Headline Dec.18/ ''' MAKING *DIGITAL-WORLD* MONEY '''

''' MAKING *DIGITAL-WORLD* 

MONEY '''

ROBO-ADVISERS ON THE RISE  -the headline goes. And goes, hereafter. True on that, as-

Robo-advisers are expected to be more pervasive next year, with major finance organizations already adopting it.

*Artificial Intelligence* is becoming more real in our lives. And one of the great uses of artificial intelligence is to have them serve as financial advisers.

Robo-advisers, as they call it, use algorithms to automatically invest in assets based on user's preference. The Securities Commission is also supportive of  robo-advisers and is expecting to license the first robo-adviser in Malaysia by the first half of 2018.

GOING INTO 2018 -technologies that are already helping thousands make active and passive incomes can only get better.

Technology is now ubiquitous in our daily lives. It is also enabling the generation of income for many individuals these days.

Not just in how they allow us to manage our finances more effectively  -  with emerging and maturing forms of financial technology, they are helping us grow our money as well.

From new forms of  digital currency to artificial intelligence that can help us invest, there are technology and channels on the internet that provide opportunities for us to supplement our income, if not sparking off new careers down paths that were unheard of just a mere five years ago. In some ways, they are so prevalent that it's impossible to ignore.

We've talked about some of these technologies before as well as their financial potential, yet it's worth revisiting these aspects to not only discuss how they've grown in the past year but also to understand how they may change when we broach the year 2018.

So strap in as we explore money and technology, and the relationship that they share today in this increasingly digital world.

The cryptocurrency boom :

2017 may very well be the year that  cryptocurrency  makes a major impact on the global financial system. Not just in terms of how valuable it has become, but also in how deeply it has penetrated public consciousness.

Bitcoin used to be the anomaly people paid little attention to. But by November, it has become a frequent newspaper headline.

The popularity of Bitcoin has prompted governments to review policies regarding cryptocurrency.   Bank Negara Malaysia is mulling the recognition of cryptocurrencies by end of this year.

In early November, it was announced that the Securities Commission and the central bank are working together on guidelines before unveiling a framework for cryptocurrencies.

Perhaps, all this has to do with with Bitcoin's tremendous growth this year. In November, a single bitcoin finally hit the US$ 10,000 price-point, a new high that is far greater than its value at the start of this year.

At the start of this year, bitcoin traded at around US$ 960, and has risen steadily since. 

Thee are multiple explanations for this, but most experts believe that the latest boom is sparked partly by CME Group, a futures marketplace, announcing its intent to start listing bitcoin by the end of the year.

By this time of writing, bitcoin has risen to over US$16,000.

As though bolstered by bitcoin's success, other cryptocurrencies are surging as well. Ethereum, which is the second most popular, is trading at over $460 at this moment. The currencies was barely at US$90 in May this year.

This surprising development could prompt investors to start making headway into the digital currency. 

However, independent financial adviser Stanley Wong Chee Keat cautions an overly exuberant interest, saying that investors should still be concerned with cryptocurrency, especially since it is unregulated.

''Also, bitcoin is so volatile now that no one may necessarily be spending it. Nobody knows how valuable a single bitcoin might become in a week, so it's not exactly viable in the public market yet.

As such, we don't know if its lofty goal of becoming a substitute for cash can be realised anytime soon,'' he says.

It's important to note that the price might see a slump. In 2013, the cryptocurrency saw a long slump after passing the US$ 1,000 point.

From here on,  there are varying predictions as to what bitcoin and its peers will be by next year. From an investment perspective though, Wong advocates cautiousness. 

''I feel that, for bitcoin and the likes to be a properly stable form of investment and currency, it needs more real-world application. I will advise people against investing too much into it.'' 

The Honor and Serving of the latest Operational Research on Life, Living and Future, continues. The World Students Society thanks Tan Jee Yee for this research and authorship.

With respectful dedication to Open and Free Markets, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society and Twitter- !E-WOW! -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Peer To Peer '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless