Back
About RSIS
Introduction
Building the Foundations
Welcome Message
Board of Governors
Staff Profiles
Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
Dean’s Office
Management
Distinguished Fellows
Faculty and Research
Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
Visiting Fellows
Adjunct Fellows
Administrative Staff
Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
RSIS Endowment Fund
Endowed Professorships
Career Opportunities
Getting to RSIS
Research
Research Centres
Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
Research Programmes
National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)
Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
Other Research
Future Issues and Technology Cluster
Research@RSIS
Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
Graduate Education
Graduate Programmes Office
Exchange Partners and Programmes
How to Apply
Financial Assistance
Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
RSIS Alumni
Outreach
Global Networks
About Global Networks
RSIS Alumni
International Programmes
About International Programmes
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)
International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
Executive Education
About Executive Education
SRP Executive Programme
Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
Public Education
About Public Education
Publications
RSIS Publications
Annual Reviews
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
RSIS Commentary Series
Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
Commemorative / Event Reports
Future Issues
IDSS Papers
Interreligious Relations
Monographs
NTS Insight
Policy Reports
Working Papers
External Publications
Authored Books
Journal Articles
Edited Books
Chapters in Edited Books
Policy Reports
Working Papers
Op-Eds
Glossary of Abbreviations
Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
RSIS Publications for the Year
External Publications for the Year
Media
News Releases
Speeches
Video/Audio Channel
Events
Contact Us
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University
  • About RSIS
      IntroductionBuilding the FoundationsWelcome MessageBoard of GovernorsHonours and Awards for RSIS Staff and StudentsRSIS Endowment FundEndowed ProfessorshipsCareer OpportunitiesGetting to RSIS
      Staff ProfilesExecutive Deputy Chairman’s OfficeDean’s OfficeManagementDistinguished FellowsFaculty and ResearchAssociate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research AnalystsVisiting FellowsAdjunct FellowsAdministrative Staff
  • Research
      Research CentresCentre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      Research ProgrammesNational Security Studies Programme (NSSP)Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      Other ResearchFuture Issues and Technology ClusterResearch@RSISScience and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      Graduate Programmes OfficeExchange Partners and ProgrammesHow to ApplyFinancial AssistanceMeet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other eventsRSIS Alumni
  • Outreach
      Global NetworksAbout Global NetworksRSIS Alumni
      International ProgrammesAbout International ProgrammesAsia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      Executive EducationAbout Executive EducationSRP Executive ProgrammeTerrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
      Public EducationAbout Public Education
  • Publications
      RSIS PublicationsAnnual ReviewsBooksBulletins and NewslettersRSIS Commentary SeriesCounter Terrorist Trends and AnalysesCommemorative / Event ReportsFuture IssuesIDSS PapersInterreligious RelationsMonographsNTS InsightPolicy ReportsWorking Papers
      External PublicationsAuthored BooksJournal ArticlesEdited BooksChapters in Edited BooksPolicy ReportsWorking PapersOp-Eds
      Glossary of AbbreviationsPolicy-relevant Articles Given RSIS AwardRSIS Publications for the YearExternal Publications for the Year
  • Media
      News ReleasesSpeechesVideo/Audio Channel
  • Events
  • Contact Us
    • Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
      rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
      rsis.sg
      rsissg
      RSIS
      RSS
      Subscribe to RSIS Publications
      Subscribe to RSIS Events

      Getting to RSIS

      Nanyang Technological University
      Block S4, Level B3,
      50 Nanyang Avenue,
      Singapore 639798

      Click here for direction to RSIS
Connect
Search
  • RSIS
  • Publication
  • RSIS Publications
  • Altcoins: Hidden Gems or Outright Scams?
  • Annual Reviews
  • Books
  • Bulletins and Newsletters
  • RSIS Commentary Series
  • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
  • Commemorative / Event Reports
  • Future Issues
  • IDSS Papers
  • Interreligious Relations
  • Monographs
  • NTS Insight
  • Policy Reports
  • Working Papers

CO21115 | Altcoins: Hidden Gems or Outright Scams?
Tan Teck Boon

28 July 2021

download pdf

SYNOPSIS

Altcoins have seen spectacular growth until recently. They are unsuitable for most people due to their volatile and cryptic nature. Because there is room for fraud, it is important to raise public awareness of the risks involved.

