gradual and compliance-focused.

Polymarket: The Crypto Betting Site That Knows the Future (Sometimes)

What if you could turn your opinions about world events into real money? Welcome to Polymarket—a blockchain-powered prediction platform where users bet on everything from elections and celebrity drama to economic forecasts and legal showdowns. Backed by crypto and powered by collective intelligence, Polymarket promises a glimpse into the future or, at least, the one the internet believes in. In this article, we'll explore how Polymarket makes money, how it works, its controversial rise under founder Shayne Coplan, and how Donald Trump became the platform's most high-stakes subject. What Is Polymarket? Polymarket is a decentralised prediction market that lets users bet on real-world outcomes using crypto. Think of it as a betting exchange crossed with a news ticker, except powered by the Polygon blockchain and run through smart contracts. Users can bet on yes-or-no questions like "Will Donald Trump win the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election?" or "Will Apple release a foldable iPhone by 2026?". Each market has a share price between $0 and $1, which reflects the crowd's belief in that outcome. If you buy Yes at $0.40 and the event happens, you get $1. If not, you lose your stake. Source: Polymarket What sets Polymarket apart is its use of blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins like USDC to create transparent, tamper-resistant markets. No bookie needed, no house bias. How Does Polymarket Work? At its core, Polymarket is a trading platform for probabilities. You connect a crypto wallet, fund it with USDC, and start buying or selling shares in future events. These aren't fantasy points or play money; it's real crypto at stake. Markets are resolved by oracles (automated systems or trusted sources like news outlets) that determine the outcome once an event concludes. The entire process runs on smart contracts, meaning trades, payouts, and record-keeping are all automated and publicly verifiable on the blockchain. For example: ● A Yes share priced at $0.65 implies a 65% chance of the event happening. ● If you disagree, you can buy No at $0.35. ● When the event resolves, winners get $1 per correct share. Losers get $0. This system enables real-time, crowd-sourced forecasting that adapts to breaking news, rumors, and shifting sentiment, sometimes faster than polls or pundits. How Does Polymarket Make Money? Polymarket takes a 2% fee on net winnings, meaning if you bet $100 and win $200, you keep $198. Losers pay nothing beyond their original bet. It’s a simple model that scales well with high-volume events. Additional revenue sources include: ● Market creation fees: Users must pay to launch new markets to filter out spam and help maintain quality. ● Liquidity spreads: Price differences between buy/sell orders allow market makers and sometimes the platform to earn indirectly. ● Data insights: With millions of user-generated predictions, Polymarket's data is a goldmine for traders, researchers, and journalists tracking public sentiment. In short: Polymarket wins when users are active, not when they lose. The Visionary (and Controversial) Shayne Coplan At the centre of Polymarket's rise is Shayne Coplan, the platform's enigmatic founder. A college dropout from New York and early Ethereum adopter, Coplan launched Polymarket in 2020 with the idea that prediction markets could outshine polls and pundits. Backed by investors like Founders Fund and Vitalik Buterin, Coplan grew Polymarket into a crypto phenomenon. But with success came scrutiny. In 2022, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined Polymarket $1.4 million for offering unregistered binary options. The platform agreed to block U.S. users, but questions lingered about enforcement. In late 2024, just after the U.S. presidential election, FBI agents raided Coplan's apartment in connection with an ongoing federal investigation. Though he wasn't arrested, the move signaled growing legal pressure on prediction markets, and added to Coplan's mythos as a rebellious founder operating in a legal grey zone. Trump and the Billion-Dollar Bets If one figure defines Polymarket's rise, it's Donald J. Trump. The platform exploded in popularity during the 2024 U.S. election, as users bet over $1 billion on whether Trump would reclaim the presidency. Markets at times gave him a higher chance of winning than major polls did, leading many to wonder if Polymarket was seeing something others weren't. Source: Polymarket 2024 Election Forecast At the peak, four anonymous "Trump whales" collectively wagered over $40 million on his victory. Rumours swirled: Was it insider knowledge? Just conviction? Either way, Polymarket became the go-to source for those who wanted a live, financial pulse on the election. The aftermath? Trump won—and so did those traders. But regulators took notice. The sheer size of these markets, combined with suspicions that U.S. residents were still accessing the site via VPNs, brought renewed legal heat. Some accused the platform of politicisation, but Coplan maintained it was simply the market speaking. Beyond elections, Polymarket users have bet on: ● Trump's legal indictments ● His social media returns ● Whether he'd attend debates or get convicted These Trump-centric markets have been goldmines for volume and controversy, and they've firmly positioned Polymarket as a cultural barometer, whether regulators like it or not. Why It Matters (and What Comes Next) Polymarket is more than a mere crypto casino. It's a window into how people think the world will unfold. From economic forecasts to entertainment gossip, the markets there reflect the crowd's collective intelligence—or bias. But the big question remains: Is it legal? In many jurisdictions, real-money prediction markets walk a fine line between financial derivatives and gambling. While Polymarket enforces geoblocks and claims to comply with local laws, its future may hinge on whether regulators see it as a forecasting tool, or a threat to democratic processes. Still, for crypto users, data junkies, and risk-takers, Polymarket is the most exciting place to bet on what's next. Remember that Polymarket doesn't promise it knows the future, but it shows you what the internet thinks will happen. Whether that's brilliance or madness depends on your view of markets, memes, and money. But one thing's for sure: it's never boring. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are for informational purposes only. This article does not constitute an endorsement of any of the products and services discussed or investment, financial, or trading guidance. Qualified professionals should be consulted prior to making financial decisions.

