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The Elements and Essence of Agile Methodologies in Project Management

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Young designer giving some new ideas about project to his partners in conference room. Business people discussing over new business project in office.

A fast-paced and highly dynamic approach to project management, the agile method is thought to be the best approach to responding and adapting to uncertainty or unpredictability; the method unfolds through incremental and iterative processes or workflow known as sprints. However, it is instructive to note that applying agile method is not just about quick decision and execution; it involves accelerating at a deliberate, stable pace. Essentially, the agile method was developed to deal with situations where there is a high level of uncertainty in terms of requirements and user quality expectations.

Unlike the spiral method whose iteration is fixed, since you have to plan for all the iterations in the beginning, agile methods allow you to kick-start the project with as little information you have and leave the rest of the planning for the next iteration. This gives room for flexibility and opportunity for incremental innovation in the building process of the product or service.

The six stages of agile methodologies include the following:

Conception. This involves properly defining user requirements.  At this first stage, the objective and the scope of the project are determined. The product owner prepares a document outlining the key requirement of the product which is then used to determine the timeframe of the project completion.

Identification. Clients are engaged and fed on high-level use cases and plans. The product owner also confirms the availability of co-developers and engages the best people for the project’s success.

Iteration. This is the crux of the agile life cycle. The development team starts working on a prototype, combining all the requirements of the product gathered in the first two phases. The prototype goes under several reviews and revisions for improvement until finalized. This often involves unit tests, system tests, and evaluation from a representative of the end users. Refinement is made to the product based on reviews generated from each of the testing stages.

Product release. The product is officially launched after a series of evaluations and refinement.

Maintenance. The team provides regular support to customers to ensure the product continues to serve its purpose and is hitch-free or meet customers’ expectation. Over time iterations can happen to make the existing product more convenient and useful for the customers.

Retirement. When a product becomes outdated or no longer serves its original purpose, the developing team can withdraw the old model and replace it with a new one.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Agile Methodology   

Agile development methodology provides the opportunity to assess the direction of a project throughout the development lifecycle. It also gives an early view to the user about how the final product might look and behave and this helps in finalizing the user requirements

Entire requirements do not have to be finalized to start the development work. It enables one to build and test start as soon as initial high-level requirements are available.

It saves costs for both suppliers and customers as it involves using resources for less time. More so, customer involvement in all the stages of development encourages quality and highly satisfied customer products.

However, the disadvantages include a high likelihood of a lack of proper design and documentation and a lack of customer clarity due to the ambiguity that may emanate from the process. Also, since there is limited time to plan, it may lead to a deficient strategy.

Resources:

https://www.decipherzone.com/blog-detail/agile-development-lifecycle

SEC Grants Relief to BLockFi on Settling Customers’ Claims before Fine

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In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has agreed to waive a $30 million fine that was imposed on BlockFi, a bankrupt crypto lending platform, until it repays its investors. This decision is part of a settlement that BlockFi reached with the SEC in February 2022, after being charged with violating securities laws and making false statements about its crypto lending product.

BlockFi was one of the most popular platforms that offered high interest rates to crypto investors who lent out their digital assets. However, the company ran into trouble when FTX, a crypto exchange that BlockFi had exposure to, collapsed in November 2022. BlockFi filed for bankruptcy shortly after, leaving its customers unable to withdraw their funds.

The NJBS had issued a cease-and-desist order to BlockFi in July 2021, alleging that the BIA was an unregistered security offering that violated state securities laws. BlockFi had contested the order and maintained that the BIA was not a security, but a lawful and regulated product. BlockFi had contested the order and maintained that its product was lawful and compliant with all applicable regulations.

According to a press release from BlockFi, the settlement agreement involves BlockFi paying a one-time fine of $30 million to the NJBS and agreeing to stop offering the BIA product to new customers in New Jersey as of January 31, 2022. Existing customers in New Jersey will be able to continue using the BIA product until March 31, 2022, after which they will have to withdraw their funds or transfer them to other BlockFi products or services.

