HBAR crypto, or Hedera, is the native token of Hedera Hashgraph, a public decentralised distributed network where anyone can transact in crypto and develop dApps.

Hedera Hashgraph stands out as a distributed network that functions without the limitations of blockchains networks. The security and validation algorithms it is based on are more efficient than those used on blockchain networks.

## Hedera Hashgraph

Founded in 2017, Hedera Hashgraph is a unique type of blockchain that powers cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and dApps. The network is faster and more energy-efficient than regular blockchain networks.

Its speed and energy efficiencies are attributed to its underlying hashgraph consensus mechanism and the global enterprise governing body that owns and operates it. Hedera Hashgraph’s governing council includes multinational corporations like Boeing, TATA, IBM, Telekom, Google, LG, Magalu, and Swirlds.

## How Hedera works

The [Hedera](/news/article/hedera-hashgraph) distributed ledger is run on a group of nodes that is operated by the Hedera governing council. In the future, the mainnet nodes will be permissionless and run by anyone without informing Hedera.

The nodes use a “gossip protocol” algorithm to verify time sequence and validate transactions. The algorithm enables Hedera to execute fast and low-cost transactions while ensuring the highest security standard to prevent malicious attacks.

Hedera claims that its network can handle more than 10,000 transactions per second with a three-to-five-second settlement and confirmation time. The average cost of a transaction on the network is $0.0001.

## Hedera Founders

Leemon Baird, a computer scientist, and Mance Harmon, a tech executive, are the founders of Hedera. It was Baird who invented the hashgraph distributed consensus algorithm that serves as the heart of Hedera Hashgraph.

In 2015, Baird and Harmon founded the corporation Swirlds, which holds the patents to Hashgraph innovations. In 2017 Baird co-founded Hedera Hashgraph. The company launched the website, cryptocurrency, governing council, and whitepaper in 2018.

## HBAR Crypto

HBAR crypto is a utility token of the Hedera network. It has several use-cases. Token holders can make use of them to pay for transaction fees and in-app payments and micro-payments. The tokens can also be used to secure the Hedera network.

HBAR entered the crypto market in August 2018 through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO). At the time, each coin sold for $0.12, with 14,400,400 coins being sold for $120 million. As of writing (17/6/2022), according to Coinmarketcap, HBAR tokens are worth $0.0684. They are currently the 34th largest cryptocurrency with a live market cap of $1,420,427,584.

HBAR crypto can be bought on various crypto exchanges where they are listed. They can also be earned by participating in securing the Hedera network. Staking HBAR coins can result in more coins.

HBAR tokens have a max supply cap of 50,000,000,000 HBAR coins. There are currently 21,084,776,584 HBAR coins in public circulation. The tokens are to be released over a period of 15 years.

## Where to Buy HBRA Crypto

Several crypto exchanges, including Binance, Kucoin, Huobi Global, Uphold, and Bitstamp, list HBAR crypto. If you are already a Binance user, for example, you can add HBAR crypto to your crypto portfolio by buying them with your credit or debit card.

Besides using fiat money, you can also use other cryptocurrencies to buy HBAR. If you have crypto in another wallet, you can transfer the crypto to your Binance wallet and purchase your preferred amount of HBAR coins.

Unlike other cryptocurrencies, you don’t have to buy other cryptocurrencies to buy HBAR crypto. The coins can be purchased directly with fiat currency. You'll have to do your research to ensure you use the right crypto exchange for HBAR crypto purchases.

## Where to Store HBAR Crypto

HBAR crypto can be stored on crypto exchanges, soft wallets, and hard wallets. Some of the[ recommended](https://hedera.com/buying-guide) places to store your HBAR coins include;

•	BitGo, Fireblocks, Hex Trust, and Kingdom Trust: They provide custodial crypto storage services
•	D’CENT, Ledger: They are hardware wallets, best for storing large amounts of HBAR coins
•	Abra, Atomic, Coinomi, Edge, and Exodus: They are software wallets, great for convenience

The best place to store your purchased HBAR crypto depends on your crypto storage needs. Custodial, non-custodial, software, and hardware wallets have pros and cons.

Custodial wallets are, however, a great place to start for beginner crypto investors.

## Final Word

Hedera Hashgraph is not a truly decentralised blockchain network to many crypto enthusiasts. Considering its design, however, it stands out as revolutionary technology that can help with blockchain adoption.

HBAR, the Hedera Hashgraph native cryptocurrency, also stands out as a promising cryptocurrency. The token is more than a buy-and-hold cryptocurrency. Its several uses make it a worth considering investment option.

Considering the huge corporations backing the coin and the technology behind it, HBAR crypto can be a great long-term investment option, especially for beginners.



