<ul><li><keyword id="6416838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx">CoinDCX</keyword> ranks amongst the top four crypto exchanges in India, alongside WazirX, Zebpay and CoinSwitch Kuber.</li><li>The company saw trading worth $20-25 million during the fourth quarter of 2020.</li><li>It has raised three funding rounds worth $19.4 million throughout 2020.</li></ul>Indian <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> exchange, CoinDCX, raised ₹100 crore, which is around $13.9 million just seven months ago. Now, it's reportedly on track to bagging another $100 to $120 million in a new round of funding. According to the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/coindcx-in-talks-to-raise-100-120-million/articleshow/84840176.cms">Economic Times</a>, this will give CoinDCX a $1 billion valuation making it the newest <keyword id="6286377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crypto-exchange">crypto exchange</keyword> to join the unicorn club. More importantly, this will provide the startup with enough funds to reach its goal of adding <a href="https://blog.coindcx.com/coindcx-news/onboarding-the-next-50-million-indians-into-crypto-one-app-at-a-time/">50 million</a> new users to its platform. Sources told ET that the new capital will most likely be used to boost customer acquisition. The round will likely be led by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s B Capital Group. Existing investors, Polychain Capital and US-based Coinbase Ventures, are also believed to be participating. While crypto startups are an important part of India’s growing startup ecosystem, lack of regulatory clearances have made them an outlier of sorts. The country has produced over 50 billion dollar companies over the past two years, but crypto companies haven’t figured in the news as much as others. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Not the first crypto unicorn" comment="subhead" text="Not the first crypto unicorn">Not the first crypto unicorn</cmsannotation> CoinDCX won't be the first crypto exchange to join the unicorn club. Binance, Robinhood, Ripple, and others are already members. But, CoinDCX is the first Indian crypto company to step in. Binance-owned WazirX's WRX token, which also powers its newly launched non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, hit a billion dollar valuation in April 2021. Along with WazirX, CoinDCX ranks amongst the top four crypto exchanges in the country, including CoinSwitch Kuber and Zebpay. Including the $13 million raised in December last year, CoinDCX raised a total of $19.4 million in three funding rounds over 2020. Founded by Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal, the company has expanded its services beyond the crypto exchange, adding products like lending. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ambitions to hit 50 million new users" comment="subhead" text="Ambitions to hit 50 million new users">Ambitions to hit 50 million new users</cmsannotation> CoinDCX told ET that it had 1.5 million registered users last month, after its user base grew 700% since March 2020.But that is a pebble in the ocean compared to the 50 million target the company has set for itself. But, Khandelwal is hopeful. He told <a href="https://yourstory.com/2021/05/unexpected-growth-coindcx-crypto-exchange-india/amp">YourStory</a> he is hoping that CoinDCX Go and the addition of new features will boost mass adoption among newbies. The good news is that India’s crypto exchanges have grown rapidly over the past year, making them a profitable space for those looking to diversify how they invest their money. With the pandemic making the economy uncertain, there was a flurry of activity by people to diversify their savings. WazirX and CoinDCX witnessed a growth of 125% and 85%, respectively during the three months of October to December, according to a <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/indians-are-spending-millions-daily-on-cryptocurrency-trading-11606906191740.html">report</a> by Mint . At the time — before the price of Bitcoin plummeted and the crypto market entered its most recent slump — the platform saw $20 to $25 million worth of trading every day, and about 75% of it came from Indian investors. According to data <a href="https://www.livemint.com/market/cryptocurrency/crypto-industry-urges-government-to-reconsider-ban-11612155255480.html">from</a> analysis firm Venture Intelligence, investments in crypto firms more than quadrupled in 2020, growing from $5 million in 2019 to $24 million in 2020. CoinDCX seems to have accounted for most of that investment. <a href="https://forum.businessinsider.in/">For a more in-depth discussion, come on over to Business Insider Cryptosphere</a> — a forum where users can deep dive into all things crypto, engage in interesting discussions and stay ahead of the curve. UPDATE: The article incorrectly mentioned that WazirX has a one billion valuation. It has been updated to mention that not WarizX, but its token, hit one billion earlier this year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/the-indian-government-has-no-data-on-how-many-crypto-exchanges-and-investors-working-on-cryptocurrency/articleshow/84821709.cms">Equalisation levy on crypto exchanges in India will not apply to investors, according the Finance Minister</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/elon-musk-and-michael-saylor-had-the-most-influence-on-crypto-markets-over-the-last-three-months/articleshow/84789343.cms">Elon Musk and Michael Saylor’s influence on crypto markets have made it as volatile as the ‘crypto winter’ of 2017</a>