BlockFi also stated that it will work with the NJBS to provide additional disclosures and information to its customers regarding the BIA product and its risks. BlockFi CEO Zac Prince expressed his gratitude to the NJBS for reaching a resolution that allows BlockFi to continue serving its existing customers in New Jersey and providing them with access to innovative and secure crypto products.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently stepped up its efforts to regulate the crypto industry, launching lawsuits against two of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, Coinbase and Binance. The SEC claims that these exchanges have violated its rules by offering unregistered securities to U.S. investors without registering them with the agency. These lawsuits could have significant implications for the future of crypto regulation in the US and beyond.

In a landmark victory for the crypto industry, Coinbase has won a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its alleged violation of market rules. The SEC had accused Coinbase of operating as an unregistered broker and facilitating the trade of unregistered securities on its platform. Coinbase had denied the allegations and argued that it had received tacit approval from the SEC when it went public in 2021.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the SEC in June 2023, had cast a shadow over Coinbase’s business and reputation, as well as the wider crypto sector. The SEC had claimed that Coinbase had made billions of dollars by easing the sale of crypto assets but deprived investors of significant protections. The SEC had also sued Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, for similar reasons.

However, on Friday, a federal judge in New York ruled in favor of Coinbase and dismissed the SEC’s complaint. The judge found that the SEC had failed to prove that the tokens traded on Coinbase were securities under the federal law. The judge also noted that the SEC had not provided clear guidance to the crypto industry on how to comply with its regulations.

Lagos Gas Explosion: Four Hospitalized for Sustaining Varying Injuries

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Four persons have been reported to have sustained varying injuries after a gas explosion in Ijaiye, Agege area of Lagos State. The victims which include 3 women and a man have been reportedly taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital where they are currently receiving care.

The incident which occurred in the early hours of Monday was reportedly due to a gas leakage from one of the cylinders in a gas shop situated in the area.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), rescuers were able to contain the ensuing inferno from escalating to adjourning shops and nearby buildings.

LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the incident, said the injured suffered second-degree burns and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

“No loss of life. However, four adults (three females) and an adult male sustained various degrees of injuries (second-degree burns) as a result of the incident and have been attended to by the agency’s pre-hospital care, alongside LASAMBUS.

“The victims have also been moved to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.

“The inferno has been completely put out by the combined effort of LASEMA LRT, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.

“A post-incident assessment was conducted by the agency’s LRT alongside LASG Fire. The shop has been cordoned to avert a secondary incident. The operation had been concluded,” he said.

Electricity Distribution Companies Issue Notices of Tariff Increment to Nigerian Customers

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A few days close to July 1, Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) have begun to issue notices of tariff increment to consumers following the naira’s floatation that has resulted in the rise of exchange rates.

Notices sent out by some of the DisCos such as Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKDC), and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (Ikeja Electric), urged customers to make bulk purchases before July.

EKDC said that “We may be looking at a base tariff of N100 per kWh for Band C (12 – 16 supply hours per day). Bands A (20 hours and above) & B (16 – 20 hours) will be much higher,” while Ikeja Electric warned its customers that “Electricity units are set to jump by 30-40% in just over a week. You are best advised to buy as many units as you can before July 1”.

The AEDC said under the proposed hike, bands B and C, with supply hours ranging from 12 to 16 per day, will receive a new base tariff of N100 per kWh while customers under band A with longer hours of electricity supply will receive a higher tariff.

The DisCo explained that the increment was orchestrated by the government’s decision to float Nigeria’s forex market, which has seen the naira fall as low as N815 per dollar in the Investor & Exporter window.

“Dear Valued Customers, effective July 1st, 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review of the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.

“Under the MYTO 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption.

“For customers within bands B and C, with supply hours ranging from 12 to 16 per day, the new base tariff is expected to be N100 per kWh while Bands A with (20 hours and above) and B (16 to 20 hours) will experience comparatively higher tariffs.

“For customers with a prepaid meter, we encourage you to consider purchasing bulk energy units before the end of this month as this will allow you to take advantage of the current rates and potentially make savings before the new tariffs come into effect.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August”, the notice said.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 2022 Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) has a fixed price based on exchange and inflation rates, which have been impacted by the floating of the naira. The 2022 MYTO exchange rate, which was pegged at N441/$1, has now been moved up to N750/$1.