Security and Privacy in Blockchain

In this article, we will learn the fundamental concepts of security and privacy in blockchain, with relatable examples, to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of these essential concepts. Encryption and Hashing: Safeguarding Data with Advanced Techniques Encryption and hashing are two advanced techniques used to maintain data security and integrity on the blockchain. While they often work together, they serve different purposes in protecting information. Encryption John writes a secret letter and puts it in a locked box. Only people with the right key can open the box and read his letter. This is the basic idea behind encryption. In other words, encryption is the process of converting readable data into unreadable format that can only be deciphered with the right key. Encryption safeguards sensitive information from unauthorized access. You can turn unreadable data back into its original form, readable data, in a process called decryption. Hashing To protect her information, Mary uses a unique fingerprint for each document; a slight change would produce a completely different fingerprint. Hashing works in the same way. This technique will take input data and generate a fixed-size string of bytes, or a hash. The hash is a digital fingerprint for the block's data, including transactions, the previous block's hash, and a nonce (a random number). If there is a minor change in the data, the hash will look totally different. Unlike encryption, you cannot turn a hash back into the original data. The information won't be changed or tampered with, so you can ensure its trustworthiness. Now let’s consider a simple example of hashing on the blockchain. There are three friends: Anna, Bob, and Chris. They share their expenses using a ledger. Bob pays Anna $5 for lunch, and this transaction is added to a block with a unique hash of ABC123. Later, Chris pays Bob $10 for a book, creating a new block that includes the previous block’s hash (ABC123) and generates its own unique hash, DEF456. If someone tries to alter the transaction in the ledger, it will change the hash and disrupt the chain. The blockchain network will detect and reject the change to ensure the integrity of the shared ledger. Public Keys vs. Private Keys: Your Key to Secure Transactions Public and private keys play an important role in transaction security and user privacy. These keys work together to create a trustless digital identity for users within the decentralized system. Public keys Everyone has a mailbox at home with a unique address to share with others to send letters or packages. A public key is similar to that mailbox. A public key is an alphanumeric string that you can share with anyone, and they can send you digital assets such as BTC, ETH, USDT, XRP, and DOGE in a secure and private manner. This key is generated through complex mathematical algorithms to encrypt data and verify digital signatures. Example: When you create a Metamask wallet, you are assigned a public key to receive funds from others. Private Keys A private key is a secret and unique alphanumeric string that is closely guarded. It is used as the password to grant access to your digital wallet. For example, to send funds to someone else, you need to sign the transaction using your private key. This action proves that you are the rightful owner of the funds and authorizes the transfer. Be aware that if someone gains access to your private key, they will control over your digital assets. Make sure to secure your private key and cryptocurrency assets. Check out our article if you want to keep your crypto safe on Bitget Wallet: The Future of Cryptocurrency: How to Safely Store Your Crypto: A Beginner's Guide to Bitget Wallet Smart Contracts: The Future of Decentralized Transactions Smart contracts are self-executing digital agreements with terms and conditions embedded directly into lines of code. In essence, smart contracts are stored on the blockchain to enable transparent, secure, and efficient transactions without the involvement of third parties. How do smart contracts work, you may ask? Smart contracts are created using specialized programming languages and deployed on a blockchain network (Solidity for Ethereum or Plutus for Cardano). Once deployed, the smart contract monitors the network for transactions that fulfill the predefined conditions. When these conditions are satisfied, the smart contract executes the specified actions, such as transferring funds. Let’s look at this simple example. Emily wants to rent an apartment. Instead of signing a paper contract, Emily and the landlord agree to use a smart contract on the blockchain. The smart contract contains terms such as the rental amount, rental deposit, and duration of the lease. Once they fulfill the contract's conditions (Emily pays a two-month rental deposit), the smart contract automatically transfers the apartment key to Emily. For more information about smart contracts, refer to What Is the Smart Contract? Will the Computer Code Replace the Law in the Future? Private Transactions: Ensuring Confidentiality and Anonymity In general, blockchains are transparent and open their data to the public. However, some networks offer the option of private transactions to ensure that sensitive details are only accessible to the parties involved. Private transactions use advanced cryptographic techniques to safeguard the details of a transaction. These techniques include zero-knowledge proofs, which enable a party to prove they possess specific information without revealing the information itself; confidential transactions, which encrypt transaction amounts so only the involved parties can view the values; and stealth addresses, which are one-time use addresses generated for each transaction. Some of the well-known platforms that provide private transactions to users are ZCash, Tornado Cash, and Mimblewimble. Example: Lara wants to send 1 BTC to Mark without anyone knowing. She decides to visit Tornado Cash, deposit 1 BTC, and create a secret Note. Lara shares the Note with Mark. He connects his wallet, enters the Note, and provides an address. After that, Mark can withdraw 1 BTC with ease, and their transaction remains secret. Final Thought Grasping the fundamentals of blockchain security and privacy enables a deeper appreciation of this technology's potential. As blockchain continues to evolve, we can expect even more advanced security and privacy features. Disclaimer: All products and projects listed in this article are not endorsements and are provided for informational purposes only.