HBAR Crypto Explained

NFT marketplaces brings back 6.39 million results when searched for on Google. This means that you are not alone in looking for the best NFT marketplaces for 2022.

You continue to come across news of people buying digital cats, apes, in-game designs, and digital art for millions of dollars. It usually surprises you, since art pieces were typically purchased at auctions from well-known galleries across the globe. You may have asked countless times where people keep getting these digital collectibles. Do not worry, Moni Talks has got you covered when it comes to the best NFT marketplaces to buy digital arts that suit your investment preferences.

Since the second half of 2020, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have sailed on. Many traditional investors, and cryptocurrency holders, are doing everything in their capacity to own and speculate on these blockchain-based assets that are verifiable, indestructible, indivisible, and non-interoperable.

NFTs are digital tokens representing ownership of an asset that is scarce, whether a digital or physical item. Some of these items include real estate, in-game items, collectibles, soundtrack, and artwork.

Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), ApeCoin (APE), and [Ether (ETH)](/coins/eth), or fiat currencies such as the United States Dollar (USD), Euro, and the Great Britain Pound (GBP), these tokens cannot be exchanged for another.

This is because they come with unique attributes and traits that can be verified but do not have the divisibility of cryptocurrencies or fiat money.

Moreover, unlike digital assets, NFTs cannot be bought on exchanges (centralised and decentralised). Instead, you can find them on specially built online marketplaces.

## What are NFT Marketplaces? 

NFT Marketplaces are platforms where digital collectibles can be displayed, stored, traded, and minted in some cases. These marketplaces are to NFTs what exchanges are to cryptocurrencies and e-commerce websites such as Amazon and eBay are to goods and services.

To be eligible to partake in the activities of these marketplaces, you need to meet the following requirements.

Firstly, you must have a crypto wallet. There are several crypto wallets out there. You should also note that there are several NFT blockchains in the market, as of May 2022. Therefore, the onus falls on you to find a wallet that can access the blockchain network of the NFTs you wish to purchase.

A great example can be attributed to planning to buy or sell NFTs on the blockchain technology of Ethereum. You'll need a wallet like [MetaMask](https://metamask.io/) since it facilitates access to the Ethereum Network. In the same way, should you choose to buy or sell NFTs on other blockchains, you need to find wallets that grant access to those networks.

Secondly, you must have a certain amount of coins in the wallet. You cannot buy cryptocurrencies without fiat or other coins as deposits. In line with the same requirements, you need to deposit coins in your wallet before you can buy, sell, or mint a non-fungible token. More importantly, you will have to check the kind of cryptocurrencies supported by your preferred NFT marketplace before settling on a particular platform.

Lastly, you need to create an account. If you want to buy cryptocurrencies, you must create an account on exchanges that support a particular token. Inferring from the same activities you perform in the crypto space, you need to register for an account on the NFT marketplace of your preference.

In the crypto finance space, you can never do away with fees.

The same holds for listing and creating NFTs. You have to pay a blockchain network fee. There is a not a one-size-fits-all approach and, as a result, you should know your fee is dependent on the blockchain you use for your NFTs. Ethereum has the lion's share of NFT dApps, but it has relatively higher fees than other NFT blockchains.

## What are some of the NFT Blockchain Options?     

Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for decentralized finance (DeFi). Vitalik Buterin’s innovation has the largest blockchain by NFT sales volume. As of May 3, 2022, the total NFT sales volume generated by Ethereum was around $24.99 billion, per data retrieved from CryptoSlam.

This makes Ethereum the most popular chain to buy, sell, and create unique digital collectibles.

Aside from Ethereum, competing NFT blockchains include but are not limited to; Solana, TRON, Polygon, Flow (by Dapper Labs), Polkadot, Algorand, Avalanche, Ronin, BSC, WAX, EOS, Cosmos, Hedera Hashgraph, Cronos, Palm, Arbitrum, Panini, Tezos, Waves, and Fantom.

Interoperability is the hallmark of most of these blockchain systems. For example, you can use ERC20 tokens (Ethereum-based tokens) such as the United States Dollar Tether (USDT), the United States Dollar Coin (USDC), and Binance Coin (BNB), DAI, and others to buy Ethereum-based-non-fungible tokens.

On the other hand, blockchains such as Flow are not interoperable. You can only buy NBA TopShot NFTs with the native asset of the Flow ecosystem, FLOW.

## How Do These Marketplaces Work?

### Register for an Account 

Although there are slight differences when signing up for an account on an NFT marketplace, the main steps are similar.

It involves creating an account and connecting a supported wallet address to your preferred NFT marketplace.

Usually, you can find the "sign up" button at the top right-hand side of the homepage of an NFT marketplace.

Since you know the importance of holding onto your private keys and your passwords, you will be asked to input secret details of your wallet. Once done, your account will be fully set up.