This development is expected to cause a 40% spike in electricity tariffs. This comes along with the signing of the Electricity Bill into law by President Bola Tinubu. The Electricity Act is expected to liberalize the power sector by empowering states, companies, and individuals to generate and distribute electricity.

However, economists have expressed fear that Nigerian consumers cannot afford an increment in electricity tariff for now, given the nation’s harsh economic realities. There are also concerns that further spikes will cripple Nigeria’s manufacturing sector as well as the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Read also: Naira Floatation, Fuel Subsidy Removal: Nigerians Face Hard Economic Realities As Electricity Tariffs Set to Spike by 40%

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said the move is “simply outrageous.”

“It is highly concerning for manufacturers to witness the electricity tariff skyrocketing beyond the present embattling high prices, starting July 1st. A 40 percent hike at this time is simply outrageous,” MAN said in a statement signed by its Director General Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir.

The association said the further hike in electricity tariff will compound inflation, which stood at 22.41% in May.

“In addition, the manufacturers would ultimately pass on the additional cost to the consumers of their products, which will increase the cost of locally made products in the market and complicate the rising inflation rate in the country.

“An increase in electricity tariff will reduce the purchasing capability. One of the resulting effects is the fall in demand and recession of manufacturing activities over time,” it said.

June 2023: Best Cryptocurrencies For Beginners

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The cryptocurrency industry has been growing at breakneck speed, gaining attention from millions of investors to the nascent industry. At first attempt, new investors are often overwhelmed by the thousands of investment options available in the cryptocurrency market and left confused about where to start.

With over 25,000 cryptocurrencies, the market provides a great opportunity for traders. However, new investors need to not only know good investments but find out the best investors for people making the leap into the crypto space. That is why in this article, we have researched and compiled a list of the five best cryptocurrencies for investors new to the cryptocurrency market.

>>BUY TCRV TOKENS NOW<<

What You Should Know Before Buying Cryptocurrency

Before we discuss the best cryptocurrencies for beginners to buy, there are important things everybody looking to dive into the industry must first know. These facts would help new investors make the right decisions as well as maximize their investment:

1.    Volatility

The first thing every investor stepping into the crypto space for the very first time should know is that digital assets can be very volatile. The incredibly volatile nature of cryptocurrency means that they can experience huge price swings either to the up or downside. This leads to our next point.

2.    HODL

While cryptocurrencies have the potential of doubling an investor’s portfolio in a couple of days, the investors with the biggest rations hold for longer periods, or as it is known within the crypto space HODL. The cryptocurrency industry is relatively new, and the investors who would benefit the most are those that can hold their assets until maturity.

3.    Go For A Balanced Portfolio

Every new investor to cryptocurrency should have an investment strategy to build a balanced portfolio even before beginning their journey. There are different types of cryptocurrencies including DeFi, digital assets, gaming, NFTs, exchange tokens, and others. Building a balanced portfolio would help you maximize your portfolio and prevent losses from putting all your money on a single investment.

4.    Always DYOR!

DYOR – Do Your Own Research. Investing based on instinct or news is a risky business in the cryptocurrency space. Even when projects are recommended, it doesn’t replace the need for personal research.

5.    Protect Your Private Keys

Your private keys are the gateway to your digital assets. If you go down the route of managing your private keys, you need to protect them like priced possessions. Losing your private key is like losing the address or pass keys to your personal vault. Protect your private keys to keep your investment safe. And depending on your location, you should watch out for the taxman as cryptocurrencies are taxed in many countries.

5 Of The Best Cryptocurrencies For Beginners

Now we know what to expect as an investor new to the cryptocurrency space, here are the five digital assets every new investor must buy:

1.    Tradecurve (TCRV)

Tradecurve is a new hybrid cryptocurrency exchange combining the best features of the two major types of crypto exchanges – centralized and decentralized. As a hybrid exchange, Tradecurve retains the great user interface, high liquidity, and faster transaction times of centralized exchanges (CEXs) with lower transaction fees, privacy, transparency, and complete user control of private keys of decentralized exchanges (DEXs).