India’s CoinDCX may be the newest crypto exchange to join the unicorn club: Report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bitcoin">Bitcoin</keyword> surpassed the $50,000 mark for the first time on Tuesday, extending its year-to-date gain to 72%.</li><li>The digital asset's price has surged this year on increased adoption by big-ticket players like Tesla.</li><li>Five <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> experts gave their take on the 400% rally in the price over the last year.</li></ul>After several attempts over the last few days, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd">bitcoin</a> finally broke above $50,000 on Tuesday for the first time to mark a new record high. The digital token was trading at an intraday peak of $50,547, before slipping to around $49,700 as of 7:55 a.m. ET. A boost in its price has been <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-investing-cryptocurrencies-wall-street-jpmorgan-morgan-stanley-blackrock-tesla-2021-2-1030083958">driven by major companies</a> including Tesla, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley warming up to cryptocurrencies.<h3>Here's what 5 experts in the <keyword id="2721952" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="crypto">crypto</keyword> industry said about bitcoin climbing past the $50,000 mark:</h3>Sergey Nazarov, the co-founder of blockchain platform Chainlink"With Bitcoin breaking $50,000 a coin, I believe we're reaching an inflection point where Bitcoin is essentially becoming the reserve currency of the internet. With the world's richest man putting bitcoin on Tesla's balance sheet, I think that institutions will have much more publicly acceptable justification to allocate to bitcoin. You have to understand, with this move, anyone who owns Tesla shares just received exposure to Bitcoin. The normalization of Bitcoin that is taking place right now cannot be understated."Samantha Yap, founder and CEO at blockchain communications agency YAP Global "We've definitely seen a shift in media perception of this cryptocurrency especially within mainstream media. The world is gradually taking Bitcoin as an asset class more seriously. At the same time we are seeing more educational news content emerge for newcomers looking to buy their first crypto."Antoni Trenchev, Co-Founder and CEO of crypto lender Nexo "In the institutional space, I expect this milestone and the recent Tesla investment to break the mold for many corporate copycats. A psychological barrier remains for the retail despite Bitcoin's divisibility, but I reckon this will soon be dispelled too as cryptocurrencies edge closer to mass adoption."Read More: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/investing-strategy-bitcoin-etf-us-outlook-5-things-to-know-2021-2">Canadian regulators just approved the world's first Bitcoin ETF. Here are the 5 things investors need to know about the outlook for a US version</a>Adam Liposky, ecosystem operations lead at blockchain data platform Pocket Network "Bull runs in the BTC market creates bull runs innovation. The run we are experiencing today is illustrative of the widespread adoption of initial blockchain implementations, typified by Bitcoin and Ethereum. This is just the beginning. This run and the influx of capital into BTC will fuel future innovations of decentralized ecosystems that will change the world."Sumit Gupta, CEO &amp; co-founder of crypto exchange CoinDCX"Companies such as Google Pay, and Samsung Pay too are now contemplating making inroads into cryptocurrency via Bitpay. We expect the trends to continue in the form of investments in these digital assets with the induction of newer products built around Bitcoin. The natural push to the price movement of Bitcoin is being fuelled by demands from retail and institutional investors."Read More: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-asset-manager-divests-exxon-stocks-climate-concerns-2021-2">EXCLUSIVE: An asset manager overseeing nearly $100 billion divested from Exxon on concerns it is failing to move fast enough to address climate change</a>

Here's what 5 experts said about bitcoin's momentous record-setting rally above $50,000

