Dash (DASH) is not only a fork of Litecoin (LTC), it is a major altcoin which followed the creation of Bitcoin (BTC).
This article takes an overview of Dash, its core areas of business, and - most importantly for prospective investors - the pros and cons which can help answer the question: Should You Buy Dash?
Dash has performed extremely well and brought huge gains to investors ever since it hit the market charts in February 2014. While 2020 was tagged as the year of pandemic, 2021 was tagged as the year of cryptocurrency gains for investors. Dash benefitted from the crypto boom and returned an impressive 50% for investors in 2021. Unfortunately, the cryptocurrency has failed to regain its all-time high recorded in 2017.
For a cryptocurrency that is tagged as one of the major altcoins along with Litecoin (LTC), several analysts have reservations about its trading price. Such reservations revolve around why DASH is not trading in the price range of Ethereum. Others cannot believe that newcomers such as Binance Coin (BNB) and tradable tokens such as Maker (MKR) and Yearn Finance have higher prices.
As one of the oldest cryptocurrencies out there, for experienced traders and investors, it is difficult to see Ethereum, a relatively younger cryptocurrency, surpass Dash. ETH is currently not only the second largest cryptocurrency. It is also the second most popular after Bitcoin.
With the whole cryptocurrency market struggling to gain acceptance, Dash, unlike other altcoins, has gained strong usage and appeal in Latin America. According to a report by German news website, DER SPIEGEL, Dash is the most popular cryptocurrency in Venezuela.
With several Latin American countries in crisis, Dash has been able to sustain the economy due to its low average transaction costs. With countries such as China taking the lead in the creation and usage of central bank digital currency, does Dash have a future?
With no decentralized applications to back it up, is dash a good investment?
Most importantly, for novice traders and investors - what are the pros and cons that can help answer the question; should I buy Dash?
Contents:
- Dash at a Glance
- Pros of Buying Dash
- Cons of Buying Dash
- Dash Price Predictions: What Are Analysts Saying About It?
- Where Can I Buy Dash?
- The Bottom Line, Should You Buy Dash?
- FAQs
Dash At A Glance
In this section, we will look at Dash’s performance which will help provide answers to, is dash a good investment? Additionally, it will give an overview of the beginnings of the cryptocurrency and some of the online retailers it is integrated with. Some of the partnerships it has formed through its funded organization Dash Core Group will also be highlighted.
Evan Duffield is widely credited as the original founder of Dash along with Kyle Hagan in 2014. After Bitcoin started gaining popularity, Evan Duffield conceived the idea of a cryptocurrency. His willingness to work on the idea was further heightened when Litecoin was forked out of Bitcoin.
Evan Duffield settled on creating a cryptocurrency that was more private than Bitcoin. On a single weekend, the basics of the digital asset were coded.
Before the conception of DASH, Duffield worked at Hawk Financial Group as a software developer. Additionally, he helped organizations develop machine learning algorithms and search engines.
Co-founder Kyle Hagan served as a co-author for the original whitepaper for darkcoin. He has not been heard of since he left the project in 2014.
Initially released on 18th January 2014, the digital asset was called XCoin. In less than a month in February 2014, Duffield and Hagan changed the name to Darkcoin. The creators settled on “Darkcoin” because they wanted the coin to be totally decentralized in a private and highly anonymous nature.
Darkcoin was rebranded in March 2015 to DASH. This move was to improve the cryptocurrency’s image after several online websites took advantage of the coin’s private nature to pursue illegal activities.
What is Dash?
Dash is a cryptocurrency and open-source blockchain that allows its users to send and receive money over the internet in a decentralized manner. Overall, it offers a relatively cheaper global payment network. Dash is a portmanteau of digital cash and is a fork of Litecoin (LTC).
Dash comprises a two-tier network which are incentivized nodes and decentralized project governance.
Incentivized Nodes include MasterNodes (a subset of the users who verify and validate transactions). For anyone to become a part of the group of “masternodes”, there is a prerequisite of holding 1,000 DASH.
Decentralized Project Governance serves three different functions which are PrivateSend, ChainLocks and InstantSend. PrivateSend provides an option of privacy for transactions. ChainLocks secures the blockchain in a way where it cannot be modified. InstantSend allows payments to be settled instantly. Dash’s ticker symbol is DASH.
What Is The Purpose Of DASH?
The main purpose of Dash is to improve on the scalability problems and high transaction fees associated with Bitcoin.
Additionally, Dash was created to minimize the publicity of blockchain ledgers which are typically made available to anyone on the internet. Dash was also designed to provide privacy as well as maximum transaction protection.