Hybrid exchanges like Tradecurve are growing in popularity largely because they solve the challenges of CEXs that have made them subject to regulatory scrutiny. Crypto market experts believe hybrid exchanges are the future of crypto trading. The platform also supports negative balance protection, ultra-fast order execution, low spreads, and powerful trading terminals to provide the best experience to professional traders.

More than a hybrid exchange, Tradecurve is building the first decentralized all-inclusive trading platform where users will be able to trade financial instruments from the over-the-counter derivatives market, including stocks, options, forex, commodities, and ETFs. Tradecurve will operate on the Ethereum blockchain, benefiting from its smart contracts functionality and diversity, while bringing the OTC market to the network.

Why Every Beginner Investor Needs to Buy TCRV

There are several reasons why beginner investors need to buy TCRV. First, it provides a secured future investment as its hybrid exchange platform is growing in utility while. Hybrid exchanges have been forecasted by experts to replace the current centralized exchanges because of the growing regulatory scrutiny of CEX. This makes TCRV a great long-term investment opportunity for beginners diversifying into cryptocurrencies.

Because Tradecurve bridges crypto with the over-the-counter derivatives market, which has been around for more than a century, investors can find security in Tradecurve and its TCRV token. In addition, the sheer size of the OTC derivative market, valued at over $632 trillion by the Bank for International Settlement in June 2022, provides great potential for the TCRV utility token, allowing TCRV holders to build their portfolios. The entry level price is very cheap compared to other coins from the list, one TCRV is $0.018 so hurry up before the price skyrockets in value.

2.    Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin (BTC) is the oldest and the most well-known cryptocurrency, making it one of the best digital assets for any beginner to hold. Bitcoin has been around since 2009 making it a reliable option for investors new to the cryptocurrency space. Many businesses from across the world are already accepting BTC as a payment option, making it a smart investment choice, particularly for new investors.

As the oldest cryptocurrency, market analysts would often recommend Bitcoin as one of the first digital assets to acquire when investors are looking to diversify their portfolios. Companies like Tesla, MicroStrategy, FRMO Corp., Galaxy Digital, Block Inc., and Exodus Movement have added Bitcoin to their balance sheet, proving it to be a great investment option.

Launched only in 2009, Bitcoin is still in the early stages of its development, with many regulators from across the world still struggling to find the best way to regulate the asset. With regulations in place, the adoption of Bitcoin is predicted to go mainstream, allowing the asset to find more use cases and utility than it currently enjoys.

Why Every Beginner Investor Needs to Buy BTC

Adding Bitcoin to your portfolio is an obvious decision because it is the most widely accepted cryptocurrency and it adds a sense of security, which only very other digital assets can provide. Recently, institutional investors have been acquiring Bitcoin at a massive rate, setting it up for even more growth in the near future. Also, most of the growth in the cryptocurrency market often stems from Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is also a deflationary asset with a limited market cap (21 million coins). This means after 21 million BTC have been mined, there will be no additional coins being added to the supply in circulation – this relative scarcity of BTC is another factor many experts believe will drive the price of Bitcoin higher than it currently trades.

3.    Ethereum (ETH)

There is a very famous quote in the crypto space “If Bitcoin (BTC) is the Digital Gold, then Ethereum (ETH) is the Digital Silver.” Closely behind Bitcoin, Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. While Bitcoin focuses on cross-border transactions, Ethereum goes down a different path, introducing smart contracts to the blockchain space.

The introduction of smart contracts has allowed Ethereum developers to build decentralized applications (dApps), non-fungible tokens (NTFs), cryptocurrencies, and other protocols that have allowed Ethereum to become an ecosystem of projects. These dApps on Ethereum often provide real-world use cases and solve problems in the traditional finance sector, attracting millions to the network.

The Ethereum development team has also been working on scaling the network to support more development and allow dApps and smart contracts to operate faster on the network. This will inadvertently attract more development to the Ethereum blockchain. The entire Ethereum ecosystem is powered by its utility token, ETH or Ether. Because the ETH is used across all the protocols on the network, it is one of the most utilized digital assets, making it a stable and great investment opportunity for new investors.

