Viacoin (VIA) looks set to test the all-time high against bitcoin at 0.0008599, the peak achieved in June 2017. The altcoin has a promising roadmap and will become a contender in the privacy space with styx, a zero-knowledge proof protocol that enables unlinkable atomic payments for for VIA. As one of the pioneers of atomic swaps and the Lightning Network, along with Decred, Viacoin has one of the strongest technical foundations for a cryptocurrency. With the lead developer, known as Romano, having contributed to both bitcoin and litecoin, viacoin is one project that has a bright future. Fundamentals BTCManager reported on the altcoin’s implementation of atomic swaps in October 2017 and the new roadmap for 2018 will be released soon.

In Canada, a trusted place to. If mining is not your thing. Viacoin (VIA) Zcash (ZEC) If one of the Altcoins you want in not in the list. Please remember that this project is in development. The web and his graphic design are in early stages of development. It could be a fair statement to say that virtual currencies in Canada are very much operating in a “wild west” type of environment, with the caveat that FINTRAC is likely monitoring the current legal environment and rest assured, bitcoin companies (any business operating in the bitcoin virtual currency space) will be regulated in Canada.

Moreover, the altcoin is certain to get more attention as it is expected to be in the near future. Privacy Enhancements In 2018, we can expect the release of Viacoin Core 0.15, which should implement the MAST protocol upgrade, improving transaction sizes and bringing smart contracts to the blockchain network.

Styx, the layer on top of viacoin that will allow for anonymous atomic swaps, will be based on TumbleBit. With masternodes acting as tumblers, the development ported over to viacoin could mean that users will be able to stake their VIA to receive payments for tumbling transactions. Wider Support for VIA Finally, we should see a wider array of wallets for the altcoin; most notably, Ledger and Trezor are anticipated to support VIA soon, and there are plans for a Lightning Network-enabled wallet based on Jack Maller’s Zap and a Java-based wallet based on the popular bitcoin wallet Samourai. Technicals Since we have gone over some of the fundamentals of viacoin, we now look at the technical picture.

Weekly Price Action The chart below shows the weekly timeframe for VIA-BTC, illustrating that a downtrend was in place from October 2017 to December 2017. As we entered into 2018, the weekly close for VIA-BTC was higher than the Alligator, suggesting the start of an uptrend around 0.00032449. The price has since risen to around 0.00047 at the time of writing. VIA-BTC (Weekly, Bittrex) So far this week, the price action has tested the fractal resistance at 0.00054, with a weekly close above this level opening up the all-time high at 0.0008599.

These two fractals are the only resistances for VIA on this timeframe. Moreover, we see that the Awesome Oscillator looks to make a move above zero, which will indicate a strengthening of the bullish momentum. The weekly price action also displays a Cup and Handle, a famous trading pattern that suggests bullish continuation: This + all of the upcoming releases = Lambos in every available color. — Trading Whale (@TradingWhaIe) Using the Ichimoku indicator, we see that viacoin is attempting a bullish Kumo breakout; a weekly close above the cloud will give a signal that an uptrend will begin. Moreover, we see that the lagging line (purple) has moved above the previous price action, providing yet another buy signal on this week’s close. VIA-BTC (Weekly, Bittrex) Monthly Price Action Looking at the monthly price action, we see that a strong bullish signal may be given on January’s close. The market is currently within equilibrium, resting near the conversion (blue) and base (red) lines.

A monthly close higher than these two indicators will give a buy signal and suggest a drift toward 0.0008599. A break above 0.0008599 would open up the Fibonacci extension level at 0.00137491, shown below. VIA-BTC (Monthly, Bittrex) The author has been long VIA-BTC since January 1, 2018. Do you own research and do not take this article as investment advice.

We have so many people now coming to Bitcoin I thought it was time to update, or rather write a basic starter for Canadians wanting to get into bitcoin. This is based on my 7 years of experience in the Bitcoin space. Some will still have a different POV, but I hope this will give the basics to get started. I will assume you have some basic understanding of Bitcoin, though, too.

So if you are looking for a complete 101 this is a good intro video. If you are looking to read more, there are some other great content listed. I have been inspired by the content there, but it's not Canadian specific.