New Delhi, As India plans to introduce a new law to prohibit all 'private cryptocurrencies' in the country, the <keyword id="4010286" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="industry-stakeholders">industry stakeholders</keyword> have come out in unison, hoping that the government will listen to all the stakeholders before taking any decision. Among the bills lined up for consideration during the <keyword id="513556" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-session-of-Parliament">Budget Session of Parliament</keyword> is the '<keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">Cryptocurrency</keyword> and Regulation of <keyword id="10676888" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="official-digital-currency-bill">Official Digital Currency Bill</keyword>, 2021' that will create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the <keyword id="6354335" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword>. The Bill also seeks to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India. However, it allows for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses. "Since the government is considering introducing the Bill during this session of Parliament, we are sure the government will definitely listen to all the stakeholders before taking any decision," said Sumit Gupta, co-founder and chief executive of CoinDCX, a cryptocurrency exchange in India. "We are talking to other stakeholders and will definitely initiate deeper dialogue with the government and showcase how we can actually create a healthy ecosystem in unison," he said in a statement. The Reserve <keyword id="6355303" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-of-india">Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) is already exploring the possibility as to whether there is a need for a digital version of fiat currency and in case there is, then how to operationalise it. The RBI made the remarks in a booklet titled "<keyword id="6370208" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Payment">Payment</keyword> and Settlement Systems in India" released last week. The apparent softening in RBI's stand on cryptocurrency came after the Supreme Court last year set aside a circular issued by the RBI that barred any entity from providing banking services to anyone dealing with virtual or cryptocurrencies. The RBI in its booklet on payment systems noted that central banks around the world are examining whether they could leverage on technology and issue fiat money in digital form. According to Kumar Gaurav, Founder and CEO, Cashaa, it is too early to comment on what exactly the term 'private cryptocurrency' refers to as per the new government draft. "Further, understanding that cryptocurrency is a global and decentralised system, there is no way any government can ban it. That would require that kind of technology and control, which technically does not rest with anyone," Gaurav said. "We are positive that the government will come up with regulations and policies that will put control on the scams and let the innovation in the industry, including the crypto like bitcoin, Cashaa, ethereum that are built on the public chain to grow and thrive," he added. Rahul Pagidipati, CEO at ZebPay said that the digital currency Bill to be introduced before the Lok Sabha is a welcome step forward. "Its success will depend on the details, particularly the definition of what the Bill calls 'private cryptocurrencies'. This is not a common term. Bitcoin is not privately owned by anyone. It is a public good, like the internet," Pagidipati said. Bitcoin and most crypto assets are more like gold and not an alternative to government-issued legal tender. "Crypto assets and digital government currency can coexist and together, they can bring tremendous benefits to the Indian economy," he noted. With the overall value of all cryptocurrencies surpassing the $1 trillion mark and Bitcoin hovering over $33,000, industry experts have said that crypto may become the most important asset class of the 21st century and India needs to catch up fast with the global trend. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/article/the-many-marvels-of-satpura-biosphere-reserve/articleshow/80598269.cms">The many marvels of Satpura Biosphere Reserve in Madhya Pradesh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/india-travel-and-tourism-sector-is-hoping-that-the-budget-2021-wont-leave-them-behind/articleshow/80596702.cms">India’s travel and tourism sector is hoping that the Budget won’t leave them behind</a>

