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What is Ethereum and Ethereum 2.0 | Your CA Guide

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What is Ethereum and Ethereum 2.0 | Your CA Guide   What is Ethereum? Ethereum is a stage controlled by blockchain innovation that is most popular for its native cryptocurrency, called ether, or ETH, or essentially ethereum. The appropriated idea of blockchain technology makes the Ethereum platform secure, and that security empowers ETH to gather esteem. It is a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality. Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of the platform. Ethereum is frequently alluded to as the second most popular cryptocurrency, after Bitcoin. In any case, in contrast to Bitcoin-and most other virtual currencies Ethereum is planned to be substantially more than essentially a mode of trade or a store of value. What is Ethereum? How does Ethereum works? Like all cryptocurrency, Ethereum works on the basis of a blockchain network. A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed public record where all transactions are confirmed, verified and r

Investing in Crypto vs Stocks

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Introduction Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that run on cryptographically secured distributed networks. They can be used as a medium of exchange and store of value. Stocks represent fractional ownership of shares in a company. While they are different asset classes, both crypto and stocks are tradeable and can be seen as investment vehicles. Crypto is a newer financial instrument that is prone to higher price volatility and risk.  Stocks are a long-established asset class that can yield both long and short-term returns.  While both instruments attract traders and investors, cryptocurrencies are often seen as an alternative to more traditional assets. There can be profitable strategies in both markets. This article breaks down the key differences between the two assets as well as their pros and cons. Crypto vs Stocks What is cryptocurrency? In simple terms, cryptocurrencies are digital currencies powered by blockchain technology. They rely on cryptographic techniques to secur

National Pension Scheme

What is National Pension Scheme (NPS)? This is a voluntary and long-term investment plan for retirement. Like APY, the scheme is under the purview of the PFRDA. The NPS is open to employees from the public and private sectors. The scheme is self-funded pension system. NPS subscribers invest in the pension account at regular intervals. After retirement, the subscribers can take out a certain percentage of the corpus while the remaining amount will come to you as monthly pension. A portion of the NPS investment goes to equities/stocks. There is a cap on equity exposure for the National Pension System. The cap acts like a stabilizer for the risk-return equation. You can choose to invest your money in a wide range of options. The account maintenance costs under NPS are the lowest as compared to similar pension products available in India, like retirement plans offered by Insurance companies and mutual funds, according to PFRDA website. NPS subscribers have control on the choice of invest

Atal Pension Yojana

What is Atal Pension Yojana? This is a pension scheme mainly aimed at the unorganized sector. There is an option of getting a fixed pension of ₹ 1000, ₹ 2000, ₹ 3000, ₹ 4000, or ₹ 5000 on attaining the age of 60. The pension corpus is created from your contributions that are invested in different assets. The collected amount under the scheme is managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA). The pension is determined based on the individual’s age and the contribution amount. The contributor’s spouse can stake claim to the pension upon the contributor’s death. Upon the death of both the contributor and his/ her spouse, their nominee will be given the accumulated corpus. If the contributor dies before completing 60 years of age, the spouse is also given an option to exit the scheme and claim the corpus. Otherwise, they can continue the scheme for the remaining period. Interestingly, the government makes a co-contribution of 50% of the total contributi

Sovereign Gold Bond

What are Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB)? One of the latest investment innovations is SGBs or Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme was launched by the government in November 2015. Investing in gold is much easier and more convenient now with SGBs. As an investor, you can earn an assured interest rate (2.5% per annum at present). You also eliminate risk and cost of storage. The redemption is linked to the gold price prevailing at the time of redemption. Also, SGBs are exempt from the capital gains tax, if held till maturity. Its features include the tenure of 8 years with an option to exit from the 5th year. A holding certificate is issued towards investment in bonds. The customers will be issued a certificate of holding on the date of issuance of the SGB. Certificate of holding can be collected from the branches or is sent directly to e-mail ID from RBI, if the e-mail ID is provided in the application form. Certain banks offer the convenience of SGB investing online. An ev

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

What is Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)? This government scheme aims to securing a bright future for the girl child in India. This is done by facilitating the parents of a girl child in building a fund for the proper education and marriage expenses of their child. The beneficiary of this scheme can be any girl child who is a resident Indian, from the time of opening the account and till the time of maturity or closure. Parents or legal guardian of a girl child who has not attained the age of 10 years can easily open the account. The guardian is allowed to deposit the amount and operate the account. Do note that the account has to be mandatorily operated by the girl child after she attains 18 years age. There will be only one account per girl child. Also, accounts can be opened for a maximum of two girl children in one family, including those adopted. The SSY account can be opened in any post office or authorized branch of bank. A minimum of ₹ 250 and a maximum of ₹ 1.5 lakh can be inv

Government Securities

What is investment in Government Securities (G-Secs)? Government securities are bonds, both short- and long- term, issued by the Government of India to raise funds for their expenditures. The government pays a specified coupon or interest rate on these bonds that may be payable annually or semi-annually or for any other specified frequency. The G-Secs which have a tenure less than a year are called treasury bills. The G-Secs, which mature after a year, are called bonds. G-Secs offer a whole host of advantages as an investment avenue. There is a Sovereign Guarantee. G-Secs are guaranteed by the Government of India. Hence, they carry almost zero credit risk. G-Secs allow you to lock in attractive interest rates for tenures ranging from 91 days to 40 years. Such long-term interest rate assurance is unparalleled because even banks FDs offer a maximum tenure of 10 years. G-Secs have no TDS (Tax Deducted at Source). Like bank FDs, there will be no tax deduction. Thus, you can pay taxes as