Source: Altcoins – Alternative Cryptocurrencies, Forextime.com, flickr, CC BY 2.0

COMMENTARY

THE COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled a speculative frenzy in altcoins. Quite simply, an altcoin is any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. But now that the sizable market for these Bitcoin “alternatives” has tanked, one cannot help but wonder if investors have been pouring big bucks into crackpot schemes all along.

If there is fraud, then there is room for policy intervention. Unfortunately, it is impossible to take a deep dive into every altcoin here. But by looking at a select few, it is possible to tell what is happening in that fascinating space.

Ether: Successor to Bitcoin?

Ether is the digital currency of the Ethereum blockchain network, an ecosystem of app developers and users not unlike Apple’s App Store. With a market capitalisation of about US$260 billion, the number two cryptocurrency was snapped up by investors expecting it to become the future currency of an idealised financial system in which individuals and businesses transact directly, cutting out intermediaries like banks that take a cut from every financial transaction.

There are reasons why Ether may dethrone Bitcoin to become the world’s most-wanted cryptocurrency. Firstly, Ether uses only a fraction of the energy needed by Bitcoin thanks to a more energy-efficient mining system. In a world increasingly concerned about sustainability, Ether certainly has a more compelling story.

Ether also appeals to investors because it fixes Bitcoin’s limited smart contract capabilities and these digital agreements are key to the financial disintermediation that cryptocurrencies will supposedly bring about.

Obviously, Ether’s future hinges on the continued growth of Ethereum and no one knows if the blockchain network will ever become a $2 trillion behemoth like Apple.

But some speculators did jump ahead betting that the altcoin would head to the moon – only to get burned when it plunged by more than 50 percent recently. So even if Ether is a gem, its extreme volatility makes it inappropriate for investors seeking stable and predictable returns over time.

Monero: The ‘Dark’ Coin

While Ether fixes Bitcoin’s limited smart contract capabilities, Monero targets Bitcoin’s deficient privacy features. There is a common misconception that Bitcoin transactions are private. They are not since Bitcoin transactions are logged in an open ledger. Monero, in comparison, blocks any efforts to uncover specifics of its transactions through the use of strong encryption.

Since its launch in 2014, Monero has built a significant following among people who consider the privacy or “dark” coin the true cryptocurrency. Thanks to its ultra-strong privacy features, Monero has long been used by criminals, hackers and fringe characters.

With a market capitalisation of about $4 billion, it is the largest privacy coin out there right now and true to its enigmatic nature, its creator(s) is a mystery while its army of developers has remained largely anonymous.

Given its popularity among privacy enthusiasts, is Monero a gem? There are several things to look for in an investment. At risk of over-simplifying, it must be a super high-quality business that is easy to understand. Besides great products, it should have excellent management. These essential qualities are clearly missing in Monero.

It is particularly cryptic for the average person to understand. The altcoin is great, albeit for illegal activities, and good luck figuring out the key players running it. As more government crackdown looms, the case for Monero is even weaker.

OneCoin: A Blockchain Ponzi Scheme

No discussion of altcoins would be complete without bringing up OneCoin, a crypto scam that duped millions of investors worldwide of more than US$4 billion between 2014 and 2017. Quite simply, it exploited investors’ greed and ignorance by promising them a chance to get rich fast with cryptocurrencies. And what better way to pitch the scam to them than by getting their friends and relatives to do the deed through a multi-level marketing scheme.

First of all, investors were told to buy a training package containing digital tokens used to mine OneCoin. Those who did must in turn sell the package to others. Commission from each purchase was then funnelled up to the ringleaders.

In reality, there was no mining or blockchain. OneCoin was simply an epic Ponzi scheme that made its handful of Eastern European fraudsters incredibly rich at the expense of everyone else.