### Buying a Non-Fungible Token 

There are several ways of buying an NFT. You can buy a digital collectible directly at a fixed price. What's more, you can buy an NFT through an auction. In some instances, owners of an NFT are open to negotiating the price of their digital collectibles.

### Selling a Non-Fungible Token 

Selling unique collectibles is more complicated than buying them. Selling NFTs is easy if you are reselling previously purchased items. Unfortunately, if you are selling something you have created, you need to go through a lengthy process.

•	Firstly, you have to upload an image of the digital art, tweet, or soundtrack onto your preferred NFT marketplace. Then you enter a fixed price for the NFT or entice buyers to battle for the piece through an action.
•	Secondly, verification of the NFT is done by the platform. If this is approved, the digital collectible will be listed for sale.
•	Lastly, once a seller accepts a bid for the NFT, the marketplace oversees the completion of the item's transfer from the buyer to the seller.

### Minting a Non-Fungible Token 

Ethereum is the best place to start if you are considering minting NFTs. You'll need an Ethereum wallet like Coinbase Wallet, TrustWallet, or MetaMask that supports Ethereum's token standard for NFTs.

Minting NFTs come at a cost. Therefore, you should have at least $50 in your wallet to cover Ethereum gas fees.
Once you have this, you can access NFT Marketplaces such as Mintable, Rarible, or OpenSea. A "Create Button" is typically found on the top right corner of most platforms.

Once you click on that button, you will be taken to a page where you can begin minting NFTs.

## What are some of the best NFT Marketplaces? 

There are several types of NFT marketplaces. Art-oriented and universal platforms dominate this market. Others, such as niche NFT marketplaces that list virtual real estate, digital collectible cards, and in-game items, are also preferred by millions of people.

Let us look at five of the most popular NFT marketplaces in addition to other honorable mentions.

•	OpenSea: • Launched on December 20, 2017, OpenSea is an online p2p marketplace where NFTs in the form of digital arts, in-game items, and other products can be bought and sold. As one of the most established universal NFT marketplaces, you can find domain names, virtual worlds, sports collectibles, and trading cards. It is the largest NFT marketplace by trading volume.
•	LooksRare: • Launched in January 2022, LooksRare has given strong competition to OpenSea. When you consider data from Dune Analytics, this NFT marketplace recorded more than $800 million in a single week in April. Having spent four months as a platform for buying and selling NFTs, Otherdeed, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Mutant Ape Yacht Club are the top collections on Looksrare.
•	Foundation: • Founded in February 2021, Foundation has become the go-to NFT marketplace for several creators. This is the playground for collectors, curators, and artists to experience the new way of buying, selling, and minting digital collectibles. Some of the top-selling Foundation (FND) NFTs include Carpoolers, At World’s End, Lucid Journey, Faced Fears, and Arrived.
•	Rarible: • Launched in 2020, Rarible is one of the most patronized NFT marketplaces in the crypto stratosphere today. Data retrieved from Dune Analytics shows that Rarible trails only OpenSea, LooksRare, and Larva Labs in weekly volume. It is an NFT marketplace where millions of people create, sell, and collect digital items. It is one of the few NFT marketplaces controlled by community members through their ownership of RARI tokens. Some of the top collections include but are not limited to CyberBrokers, CloneX, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Invisible Friends, Dippies, Azuki, and Dour Darcels.
•	Nifty Gateway: • Founded in 2018, Nifty Gateway is one of the largest NFT marketplaces. This platform holds the record for the most expensive digital collection ever sold. For $69 million, Beeple sold its collection labeled Everydays: The First 5000 Days. Beeple also sold Crossroad for $6.6 million on this platform. Other best-selling digital collectibles include Tpunks and CryptoPunks.

## NFT Marketplaces: Honorable Mentions

Although the NFT marketplaces already mentioned are some of the best platforms to buy digital collectibles, they are not the only ones. Others, such as SuperRare, Larva Labs, GameStop, NFT Launchpad, Crypto.com, DraftKings, and WAX, have great collections.
 
## What are some of the best NFT art collections? 

Once you settle on the best NFT marketplace that can oversee your activities, you have to find an NFT collection to invest in.
Although there are hundreds of collections in the market today, Moni Talks would like to draw your attention to the top five NFT collectibles by all-time sales volume.

