Cardano’s recent full decentralization will fuel its appeal and price, better positioning it to take on rivals Bitcoin and Ethereum in the booming cryptocurrency market, predicts the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and fintech organisations.

The bold prediction from deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green comes as Cardano (ADA) last week became a fully-fledged community-run network.

Mr Green says: “The price of Cardano has exploded over the last few months – up around 600% since the beginning of the year, recently making it the third largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation after Bitcoin and Ethereum.

“But now Cardano has come of age by becoming fully decentralized – meaning its parent company has handed control of the blockchain over to the community – we can expect it to attract more investors which will, of course, drive its price on an upward trajectory.”

He continues: “This milestone will help Cardano better position itself to challenge major rivals in the cryptoverse.

“Cardano is likely to be a challenger to Ethereum as not only can it be used as currency, but its blockchain – the tech on which it runs – can also be used to build smart contracts, protocols and decentralised applications. Plus, it is said to be significantly more scalable than Ethereum.”

Mr Green goes on to say: “It will also pose a challenge to the all-mighty Bitcoin.  This is because those who invest in digital assets already or are planning to do so, know that one of the secrets of successful investing is diversification.

“Therefore, these investors will want their cryptocurrencies diversified too and this is ultimately likely to eat into Bitcoin’s market share.”

Earlier this year Cardano (ADA) was added to deVere Crypto, the cryptocurrency exchange app, to join other major digital currencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Bitcoin Cash, XRP and Dogecoin.

At the time, Nigel Green noted: “The addition underscores our commitment to continually reviewing and expanding our cryptocurrency offering in order to give users of the exchange access to the opportunities and rewards of digital currencies.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “This landmark moment in Cardano’s development journey will further galvanise its position as a rising star in the crypto market.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some celebrity investors soon publicly express their support on social media for Cardano as they have recently done with other cryptocurrencies.”

Data calculated by Finbold indicates that bitcoin futures open interest on various exchanges has grown by 133.74% between January and March 30, 2021, from $9.66 billion to $22.58 billion. In February, the value was at $10.88 billion.

The spike in bitcoin futures open interest reflects the surge in the asset’s price, initiated mainly by the entry of institutional investors into the sector.

Institutions might be considering adding more bitcoin to portfolio

The report explains what the rising bitcoin open future means in relation to institutional investors. According to the research report:

“The growth in open interest might also indicate institutions from traditional finance are considering adding more bitcoin exposure to their portfolios. As institutional investors continue hedging using futures, the demand for leverage increases.”

Elsewhere, gold futures open interest has plunged between January and March 2021 by 17.54%, from $116.30 billion to $95.90 billion. In February, the value of gold open interest futures was $107.7 billion. During this period, the price of gold has also plunged by at least 9%.

The analysis explains why gold open interest futures have plunged. According to the research report:

“The open gold futures have plunged in the first three months of 2021, correlating with the precious metal’s price fluctuations. The decreasing open interest in gold suggests that the buying power is drying up, and thus at least a corrective downswing is to be expected.”

The growth in bitcoin open futures offers validation for cryptocurrency supporters to believe the asset will eventually replace gold as the store of value. However, despite bitcoin surging, it is still miles away from surpassing gold in terms of the value of the open interest futures.

Data presented by cryptocurrency trading simulator Crypto Parrot indicates that the blockchain market size in banking and financial institutions is projected to grow at least 15 fold between 2021 and 2026, from $1.45 billion to $22.46 billion. On average, the market size is estimated to grow by almost 74% annually.

In 2022, the market size is expected to hit $2.52 billion, a growth of 73.79% from this year’s projections. By 2023, estimations indicate the market size will stand at $4.39 billion, while in 2024, the value will hit $7.63 billion. In 2025, the market will be estimated at $13.27 billion, representing a growth of 69.25% from the 2024 forecast.

Conclusion of blockchain application research to expand market size

Different banking and financial industry players are currently still researching the application of blockchain technology in the sector. The report highlights the impact of the current tests on the market size. According to the research report:

“The tests will likely materialize in the coming years, offering actual use cases in return contributing to the surge in market size. Most of the solutions under research cover the entire business chain from internal organizational processes to the client’s end.”

Blockchain technology is touted as a game-changer. However, some jurisdictions have not warmed up to the idea fully. The report highlights how regulatory hurdles might impact the technology’s rollout. According to the research report:

“Despite the optimism around the role of blockchain in the banking and financial industry, the issue of regulatory hurdles cannot be ignored. To realize the technology’s full potential, all players globally need to be on the same page.”

Despite the potential setback from the regulatory aspect, there is a consensus that blockchain technology will enable banks and financial institutions to offer better service and more security to customers.