This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

ZoidPay, a cryptocurrency start-up with offices in Romania, Cyprus, and Hong Kong, has launched a nifty platform that lets consumers shop and pay in crypto at over 40 million major online retailers worldwide, including Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba. 

The "Shop Anything from Anywhere with Crypto," team is zeroing in on an untapped market, a full-crypto payment shoppers' platform that is usable in everyday life. ZoidPay relies on a practical ecosystem designed to benefit users in every way, ensuring a smooth, enjoyable shopping experience that works with most major retailers.

How ZoidPay Works

The platform features three main components to operate smoothly, a crypto payment card, digital wallet, and built-in marketplace (aka shoppers' paradise).

Its crypto card lets shoppers make contactless payments with their crypto assets, while the digital wallet lets people manage their crypto in a user-friendly environment. By the way, merchants can also use it as an mPOS (mobile point of sale) to accept crypto payments. Pretty neat.

The marketplace is a global merchants' aggregator that provides users with over $1 billion liquidity per day to spend crypto assets on major e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon. 

Very simply, this means you decide how much (or how little) of your crypto you want to liquidate so that you can actually buy stuff on the marketplace. 

The shopping experience itself is simple. First, users browse as a typical shopping experience, using the marketplace, even taking advantage of search filters. Then, you can add items to your cart, select your tokens from your wallet and get your virtual card issued to complete your payment.

Plans also include Google Chrome Extension integration, which allows users to buy anything from anywhere globally with their crypto simply by connecting their existing digital wallets. 

As a bonus, the ZoidPay digital wallet can also be used in physical stores simply by using your smartphone as a POS (point of sale.)

ZPAY Token is one to watch

ZPAY is ZoidPay's native token and the backbone of the ZoidPay Marketplace economy, offering several benefits to users. These range from zero transaction fees to exclusive staking rewards, discounts, and of course, access to the Marketplace itself.

According to the company's whitepaper, ZPAY has a total supply of 700 million coins, with a listing price of $0.16 per coin. Thus, this is a functional token with good value and potential.

The end of Fiat?

With an ever-increasing interest in crypto payments, the MasterCard New Payments Index shows that 93% of consumers are considering crypto for their online shopping ventures. 

It's start-ups like these that investors need to be keeping eyes on, this is the future of online shopping, and the market is only getting hotter.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post Amazon, major retailers embrace crypto payments appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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Isabelle Korman does not own any of the stocks mentioned. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, and Mastercard. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended eBay and has recommended the following options: long January 2022 $1,920 calls on Amazon, short January 2022 $1,940 calls on Amazon, and short June 2021 $65 calls on eBay. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon, and Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Investing in digital currencies, especially in the extremely hot coins, requires a little bit of industry knowledge and a whole lot of DYOR-ing. Luckily, once you've mastered both, you can be on your way to making more thoughtful -- and potentially lucrative -- decisions in cryptocurrency investments.

With the current crypto market cap looking at an eye-popping $1.5 trillion, and over 10,000 coins to choose from, more and more investors are adding digital currencies to their portfolios. As a result, the days of holding only the Big Two, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) are, quite frankly, passé.

In the hope that they'll strike gold by pulling the trigger on the newest trending altcoin (any coin that is not Bitcoin), many investors rush in, chasing the pump. While I appreciate that new crypto investors are eager and sometimes overly confident, I do believe in being conservative.

That is until you know what you are doing and how you limit your losses. With this in mind, let's take a deep dive into the trusted hacks that measure any altcoin's stability. 

The 7 crypto golden rules

Go to the DEX (decentralized exchange) of your choice, and search for coins that have been on your radar. Keep all options open. Otherwise, you might miss out on some real gems. Don't follow the market. Follow the numbers.

Then, click on your selections, follow these steps, and compare each coin side by side as if your life (rather, your wallet) depends on it.

And remember, don't chase the pump!

1. Research: Be wary of the news and coins that are being shilled on Reddit as well as social media. When investigating a coin, see what kind of project it is supporting and if there is good value behind it. In other words-is it just another "memecoin" or is it attached to something innovative? Even better-join the coin's Telegram channel and see what people are generally saying about the coin itself.
2. Volume: Click on the Volume tab as your primary filter. The highest volume coins are moving the fastest at low opportunity costs. This reduces the chances of getting trapped in a pump-and-dump.
3. Percentage change: Check out the moving average indicator line. If you see a sudden, sharp drop from a coin's all-time high, you don't want to invest in it, because this coin has already broken its upswing trend and you risk losing money.
4. If it's a solid uptrend: It's ok to buy high and sell higher, especially in a bull market.
5. Market cap: Although not a deal breaker, it's nice to see that a coin has a high market cap. The higher the market cap, the more people have invested in this particular coin. Therefore, comparing all your coins here is always a good idea.
6. Circulating supply: If this is an infinite number, you're in trouble. This coin will go nowhere in value and fast. On the other hand, a healthy coin should have an excellent circulating supply in the multi-millions and beyond. 
7. TVL (Total Value Locked): Simply put, TVL shows that there is enough money locked into a coin to initiate its actual launch. This is an actual funding pool that lenders deposit money into. It shows exactly how much risk has gone into a coin. In fact, I would worry if a coin's TVL was under $1 million (for a new coin) and under $300 million for an established coin. But again-the higher the better.

And that's pretty much it!

Once you get the hang of things, you'll be able to invest like a crypto expert. Always remember to investigate and compare all options. Did coin #1 not meet any of the 7 rules? Run for the hills. Ask yourself if you really want to get in. Did coin #3 check all the boxes? Great! Just remember to always research the heck out of each option, make sure it serves a legitimate purpose, and avoid falling for coins that promise to go "to the moon!" 

We all know what happened with that last one.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The post 7 golden rules for crushing your crypto investments appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

More reading

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Isabelle Korman owns Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.