Beam Mimblewimble is a scalable, fungible, and confidential cryptocurrency based on the Mimblewimble implementation. WHY BEAM? Core features include complete control over your privacy, All transactions are private by default, No addresses or other private information are stored on the blockchain, Superior scalability due to compact blockchain size, Opt-in Auditability, Support online and offline transactions, atomic swap, hardware wallets integration. Governance model No premine, No ICO. Backed by Treasury Establishing a non-profit foundation to govern the protocol after Mainnet launch How does it work? Wallets’ owners create new transaction using secure channel either online or offline Both wallets participate in signing the transaction using Schnorr protocol Wallet sends transaction to node Each transaction contains a list of Inputs and Outputs represented by Pedersen Commitments, as well as explicit fees and kernels. Each transaction also contains non-interactive zero knowledge range proof to verify that the output transaction value is positive Transaction is verified by the node Each transaction is verified with respect to the recent blockchain state which is stored as a Merkle Tree. The root hash of the tree is recorded in block header along with a proof of work. In addition, each node periodically creates compacted history to allow ‘fast sync’ of new and existing nodes. Transaction is added to the mining pool A block is mined every minute and is sent back to the node for verification and distribution. Mined blocks containing the new transactions are sent to the known peers A valid block that is extending the longest chain is accepted as a new Tip and propagated further until full consensus is reached. Fast sync When a new node connects to the network for the first time it can request compacted history containing only system state and blockchain headers. There is no need to retrieve the entire transaction history.
Crypto.com, the pioneering payments and cryptocurrency platform, seeks to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency. The MCO Token Sale was conducted in May-June 2017 and raised US$26.7 million. MCO Card is a Visa-branded debit card that draws from a cryptocurrency-funded bank account. Since it’s a Visa card, you can use your MCO Visa card just like you would any other card. The card and bank account are free for holders of cryptocurrency. In order to open an account, you simply sign up, verify your identity, and transfer any of the various accepted cryptocurrencies to your account. At this time, the Visa card is available to customers in Asia. They also have a waitlist for European customers. Customers in the United States does not have access to it at the moment. However, there are plans to change that. Solving the problem of everyday payments has the potential to be huge for cryptocurrency. However, MCO Visa card is not the only project attempting to create crypto-backed debit (or prepaid) cards. Other projects, such as TenX, are working on the same issue. All of these projects run into challenges implementing such cards in a large scale, compliant manner. Crypto.com hopes to crack the code, ultimately getting cryptocurrencies and popular payment methods to play nicely together. Crypto.com was founded in June 2016 in Switzerland and rebranded from Monaco on 6th July 2018. Their first prototype was developed in October of that year. In February of 2017, they were accepted into a Hong Kong Government backed Cyberport incubation program, where they developed their platform until they were ready to launch their token sale in 2017. The sale closed in June with $26.7 million in funding. Their app became available to pre-registered users in August 2017, followed by the official partnership with Visa in October. The team consists of seasoned veterans in the fin-tech space, most of whom have experience in Asia, where Monaco Cards have first been made available. Since MCO Visa cards are backed by cryptocurrency, they don’t have border issues like fiat currencies. As a result, you can use your card anywhere you go. The card will automatically default to the local fiat currency when you make a purchase. The low fees and exchange rates also apply in other countries. Transactions take place at the exact exchange rate that Crypto.com receives as an institutional trader. In contrast, when you use your debit card across borders with most banks, they’ll add an additional percentage to the exchange rate or include a transaction fee. Crypto.com has connections with eight of the top ten international foreign exchange banks to facilitate currency conversion. The MCO Visa card is a compelling option for anyone looking to make everyday purchases with cryptocurrency. It also makes sense for cross-border travelers. However, we can expect the rollout to take a long time and hit a lot of bumps along the way. The financial industry is highly regulated and cryptocurrency-backed payments is a complex issue, even if Crypto.com's solution seems to make it simple and user-friendly.