I will focus on what you need to know about as a Canadian and the Bitcoin marketplace. Here are the topics covered: Index We have a list of exchanges in Canada available. You will notice that, and are the three largest Canadian exchanges (as of this writing).

Make sure to review all relevant FAQ pages too before funding, to avoid issues with fees or errors. Quadrigacx is the largest by volume and has good liquidity. I also recommend it because you do not need verifcation to fund with crypto or two withdraw to the bank. You may be tempted to use Coinbase, but they do not have any Canadian funding options, which can become a hassle.

Learn how to get your Bitcoin out of Coinbase and into CAD. There are other services to get Bitcoins quick like and There are also a network of Bitcoin ATMs from You can follow the Canadian market. Note about support, issues: You may come to Bitcoin with certain expectations of service. Just as Bitcoin can fluctuate in price, the support teams of Canadian services can also be slammed. There may be delays in responses from some services, but rest assured, we are a close knit community and almost every time issues are resolved. One skill you will also want to practice with Bitcoin is taking your time. As transactions of Bitcoin are irreversible, make sure you enter your info properly, or you send coins to the right crypto-currency wallets.

Many times delays or issues come from typos or not following the requirements. If you have concerns of fees, you can also use localbitcoins. Please make sure you are SUPER careful with the exchanges you chose or how your trade. If something seems to good to be true, it probably is. So for example buying/selling bitcoin with Paypal or with a credit card.

These are HIGH RISK transactions. Also one final warning and it's very important. Do not leave large balances of money or crypto on a exchange. If the site goes down, your money is gone. You are not covered by the CDIC, and you will have little recourse. Bitcoins are valued at whatever market price people are willing to pay for them in balancing act of supply vs demand. Unlike traditional markets, bitcoin markets operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

No one knows what the value you will be or what events will cause the price to move. DO NOT INVEST WHAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE. I have seen bitcoin crash more than once to know that it's best to get your initial investment out and play with your profits.

You may have heard that with bitcoin you can 'Be your own bank'. This comes with the responsibility of keeping your Bitcoins safe. There are many options, but you should also be in control of your private keys. What does that mean? There are public keys, which is your Bitcoin address, where you can send or receive money. Every public address has a private address, which is paired (and cannot be changed).

The private key is something you should never share with anyone. It's like leaving a pile of diamonds on your kitchen table with the door open. At the same time having control of your private keys, means that if the wallet provider you use stops working, you won't lose your bitcoin. Also ensure you use a service where you can control and access your private keys. This is more than your 12 word phrase. Here are some of your options: Online: These are the most risky types of wallets, but of course the online is the easiest to use.

You may have heard these called 'Hot Wallets'. As much as a company can be trusted, bad things can happen. These are fine to get started, but as you get more into Bitcoin you will want to look to enhance your security. A made in Canada solution for you is. They have a chrome app, mobile app and desktop application.

BridgeCoin BCO Mining Company on this page. For getting started it's a great wallet, also because you can access your private keys as needed. Apps: If you are using a mobile device for your wallets there are a couple of great solutions. Below are my recommendations: -Android users check out -iOsuser should grab the Desktop: There are really only two awesome choices for the desktop: or Hardware: For those with a large amount of Bitcoin, or who are concerned about being hacked, you can consider a hardware wallet such as the or In Canada, a trusted place to buy hardware wallets is Paper Wallets: The most secure way to secure your bitcoins is securing them yourself using paper wallets which are generated offline. This is called cold storage. Check out here for the steps: Also for increased security, use Two Factor Authentication (2FA) everywhere it's offered, including any email you used connected to your accounts. Google Authenticator and Authy are the two most popular 2FA services.

Make sure you create backups of your 2FA codes in case your lose your device. We have of companies allowing you to spend Bitcoins. It is far from a comprehensive list, but it gives you some ideas. There is also a Canadian company offering Bitcoin to GiftCard services: Sure, but mining bitcoins is not as easy as it was, and you will most likely operate at a loss. You can learn about more about mining, and join the discussion. If you want to contribute to the bitcoin network by hosting the blockchain and propagating transactions you can run a full node using this setup guide. Is an easy option for getting set up.