•	Axie Infinity: • This NFT marketplace hosts in-game characters from the play-to-earn game called Axie Infinity. On the platform, players earn rewards by breeding, battling, and trading digital pets called Axies. Axie Infinity’s game has become a source of passive income for millions of people. As of May 2022, Axie Infinity has surpassed more than $4 billion in sales volume.
•	CryptoPunks: • This is a collection of 10,000 unique punks. Each CryptoPunk is different and can be officially owned by a single person. It is one of the highest-selling digital collectibles. Overall, CryptoPunks has surpassed more than $2 billion in sales volume.
•	Bored Ape Yacht Club: • Mirroring CryptoPunks and other projects that came before it, BAYC comprises 10,000 unique bored apes. They come in the same template but have different accessories. BAYC is the third-highest selling NFT collectible with more than $2 billion in sales.
•	Mutant Ape Yacht Club: • Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) is the sister project of BAYC. As of the most patronized digital collectibles, it is the fourth-highest selling NFT with more than $1 billion in sales volume.
•	Art Blocks: • As a unique platform, this project helps you pick a theme or style you like and make payments. Then, a random generation version of your selected style will be created by an Art Block algorithm which will be forwarded to your Ethereum account. Millions of people have taken advantage of this technology. As of writing, Art Blocks as an NFT collection had more than $1.2 billion in sales.

Others deserving of honorable mentions include NBA Top Shot, Azuki, The Sandbox, Meebits, World of Women, Decentraland, Valuables, and Sorare.
 
 



NFT Art Marketplaces: A Beginners Guide

There is one cryptocurrency you may not have heard of but is sure to make a big splash in 2022 and beyond. 

Hedera Hashgraph describe themselves as a third generation cryptocurrency platform which uses Direct Acyclic Graph technology instead of the regular blockchain often associated with Bitcoin and Ethereum. What this means is that Hedera Hashgraph can process 1000’s more transactions at lightening speeds at little to no cost and with Smart Contracts about to be launched on the platform you can expect to hear much more about Hedera Hashgraph in the weeks to come.

## An enterprise grade network platform for Web 3.0 and beyond

The brainchild of Dr Leemon Baird, Hedera Hashgraph is currently the most used, sustainable enterprise led public network allowing businesses and individuals to create decentralised applications (dApps) on the market today. The platform has been designed to be fairer and more efficient therefore circumnavigating some of the issues faced by more traditional networks on offer today. The statistics speak for themselves - 

![Hedera.png](https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/prod-monitalks-media/Hedera_4c863a7992.png)

Funded through an ICO in August debate and decide 2018 Hedera went live in September 2019 and to date almost 50% of its 50 billion native tokens (HBAR) are in circulation. HBAR is the fuel that powers the Hedera network allowing users to access a myriad of Web 3.0 applications such as smart contracts, file storage and more general transactional services. With rumours of HBAR staking becoming available to the public soon 2022 is shaping up to be quite a year for Hedera Hashgraph.

## Gossip about gossip

What sets Hedera apart from some of its competitors is its gossip protocol. In short, this unique network structure ensures that nodes only have to confirm the most minimum details passed to them from the previous nodes. This then of course ensures lightning-fast transaction times and much lower costs than competitors.

Like Ethereum the Hedera Hashgraph is responsible to a Governing Council of members which support the decentralised aims of the project via the management of network nodes as well as participating in governance rights. With companies as large as Boeing, Google, LG, Avery Denison and IBM already on the council it is easy to see why Hedera has such a promising future.

## Super-fast speeds and little to no cost

As I mentioned earlier, Hedera Hashgraph does not use a conventional blockchain model and instead relies on a Direct Acyclic Graph (DAG) framework which many cite as the third incarnation of the blockchain. Essentially a Proof of Stake network at heart the main difference between DAG network and traditional Proof of Stake models is the ability to scale and provide extremely fast transactions at little to no cost.

The average transaction fee on Hedera is $0.0001 and finality (completion) is reached in under 5 seconds. As the above table shows Hedera has the ability to process 10,000 transactions per second which when compared to a Proof of Work model shows there is just no comparison, that being said, is it any wonder some of the world’s biggest names have chosen to become Hedera Governing Council members?

## Crypto as software not an alternative to money

The main use cases for the Hedera network cover the all the major markets in crypto today. The Hedera platform is able to -

•	Provide a token service allowing users to mint NFTs with just a few lines of code.

•	Provide a consensus service which acts as a layer of trust for any application built upon it.

•	Allow developers to build DApps through the integration of smart contracts.

•	Provide users with a decentralised file service facility.

Just last Friday, Google Cloud announced their plans to provide cloud file storage solutions to the crypto industry in particular to Hedera, Theta and Dapper Labs. The fact that Google is a Hedera governing council member underlines how much interest both parties have invested in providing the network platforms of the future. 

Famed celebrity ‘Shark Tank’ investor Kevin O’Leary recently stated crypto has evolved into software rather than an alternative form of money although it has to be said many people understood this from day one. O’Leary said of Hedera “Great team, good engineers. What’s the economic premise that would keep that growing? Boeing want a quasi-centralised/decentralised platform, they want the best of both worlds. HBAR can deliver that, check the box 


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