It serves its transactional purpose of enabling users to send and receive funds over the internet without any intermediaries.
How Many DASH Coins Are In Supply?
At the time of writing, DASH has a circulating supply of 11 million from a maximum supply of 18,900,000.
Dash Price History in 2014
DASH opened and closed on 3rd February 2014 at a trading price of $0.03. Dash closed the 1st quarter of the year at $0.65 (2,066.67% returns in less than 3 months). The crypto started to increase in trade volume which signalled investor interest in the asset.
Volumes such as $34,723 were recorded on 19th June 2014. Such activity on DASH saw it reach a new all-time of $14.98 on 1st June 2014. Dash closed the second quarter of the year with a trading price of $8.04.
Dash’s soaring price was the result of a cryptocurrency bubble that was about to burst. Cryptocurrencies such as Auroracoin, Peercoin, Nxt and Mastercoin sat alongside Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin and Ripple as the top 8 digital assets.
Then, the world’s biggest online cryptocurrency exchange, Mt. Gox, unexpectedly shut down after losing 850,000 Bitcoin. At the time the loss was valued at $400 million. In the same year, Bitcoin Foundation board member Charlie Shrem was arrested for money laundering. BTC was rocked by hacking scandals and repeated thefts.
Since altcoins primarily depend on Bitcoin in terms of bullish patterns and bearish declines, Dash plummeted in price. Bitcoin began 2014 with a price of $857 and closed on 31st December 2014 at a price of $315 (a 63.2439% decrease).
Dash closed the 3rd quarter of the year with a price of $2.48. It struggled for survival towards the end of the year and closed 2014 at a price of $2.13. In the process, Dash still returned impressive gains of 7,000%. At this point in time, Dash was still traded under the name ‘Darkcoin’.
Dash Price History in 2015
Dash opened 2015 with a price of $2. In the month of March 2015, a rebranding occurred which saw Darkcoin renamed Dash.
The name change had a significant effect on the price since the coin was moving away from being used for illegal activities due to its private nature.
Dash reached $5.28 on 24th March 2015 and closed at $2.82 on 30th June 2015.
Dash struggled to gain consistency in price and increased slightly to $3.41 to end 2015. Dash returned 70.5% for investors.
Dash Price History in 2016
Dash opened and closed 1st January 2016 with a price of $3.36. The digital asset increased significantly, more than doubling in price to close the first quarter of the year at $7.04.
Then Dash began to record awesome trade volumes which maintained its price and saw it end June at a price of $7.23.
The year 2016 was a great year for the cryptocurrency as it finished the year at $11.42. Dash returned 239.9% for investors.
Dash Price History in 2017
This was a year which saw cryptocurrencies experience a great boom. Bitcoin in addition to altcoin Bitcoin Cash reached new all-time highs. Dash started 2017 at a price of $11.91.
Following the bullish patterns of Bitcoin, Dash crossed the $100 price milestone for the first time. The digital asset reached as high as $107.63 on 17th March 2017.
Dash maintained its bullish momentum crossing several milestones in trade volume ($1m, $5m, $10m, $20m, $30m and $35 million). It ended June with a trading price of $164.44.
As a result of the massive gains, several countries started taking notice of cryptocurrencies. China banned the use of cryptocurrencies in September 2017. Fortunately, this did nothing to stop the crypto rally of 2017.
Dash closed at $315.92 on 30th September 2017 and ended the year with a price of $1,021.27. DASH reached an all time high of $1,642.22 on 20th December 2017 and returned 8,474.9%.
Dash Price History in 2018
The gains made by cryptocurrencies led by Bitcoin brought several enemies to the decentralized finance assets.
Japan was a country which had earlier on overlooked the threat of cryptocurrencies. Binance set up offices in the country when China announced its ban in 2017. Japan upon seeing the threat to the Yen decided to take a stand on cryptocurrencies and issued a ban as well. The year 2018 was one of the worst-performing years for cryptocurrencies and Dash was not spared.
After beginning and closing 1st January 2018 at a price of $1,165.58, Dash plunged to $291.62 by the end of March. Shedding 74.98% of its price in less than 3 months.
A huge sell-off ensued the following month which saw the asset further plummet in price by the end of September where it traded for $187.69.
Dash ended 2018 with a further drop to $81.41. The asset which markets itself as “move DASH in a second for less than a cent” shed 93.0155% of its entire price from the start to the end of the year.
Dash Price History in 2019
Although altcoins follow in the patterns of Bitcoin, 2019 saw BTC and Dash go separate ways. Bitcoin returned great profits for investors while Dash dropped further in overall market valuation.