The scam took off because it preyed on investors’ fear of missing out on the next big cryptocurrency. Some early Bitcoin investors did strike gold and OneCoin’s appeal was that it supposedly gave investors a second chance to get rich. The ringleaders also used the cryptic nature of cryptocurrencies to their advantage. They knew perfectly well that investors would not figure out that it was all a scam until too late.

Altcoins ─ Unregulated, Poorly Understood

Altcoins are largely unregulated and poorly understood. Hopefully, the examples above have shown that even the hottest ones are fraught with significant risks. Even if some of them turn out to be gems one day, fortunes will be blown before they are found given how messy and inchoate the space is. Then there are the scams to contend with and one can be sure that OneCoin is not the last.

Meanwhile, regulators are hamstrung because the organisations behind these cryptocurrencies often operate outside their jurisdictions. Going after the scammers is also easier said than done when you do not even know who they are.

Ultimately, it is up to the investor to do the necessary due diligence. Unfortunately, there is so much conflicting and biased information out there that the man on the street will be hard-pressed to separate the wheat from the chaff.

It is safe to say then that there is a need to raise the public’s understanding of altcoins with high-quality accessible information. This will level the playing field by making it harder for those in the know to take advantage of others. It will also help ordinary folks make better decisions with their hard-earned money.

So on the policy front, raising public awareness should go hand in hand with tighter regulations. A caveat emptor attitude is just not good enough because an ounce of prevention here is worth more than a pound of cure; in the case of OneCoin, it could literally be worth billions.

About the Author

Tan Teck Boon is Research Fellow in the Office of the Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Categories: RSIS Commentary Series / Non-Traditional Security / Country and Region Studies / Cybersecurity, Biosecurity and Nuclear Safety / International Political Economy / International Politics and Security / East Asia and Asia Pacific / South Asia / Southeast Asia and ASEAN / Global
comments powered by Disqus

SYNOPSIS

Altcoins have seen spectacular growth until recently. They are unsuitable for most people due to their volatile and cryptic nature. Because there is room for fraud, it is important to raise public awareness of the risks involved.

Source: Altcoins – Alternative Cryptocurrencies, Forextime.com, flickr, CC BY 2.0

COMMENTARY

THE COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled a speculative frenzy in altcoins. Quite simply, an altcoin is any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. But now that the sizable market for these Bitcoin “alternatives” has tanked, one cannot help but wonder if investors have been pouring big bucks into crackpot schemes all along.

If there is fraud, then there is room for policy intervention. Unfortunately, it is impossible to take a deep dive into every altcoin here. But by looking at a select few, it is possible to tell what is happening in that fascinating space.

Ether: Successor to Bitcoin?

Ether is the digital currency of the Ethereum blockchain network, an ecosystem of app developers and users not unlike Apple’s App Store. With a market capitalisation of about US$260 billion, the number two cryptocurrency was snapped up by investors expecting it to become the future currency of an idealised financial system in which individuals and businesses transact directly, cutting out intermediaries like banks that take a cut from every financial transaction.

There are reasons why Ether may dethrone Bitcoin to become the world’s most-wanted cryptocurrency. Firstly, Ether uses only a fraction of the energy needed by Bitcoin thanks to a more energy-efficient mining system. In a world increasingly concerned about sustainability, Ether certainly has a more compelling story.

Ether also appeals to investors because it fixes Bitcoin’s limited smart contract capabilities and these digital agreements are key to the financial disintermediation that cryptocurrencies will supposedly bring about.

Obviously, Ether’s future hinges on the continued growth of Ethereum and no one knows if the blockchain network will ever become a $2 trillion behemoth like Apple.

But some speculators did jump ahead betting that the altcoin would head to the moon – only to get burned when it plunged by more than 50 percent recently. So even if Ether is a gem, its extreme volatility makes it inappropriate for investors seeking stable and predictable returns over time.

Monero: The ‘Dark’ Coin

While Ether fixes Bitcoin’s limited smart contract capabilities, Monero targets Bitcoin’s deficient privacy features. There is a common misconception that Bitcoin transactions are private. They are not since Bitcoin transactions are logged in an open ledger. Monero, in comparison, blocks any efforts to uncover specifics of its transactions through the use of strong encryption.

