Introduction
Waves took a while to get going and had a lot of detractors early on but given the valuations of other cryptocurrencies I think it is one of the most underappreciated ones right now.
Unfortunately I think much of this was because it launched around the same time as the disastrous Slockit DAO which had a chilling effect on the whole cryptocurrency ecosystem.
The subsequent effects on the market meant that it didn't take off as investors had expected and as often happens when people in crypto don't make a stack of money right away they started calling it a scam.
It has become quite clear that such accusations were complete nonsense, however I believe that it has created the situation where WAVES is quite undervalued compared to other major cryptocurrencies.
So Why Am I So Excited About WAVES?
Before we get started I should make it clear that this is my own personal opinion and not meant as trading advice - always do your own research and don't just blindly believe someone else before investing.
Further I can't cover all the information or all the news - I will just pick what stands out to me.
Current Market Valuation
The current price of WAVES is around $4. Litecoin is worth $46, ETH is around $240 and even ETC is $15.59 - obviously ETH makes sense because of all the work and utility but the others rather less so.
WAVES has a fixed 100m supply and as stated earlier the current price is low compared to other cryptocurrencies.
It is already using DPOS so there is no looming possibility of a chain split (which may occur when ETH moves to POS).
Anyone can lease their WAVES to earn rewards straight from their wallet (without moving them).
Basic Features That Could Increase Demand
WAVES is probably the easiest platform to launch an ICO or create your own tokens on. With ICOs continuing to be a massive source of growth and outside interest in cryptocurrencies this will likely accelerate.
WAVES has it's own decentralised exchange (DEX) which is constantly being improved. I have previously written about how important DEXs will become in the future and recently the DEX has become accessible using the Android mobile wallet.
Important Partnerships and News:
WAVES has teamed up with Deloitte for providing ICO services.
WAVES is working with the Russian National Settlement Depository (the central depository for the Moscow Stock Exchange) to "develop a potential digital blockchain platform to serve digital assets including cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets".
WAVES also recently teamed up with the Russian Gazprombank to provide clients with ICO and blockchain services.
These are just a selection of recent partnerships and news - to be honest there is too much to cover here.
The WAVES team is marching forward with new developments faster than any other team I have seen.
Want More Information?
If you want more information and to keep up with the latest news and developments I would suggest using the following sources:
The WAVES Community Site.
Sasha Ivanov Twitter (the WAVES creator).
Conclusion
Overall when it comes to development, partnerships and technology WAVES is second only to Ethereum in my opinion.
There is some overlap in their roles but they are essentially doing different things and I think there is room for both to coexist in the market, indeed there are even cross blockchain projects and WAVES also recently added ETH pairs on the DEX.
It should also be noted that both Sasha Ivanov (the creator of WAVES) and Vitalik Buterin (the creator of ETH) seem to have a friendly relationship and Vitalik has both visited the WAVES offices and spoken at some of their events.
I think it is only a matter of time before WAVES is in the top 10 and if all goes well it should eventually be in the top 5.
I'm not sure if long term it could equal ETH in price but I think the potential for reaching $50-100 is certainly there given the prices of other cryptocurrencies which have significantly less development or utility.
That provides a significant opportunity for anyone to come in right now and make profits long term.
Of course there are never any guarantees in the crypto world but I will continue to keep buying WAVES whenever there is a dip.
Edit on Sunday 6 August 2017 at around 11.30 UK Time
Looks like WAVES is having a little surge and smashed the $5 mark!
Thank you for reading