DASH started 2019 at a price of $85.12. Dash reached new highs of $154.64 by the end of June and a huge sell-off followed.
Dash dropped to $70.23 on 30th September 2019. The cryptocurrency plummeted further to a new low of $41.77 to close the year. In the process, 50.9281% was slashed from its valuation.
Dash Price History in 2020
2020 saw the coronavirus pandemic give control of the market to bears. Every asset was affected in a huge way at first but recovered towards the end of the year.
Dash had a trading price of $40.04 on 1st January 2020. Dash exchanged hands at the end of 2020 at a price of $88.31. Dash returned 120.554% for investors and was backed by successful partnerships and integrations.
Dash Price History in 2021
Dash has performed extremely well in 2021. Through its team, it has carried on successful partnerships which have extended its reach and usage as a transactional currency. Dash opened at $99.60 and closed at $88.24 on 1st January 2021.
In May 2021 Dash crossed the $440 but since then declined and closed the year at $134, returning more than 50%.
Dash Price History in 2022
In the first 4 months of 2022 Dash was pretty stable trading between $87 and $153. Due to the bear market Dash price dropped to $31, but currently it is trading around $46.
So, is Dash an investment you should consider buying? What are the pros and cons of purchasing DASH in the future?
Crypto asset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Pros Of Buying Dash
What are the primary drivers behind such a price increase? To novice and expert investors, what are the pros you should consider before adding Dash to your investment portfolio?
✅ Relatively Faster Scalability than Most Altcoins
One of the primary drivers of Dash which has led to its adoption by several businesses is its unique feature of scalability. Dash is a fork of Litecoin and Litecoin is a fork of Bitcoin.
Although it thrives on the same features of these two pioneer cryptocurrencies, the developers of the cryptocurrency decided to address the issue of scalability.
The crypto uses a modified version of the proof-of-stake (POS) algorithm called X11. Under this algorithm, Dash is run by a subset of its users who are called MASTERNODES. These users simplify how transactions are validated and verified. As a result, Dash handles more transactions.
In order to be a part of this select group called masternodes, you must have a total of 1,000 DASH staked. This is the prime requisite needed by a user and it gives them a special chance to validate and verify transactions. Currently, there are 3,871 masternodes.
The average transaction time for Dash is 2 minutes and 39 seconds. Dash processes 30 to 56 transactions per second. This means that Dash has a slight advantage over Bitcoin which processes 4 to 6 transactions per second. It is also faster than Ethereum since it still relies on its 1.0 network which processes 15 to 30 transactions per second.
Scalability is highly linked to fees. With a relatively faster transaction speed, Dash has an average transaction fee of $0.0016.
Tackling the scalability issue associated with blockchain and cryptocurrency is what has seen the adoption of Dash by more than 155,000 online outlets. In the United States, brands such as GameStop, Barnes and Noble, Domino’s Pizza, Adidas and a host of Fortune 500 companies accept Dash as a payment option.
✅ Has an Impressive Daily Use Rate
In a recent report by Statista titled Number of daily transactions in Bitcoin, Ethereum and nine other cryptocurrencies from January 2017 to April 13, 2021, Dash was featured strongly.
The digital asset was named among eleven cryptocurrencies (Ethereum, Bitcoin, Chainlink, Stellar, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Monero, Ethereum Classic and Ripple) which experienced high volumes of daily transactions.
The crypto was categorized under the “most used digital currencies for making small trades” primarily for retail purposes. Dash being named among the cryptocurrency elite indicates an extensive real-world usage of the asset in terms of transactions.
Evidently, as per data retrieved from Bit Info Charts, there are 539 average transactions per hour and 12,935 transactions in the last 24 hours.
It is a known fact among crypto enthusiasts that most data provided on digital assets are normally speculative. As shown by data from Statista, Dash has an authentic use case which can better explain its gains for 2021.
With more partnerships and integrations, daily and monthly transactions can increase. This will be reflected in trade volumes and the market capitalization of the cryptocurrency.
✅ Successful Partnerships
StakeHound
Cryptocurrencies without smart contract capabilities often thrive on successful partnerships to stay alive. On 19th October 2020, The Dash Core Group and Dash NEXT announced a partnership with StakeHound. StakeHound is an enabler of liquid staking.
The purpose of the partnership is to allow holders of Dash to generate additional yield through major decentralized applications (DAPPS) on Ethereum. At the same time, users continue to earn stable staking rewards with StakedDASH.
Speaking of the partnership, CEO of the DASH Core Group, Ryan Taylor added that:
“With Dash extending into DeFi as a result of this partnership, new doors and use cases will be available to Dash users as well as ERC-20 blockchain users.”.