Indian cryptocurrency players in huddle as government mulls ban

<ul><li><keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin">Bitcoin</keyword> has bounced back from its lowest point in March at $4,900 and has already crossed $18,000.</li><li>Bitcoin is trading at a three-year high, and the <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> is inching closer towards the all-time high of $20,000. </li><li>Experts believe this time around the growth will be sustainable and is here to stay. </li></ul>Bitcoin, everyone’s favourite cryptocurrency, is not only out of the woods, but is witnessing a bull run. Bitcoin has bounced back from its lowest point in March at $4,900 and has already crossed $18,000 – its highest since December 2017. It is inching closer towards the all-time high of $20,000. Bitcoin prices in 2020 have been rising for 112 days, making it the first time in history it has achieved this. The 12-year old cryptocurrency has seen euphoric highs and biggest crashes but experts believe this time around the growth will be sustainable and is here to stay. “This time there are more genuine reasons for the price increase like American hedge funds adding crypto assets to their balance sheet, PayPal allowing access to its millions of customers to buy and sell cryptos followed by an announcement from DBS bank that they will soon start providing trading services for crypto to their clients. It looks like the growth we are seeing now is more sustainable and the global recession and pandemic is fuelling it,” said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO of Unocoin. Here’s why Bitcoin is booming again The faith of institutional investors Bitcoin has found a stronger foothold in the market with American hedge funds and institutional investors turning to the crypto market. Even major banking institutions like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bitcoins-massive-rally-is-different-from-the-speculative-frenzy-of-2017-as-more-institutional-investors-buy-in-says-mike-novogratz/articleshow/79291143.cms">Citibank and Bank of America </a>are talking about the crypto asset. In fact, JPMorgan Chase’s billionaire CEO Jamie Dimon, who had earlier called Bitcoin a “fraud”, switched sides to say that he believes in Bitcoin, even though it is not <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jamie-dimon-says-bitcoin-is-not-my-cup-of-tea-even-as-jp-morgan-has-warmed-to-crypto-161245479.html">his cup of tea</a>. JP Morgan had launched its own cryptocurrency last year called JPM Coin. “The recent bull run in Bitcoin is caused due to increasing investment from institutional investors, investment banks and more importantly payment companies. This is largely owing to a shift in investor sentiments towards alternative asset classes, especially digital assets,” said Monark Modi, Founder and CEO, Bitex. Modi added that another factor has been the likes of an investment bank like JP Morgan Chase which has adopted blockchain based interbank payment systems through Stablecoins. “Judging by this heightened interest towards cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has the potential to touch $22,000 by coming quarter,” he said. PayPal’s Bitcoin push One of the biggest factors behind the <keyword id="10298153" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin-bull-run">bitcoin bull run</keyword> is fintech leader PayPal accepting cryptocurrency on its platform. PayPal said that it plans to “significantly increase cryptocurrency's utility by making it available as a funding source for purchases at its 26 million merchants worldwide.” Right after PayPal’s announcement which was termed as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bitcoin-leaps-to-highest-since-july-2019-after-paypal-opens-service-to-cryptocurrencies/articleshow/78793386.cms#:~:text=Bitcoin%20soared%20as%20much%20as,highest%20level%20since%20July%202019.">biggest news for crypto</a> in 2020, Bitcoin had surged over 8%. "Our global reach, digital payments expertise, two-sided network, and rigorous security and compliance controls provide us with the opportunity, and the responsibility, to help facilitate the understanding, redemption and interoperability of these new instruments of exchange. We are eager to work with central banks and regulators around the world to offer our support, and to meaningfully contribute to shaping the role that digital currencies will play in the future of global finance and commerce,” Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal had said in October. COVID has changed investor outlook As COVID-19 brought in market uncertainties all around, investors became more accepting of Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency offered an alternative to gold. “The virus crisis is propagating the reassessment of bitcoin. There is a reassessment about its value here as an alternative currency; as an alternative to gold,” Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, an analyst at JPMorgan told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/17/bitcoin-jumps-to-three-year-high-as-covid-crisis-changes-investor-outlook">the Guardian.</a> The Bitcoin halving event Bitcoin halving takes place when the reward for mining Bitcoin transactions is cut in half. During this, the cryptocurrency’s inflation rate is halved and so is the rate at which new bitcoins are circulated. The last Bitcoin halving event took place in May, 2020. “In the previous 2 halvings too, Bitcoin and the overall crypto market cap rose exponentially, and we are expecting a similar trend. This time around, we are witnessing interest not only from retail but institutional investors globally too,” said Sumit Gupta, Co-founder and CEO, CoinDCX. Gupta expects that along with Bitcoin, the prices of other crypto currencies like Ethereum too will now increase. “This is mainly because both Bitcoin and Ethereum have strong fundamentals. We are expecting Ethereum also to perform well in the next few years owing to ETH 2.0 scheduled in December 2020,” said Gupta. ETH 2.0 or Ethereum 2.0 is the next upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain, scheduled to be launched in December 2020 after a long delay. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/harley-davidson-dealer-shares-how-they-are-looking-at-legal-options-on-compensation-after-the-company-exited-india-operations/articleshow/79300260.cms">A Harley Davidson dealer in Delhi shares his anxiety over the US luxury motor company's sudden exit from India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-is-being-pulled-apart-in-a-polarised-india-for-pushing-advertising-money-to-backing-a-partisan-news-outfit/articleshow/79296969.cms">Zomato is being pulled apart in a polarised India⁠ for pushing advertising money to back a partisan news outfit</a>