You can view the global node distribution. There is a Montreal based service:. They have been around since 2013.

Bylls allows users that have bitcoins to send a payment in Canadian dollars to any third-party biller or personal payee. Bylls will buy the bitcoins from the user and pay the user by sending Canadian dollars to the recipient of the user's choosing, including to the user's own bank account.

Learn more about the service here: If mining is not your thing, you can also earn bitcoins by being paid for contributing your time to. Canadian banks may be involved with adopting the blockchain technology, but they still have a very antagonistic view of Bitcoin. Banks in general will shut down or freeze your account if they see many transactions related to buying Bitcoin. We recommend you don't use your primary bank for Bitcoin trading. The reason for their concern is KYC/AML regulations which the banks in Canada take very seriously, especially if they think you are money-laundering. Even if you are honest with your intentions, then banks can still choose to freeze your accounts.

We’ve seen this happen to some members in the past. What about taxes? You will need to pay captial gains on Bitcoin trades to fiat. Make sure you keep detailed records. You can read the stance of Canadian government here: You have heard about forks, but what does it mean? Essentially what happens is a certain block is chosen and then the bitcoin blockchain (the public ledger) goes onto another path.

Miners then choose which they will back. Right now there are 3 main 'bitcoin'. The wallets are not interchangeable. Think of forks of bitcoin as essentially a new crypto currency that shares the Bitcoin name. Because bitcoin is open source, and non-centralized, nothing prevents the name from being used by these new crypto currencies. - Regular Bitcoin (BTC) is what most people mean when they are referring to, when they speak about bitcoin. - Bitcoin Cash (BCH) came out of concerns of the speed of Bitcoin (BTC): 'Bitcoin Cash has implemented an increased block size of 8mb, to accelerate the verification process, with an adjustable level of difficulty to ensure the chain’s survival and transaction verification speed, regardless of the number of miners supporting it.'

You can read more here: Bitcoin vs. Bitcoin Cash: What's the Difference? Investopedia ' - Bitcoin Gold (BTG). This is the using the Bitcoin name, but has not gotten the same traction as Bitcoin Cash. This may change as more exchanges accept trading in BTG. The main differentiators of Bitcoin Gold is to allow people to mine with CPUs instead of ASIC's made which are special chips to mine bitcoin). There are so many Altcoins and ICOs, and we are happy to talk about them here. We recommend you do your due diligence with all of them, and keep in mind the old adage if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You can track the various Altcoins here: If you are looking to buy Altcoins from a Canadian exchange you are limited. As of this moment (our last update), here are the Altcoins you can buy in Canada:: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Ethereum, Litecoin.: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Dogecoin.

Offer these altcoins: Augur (REP) BitShares (BTS) Bitcoin (XBT) Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Bitcoin Gold (BTG) Civic (CVC) Dash (DASH) Decred (DCR) Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum Classic (ETC) Factom (FCT) GameCredits (GAME) Golem (GNT) Lisk (LSK) Litecoin (LTC) MaidSafeCoin (MAID) Monero (XMR) NAVCoin (NAV) NEM (XEM) NXT (NXT) OmiseGO (OMG) Omni (OMNI) Ripple (XRP) Stratis (STRAT) Syscoin (SYS) Vertcoin (VTC) Viacoin (VIA) Zcash (ZEC) If one of the Altcoins you want in not in the list, you can use a service called or Also for wallets, be very careful. You need the appropriate for each Altcoin.

The wallet for Bitcoin is not compatible with a wallet for Ethereum. Think of each Altcoin like a foreign bank account. Never the twain shall meet.

Companies like make this easier. There are many Bitcoins Meet-ups in Canada you can check them out. There is also a couple of local organizations/business that can help you further: -Montreal: -Toronto: -Calgary: -Vancouver: ***THIS POST IS A STARTING POINT, BUT CONTINUE YOUR READING 'DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE'. WE WILL UPDATE THIS POST AS NEEDED. YOU CAN SUGGEST CHANGES, UPDATES OR COMMENTS ***.