Considering the fact that lending platform Compound (COMP), which runs on Ethereum, has a market capitalization which rivals the overall valuation of Dash, activity on the decentralized application will likely be reflected in the price valuation of the cryptocurrency.
Secure Digital Markets
On 1st October 2020, Dash announced a partnership with Secure Digital Markets to boost Dash’s liquidity provision. Secure Digital Market is a global asset trading, marketing making and treasury management firm.
It depends on a business model which sees it work together with its clients to develop asset acquisition strategies or liquidation tailored to the needs of the clients. In the long run, this allows clients to optimize their fiat requirements or ongoing capital deployments.
Dash benefits from this partnership by being able to consolidate the strength of its business with secure and re-spendable transactions at relatively lower fees. This partnership will help DASH users access the cryptocurrency through more than 300 exchanges and brokerages across the world.
Additionally, DASH users can also access the cryptocurrency via more than 1,600 ATMs globally.
✅ Dash Has an Incredible Team
Having a strong team behind a cryptocurrency project can ensure its survival in such a saturated market. Fortunately, Dash has numerous teams behind its development, promotion and adoption. The most important ones are Dash Core Group, Dash Roots and Dash Investment Foundation.
The Dash Core Group is the primary team behind the development of the cryptocurrency. It plays an integral role of informing fans and skeptics of the digital asset. Upgrades, integrations and partnerships are communicated to users and holders of the asset in short and long form articles.
The primary aim of Dash Roots is to help individuals and teams (e.g., developers) by giving them a greater chance of commanding funds from the Dash Community. It provides a crowdfunding platform for new developers who can be added to the Dash Core Group.
By bringing more innovative ideas to Dash through developers, Dash can compete with well-established smart contract blockchains such as Tron, Polkadot, Cardano and Ethereum.
The Dash Investment Foundation plays a primary role in researching lucrative investment opportunities which could see the cryptocurrency used as a payment option.
This team continuously upgrades Dash’s blockchain with here-and-now solutions from the best technological minds to provide better ways to pay for goods and services.
✅ Dash has a Finite Supply
One of the primary drivers of price is scarcity which is linked to the forces of supply and demand. Dash has a current circulating supply of 11 million. This means that 58% of the cryptocurrency has been mined from a total supply of 18,900,000.
In the not-too-distant future, the total supply of Dash would have been mined. Once this has been done, the real value of Dash would come to light because the basic laws of economics would set in.
Once demand exceeds supply, the price of Dash could shoot up substantially.
Crypto asset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
Cons Of Buying Dash
Despite the growth potential of Dash, it is not perfect. Let us look at some of the pitfalls you should take into perspective before making an investment decision on Dash.
❌ Dash Is Decentralized and May Succumb To Regulation
The main purpose of cryptocurrencies is to allow users to send and receive money without any intermediaries. In the process, central banks would not have control over how citizens go about their financial activities.
With a rise in the use of cryptocurrencies, several eyebrows have been raised by various regulatory bodies. Aside from this, innovation has arisen in the eyes of several countries which are now experimenting with the idea of creating ‘central bank digital currencies’.
Further to that, every move so far taken by countries (China, Japan and Turkey) to ban cryptocurrencies has had an effect on Dash’s price. As a result, you must invest an amount of money you can write off as bad debt.
You can also diversify your portfolio by buying Dash with other mainstream financial instruments such as stocks, commodities and metals. This will help balance any losses you may suffer in the future.
❌ It’s Not Backed by DeFi Applications
Ethereum, Tron, EOS.io, Cardano and NEO among others normally thrive along the patterns of Bitcoin but have also have other features that drive price.
Unlike these cryptocurrencies which have decentralized applications powering its price, Dash relies on its adoption as a transactional currency. Going forward, if decentralized finance (DeFi) becomes the mainstay, Dash may be left behind as a result of a single function case.
Additionally, almost all cryptocurrencies have a primary function of being used as a transactional currency. This means Dash faces infinite competition from other digital assets which are competing for the same virtual numbers.
Dash Price Predictions: What Are Analysts Saying About The Cryptocurrency?
Coinpedia predicts Dash to have a trading price of $88 by the end of 2023. Dash will exchange hands for $139 in 2024 and for $213 in 2025. This increase in the value of the tokens would be possible if more merchants and payment processors adopt the coin.
WalletInvestor predicts Dash may have an average price of $250 by the end of 2023, $340 in 2024 and $490 in 2025.
Previsioni Bitcoin predicts Dash to trade for a coin at $71 by the end of 2023 and reach $270 in 2025.