Since its launch in 2014, Monero has built a significant following among people who consider the privacy or “dark” coin the true cryptocurrency. Thanks to its ultra-strong privacy features, Monero has long been used by criminals, hackers and fringe characters.

With a market capitalisation of about $4 billion, it is the largest privacy coin out there right now and true to its enigmatic nature, its creator(s) is a mystery while its army of developers has remained largely anonymous.

Given its popularity among privacy enthusiasts, is Monero a gem? There are several things to look for in an investment. At risk of over-simplifying, it must be a super high-quality business that is easy to understand. Besides great products, it should have excellent management. These essential qualities are clearly missing in Monero.

It is particularly cryptic for the average person to understand. The altcoin is great, albeit for illegal activities, and good luck figuring out the key players running it. As more government crackdown looms, the case for Monero is even weaker.

OneCoin: A Blockchain Ponzi Scheme

No discussion of altcoins would be complete without bringing up OneCoin, a crypto scam that duped millions of investors worldwide of more than US$4 billion between 2014 and 2017. Quite simply, it exploited investors’ greed and ignorance by promising them a chance to get rich fast with cryptocurrencies. And what better way to pitch the scam to them than by getting their friends and relatives to do the deed through a multi-level marketing scheme.

First of all, investors were told to buy a training package containing digital tokens used to mine OneCoin. Those who did must in turn sell the package to others. Commission from each purchase was then funnelled up to the ringleaders.

In reality, there was no mining or blockchain. OneCoin was simply an epic Ponzi scheme that made its handful of Eastern European fraudsters incredibly rich at the expense of everyone else.

The scam took off because it preyed on investors’ fear of missing out on the next big cryptocurrency. Some early Bitcoin investors did strike gold and OneCoin’s appeal was that it supposedly gave investors a second chance to get rich. The ringleaders also used the cryptic nature of cryptocurrencies to their advantage. They knew perfectly well that investors would not figure out that it was all a scam until too late.

Altcoins ─ Unregulated, Poorly Understood

Altcoins are largely unregulated and poorly understood. Hopefully, the examples above have shown that even the hottest ones are fraught with significant risks. Even if some of them turn out to be gems one day, fortunes will be blown before they are found given how messy and inchoate the space is. Then there are the scams to contend with and one can be sure that OneCoin is not the last.

Meanwhile, regulators are hamstrung because the organisations behind these cryptocurrencies often operate outside their jurisdictions. Going after the scammers is also easier said than done when you do not even know who they are.

Ultimately, it is up to the investor to do the necessary due diligence. Unfortunately, there is so much conflicting and biased information out there that the man on the street will be hard-pressed to separate the wheat from the chaff.

It is safe to say then that there is a need to raise the public’s understanding of altcoins with high-quality accessible information. This will level the playing field by making it harder for those in the know to take advantage of others. It will also help ordinary folks make better decisions with their hard-earned money.

So on the policy front, raising public awareness should go hand in hand with tighter regulations. A caveat emptor attitude is just not good enough because an ounce of prevention here is worth more than a pound of cure; in the case of OneCoin, it could literally be worth billions.

About the Author

Tan Teck Boon is Research Fellow in the Office of the Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Categories: RSIS Commentary Series / Non-Traditional Security / Country and Region Studies / Cybersecurity, Biosecurity and Nuclear Safety / International Political Economy / International Politics and Security

Popular Links

About RSISResearch ProgrammesGraduate EducationPublicationsEventsAdmissionsCareersVideo/Audio ChannelRSIS Intranet

Connect with Us

rsis.ntu
rsis_ntu
rsisntu
rsisvideocast
school/rsis-ntu
rsis.sg
rsissg
RSIS
RSS
Subscribe to RSIS Publications
Subscribe to RSIS Events

Getting to RSIS

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

Click here for direction to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    Privacy Statement / Terms of Use
    Help us improve

      Rate your experience with this website
      123456
      Not satisfiedVery satisfied
      What did you like?
      0/255 characters
      What can be improved?
      0/255 characters
      Your email
      Please enter a valid email.
      Thank you for your feedback.
      This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
      OK
      Latest Book
      more info