Why Every Beginner Needs to Buy ETH

Ethereum may be behind Bitcoin in terms of valuation, but it is miles ahead of the competition thanks to a thriving decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. As the pioneer and biggest DeFi ecosystem challenging traditional finance, Ethereum’s network token, ETH, could see more use than every other digital asset in the future.

Experts have predicted that the growing utility of ETH could cause it to challenge Bitcoin in terms of valuation, making it a smart investment option for new investors. The utility of ETH in the Ethereum network also makes it one of the more stable digital assets. As Ethereum’s network expands, the ETH will see more use cases, causing its value to increase. Ethereum has great potential to rise in the future while providing relative security that beginner investors need.

4.    Tether (USDT)

Tether (USD) is the world’s largest stablecoin pegged to the U.S. Dollar, with a market cap of over $83 billion. A stablecoin is a digital asset whose value is pegged to a commodity or currency but in the case of Tether, the U.S. Dollar. Because of the volatility of cryptocurrencies, stablecoins like Tether were created to provide a relatively stable price for investors.

Not only is the USDT the biggest stablecoin, but Tether also releases frequent reports showing that the USDT reserves are 100% backed by matching fiat currencies. Tether has reserves stored in U.S. treasury bills, overnight reverse repurchase agreements, money market funds, cash & bank deposits, and non-U.S. Treasury Bills. The USDT is one of the most stable–stablecoin withstanding several attempts from large institutions to depeg its 1:1 to the USD.

Tether places a premium on quick and easy transactions, allowing users to send and receive the stablecoin without paying any fees. In addition, Tether doesn’t charge any fee when users convert USDT to other digital assets, making it the perfect bridge token to be used within cryptocurrency.

Why Every Beginner Investor Needs to Buy USDT

When talking about cryptocurrency investment, Tether might be an odd addition, but holding it can help new investors hedge their funds when other assets are highly volatile. In the case of a bearish market, new investors can use the stablecoin as a means of securing their financial positions from huge losses. In addition, investors can hold Tether and now worry about the volatility of the market until they find a suitable investment within the crypto space.

Not only can Tether help beginner investors to protect their portfolios, but it can also help them grow their finances. There are several DeFi protocols on Ethereum and other blockchains where investors can deposit their USDT holdings and earn interest up to 12% per annum. The lack of price volatility while offering earning opportunities makes USDT one of the best cryptos for beginner investors.

5.    Shiba Inu (SHIB)

Within the crypto space, Shiba Inu (SHIB) is known as a meme coin – light-hearted digital assets often based on animals or comical or animated memes. Shiba Inu is based on the Shiba Inu hunting breed of dog from Japan and has become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in the market. Shiba Inu (SHIB) ranks in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market, a remarkable achievement for a meme coin.

Shiba Inu was launched by a pseudonymous developer in August 2020 and was sold as the replacement for the original meme coin, Dogecoin. Shiba Inu quickly became popular thanks to powerful community support from the Shib Army and notable figures like Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin.

Why Every Beginner Investor Needs to Buy SHIB

Although Shiba Inu started out as a meme coin, the project has steadily been evolving into a digital asset with major use cases. This can be seen with the creation of ShibaSwap, a decentralized exchange (DEX) platform, the building of a Shiba Inu metaverse, and the recent launch of a Shiba Inu layer 2 blockchain network – Shibarium.

Holding SHIB for a new investor will not only help them diversify their portfolio but presents a unique opportunity to build it as well. As development progresses on the Shiba Inu blockchain network, crypto market analysts have predicted a major rally for the SHIB token. With one of the most-active cryptocurrency communities, the Shib Army is more than capable of driving the price of the token when the Shibarium launches in the second half of 2023.

In Conclusion

The five digital assets listed above provide a diversified portfolio as well as a different dimension to what new investors look for in the cryptocurrency market. As a new investor, before putting your funds behind a project, you should do extensive research to understand how it works, its goals, its development team, and future aims.

Visit the links below to get more information about Tradecurve and the TCRV token:

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