Coin Price Forecast predicts the price of Dash to be traded at $63.79 by the end of 2023, $74.82 in 2024, and $95.34 in 2027.
DigitalCoin predicts Dash to have a trading price of $120 by the end of 2023, $168 in 2024, $212 in 2026, $246 in 2027 and $345 in 2028.
The Economy Forecast Agency, predicts Dash may have a price of $166 by the end of 2022, $197 (2023) and $71 (2024).
What Will Dash Be Worth in 2025?
WalletInvestor predicts Dash to have a maximum price of $490 by the end of 2025. Coin Price Forecast predicts the price of Dash to be valued at $85.36 in 2025. While DigitalCoin predicts may reach $212.
Dash Price Prediction 2030
Coin Price Forecast predicts the price of Dash to reach $126 by the end of 2030 and DigitalCoin predicts to reach $665 in 2030.
Read More: Dash Price Prediction Forecast
Where Can I Buy Dash?
eToro is a top rated brokerage that provides safety and security when buying Dash. Follow the steps below to buy Dash.
STEP ONE is to SIGN UP.
STEP TWO is to provide AUTHENTIC DETAILS (name, address, etc).
STEP THREE is UPLOAD FUNDS (fiat currency in the form of USD, EUR or GBP).
STEP FOUR is NAVIGATE to DASH and you are on the way to making your first purchase of Dash.
Crypto asset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
The Bottom Line - Should You Buy Dash?
Most crypto analysts believe that Dash might be a great buy. As per experts' bullish predictions, Dash is worth buying.
In January 2021, the leading loyalty platform CrayPay, which operates in the United States, received an investment from Dash Investment Foundation.
CrayPay will integrate DASH as a payment method on 75 retail websites and 155,000 merchants across the United States. Due to Dash’s relatively lower transaction fees, users would receive high savings opportunities in comparison to using bank cards.
Such a partnership will soon see DASH become the leading cryptocurrency payment method in the United States and gradually surpass the 18,739 retailers that accept Bitcoin, as per information retrieved from Coinmap.org.
This could mean that Dash’s trading activity may soar in the months to come and contribute to the overall valuation of Dash.
eToro – Best Broker To Buy DASH
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Crypto asset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.
FAQs
Is Dash Better than Bitcoin?
Dash is not better than Bitcoin. Dash is used as a transactional currency for the payment of goods and services just like Bitcoin. BTC thrives on being the first cryptocurrency which makes it the most popular and largest by market capitalization.
Bitcoin is also considered ‘digital gold’ as numerous investors consider it as a good store of value. This is the main reason why it trades above $17,000 while Dash trades below $46.
Is Dash A Fork Of Bitcoin?
Dash is not a fork of Bitcoin. Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin. Dash is a fork of Litecoin.
How Fast Is Dash?
Dash is relatively faster than Bitcoin and Ethereum. Dash can process 56 transactions per second. On the other hand, Bitcoin can process 4 to 6 transactions as a result of reliance on the SHA-256 proof of work algorithm. Ethereum can process 15 to 30 transactions per second.
Will Dash Coin Survive?
Dash’s survival will depend on the future of cryptocurrency and the whole decentralized finance space. With the introduction of digital Yuan by China in the early days of April 2021, the future of cryptocurrencies is unknown.
Aside from that, several developed countries have started considering the creation of central bank digital currencies. If more CBDCs are on the market, people may opt for them as they have the backing of a central authority.
Additionally, people would feel that their investments are secure as certain people can be held accountable if things go wrong. The future of Dash depends on the whole crypto finance space. If Bitcoin loses its ground in the future, it is very likely that almost all cryptocurrencies will go down with it.
Can You Mine Dash?
Like most cryptocurrencies, Dash can be mined. Currently, approximately 56% of DASH has been mined which leaves 44% of the coins still up for grabs. It should be noted that before you get a chance to mine Dash and contribute to verifying and validating transactions, you must possess 1,000 DASH that is staked in your account.
What Can I Buy With Dash?
Dash can be used on several online outlets such as Barnes and Noble to purchase books. Dash can also be used to purchase goods from Adidas, GameStop, Domino’s Pizza and a host of Fortune 500 companies.
Where Can I Trade Dash?
The top exchanges where Dash can be traded include but are not limited to Huobi Global, ZG.com, BitZ, OKEx, eToro and Binance.
Is Dash Anonymous?
Dash can be used to send and receive transactions in an anonymous way. Currently, there is a feature called PrivateSend which allows users to facilitate transactions in a very private way. At first, Dash was called XCoin and DarkCoin because of its private nature.