Bitcoin is on a record run, surging past $18,000 — here’s why the cryptocurrency is booming again

<ul><li>After a record run for 119 days and crossing the $19,300 milestone, <keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin">Bitcoin</keyword>’s worth crashed to $16,277 on Thursday.</li><li>Bitcoin has seen an exuberant rally this year, gaining 293% since March 2020. </li><li>This fall comes at a time when Bitcoin was poised to cross its 2017 high; experts have called it a healthy correction.</li></ul>Just as Bitcoin fans were gunning for a record-breaking high, the <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> came tumbling down. The cryptocurrency fell nearly $3000 on Thursday, a day after hitting $19,300 and was inches away from its 2017 high of $19,783. Bitcoin prices have been on a tear in 2020, with a record run for 119 days. It has surged over 293% since March 2020. On Thursday, Bitcoin’s worth crashed to $16,277 and has seen some recovery. It currently stands at $17,309 (as of 11.30 am). The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/bitcoin-is-on-a-record-run-surging-past-18000-heres-why-the-cryptocurrency-is-booming-again/articleshow/79301688.cms">rally was triggered</a> as institutional investors gained faith in the cryptocurrency asset as it garnered interest from marquee investors as well as PayPal accepting cryptocurrency on its platform. Bitcoin’s bull run had also resulted in overbought level conditions with other top cryptocurrencies as well. However, bitcoin experts have called it a healthy correction. “A few days back, Bitcoin broke through $19,000 after posting seven weeks of consecutive gains. This resulted in the need for a correction, and we witnessed a healthy pullback in the crypto market, including Bitcoin. This pullback is important for the overall health of the market, and I am expecting Bitcoin to consolidate from here over the next few weeks, and we are likely to see Bitcoin testing the support of around $14000,” Sumit Gupta, CEO and Co-founder CoinDCX told Business Insider. Even before the fall in prices, experts had said it would be foolish to believe that there would be no correction. When Bitcoin touched $19,000, Vikram Rangala, Chief Marketing Officer at ZebPay, had said that no one could predict how far a rally can go, so short-term speculation is very risky. "However, there is one smart investment strategy: cost averaging for the long term. Buy small amounts of bitcoin daily or weekly, hold it long-term through the ups and downs, and stick to your buying plan for years, not months. It's like an SIP for bitcoin. No one knows how far this rally will go, but at some point, there is always a correction. Anyone who pretends to know more than this is fooling himself or others," said Rangala. Rangala said that along with periodic corrections, Bitcoin could easily hit ₹1 crore by 2030, and investors should plan their bitcoin investments by years and not months. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/two-protestors-barged-into-the-india-australia-match-ground-holding-signs-sbi-no-1b-adani-loan/articleshow/79441670.cms">‘SBI No $1B Adani loan’ ⁠— a screaming sign interrupts India vs Australia first ODI at Sydney</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/future-retail-tells-the-bourses-that-not-every-stage-of-the-amazon-proceedings-would-be-material-event-for-disclosure/articleshow/79438955.cms">Future Retail tells the bourses that not every stage of the Amazon proceedings would be ‘material event for disclosure’</a>

Bitcoin’s record run over seven weeks makes a sharp U-turn but experts call it a healthy correction

<ul><li><keyword id="6416838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx">CoinDCX</keyword> has raised funds three times this year, totaling to $19.4 million so far.</li><li>The latest Series B funding round was led by Block.one and included Coinbase Ventures, DG, Jump Capital, among others.</li><li>The company says it will use these funds towards developing its new flagship <keyword id="10474372" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx-go">CoinDCX Go</keyword> app.</li><li>This app is a part of the company’s #TryCrypto campaign, which aims to onboard 50 million Indians.</li></ul>CoinDCX, one of the largest <keyword id="6357017" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency">cryptocurrency</keyword> exchanges in the world, has raised $13.9 million in its latest Series B funding round. The round was led by Block.one and included investors like Coinbase, DG, Jump Capital, Polychain Capital, among others. This is the third round of funding for CoinDCX in 2020. In March 2020, it raised $3 million, followed by a $2.5 million funding in May 2020 – both at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. With the third round of funding now, it has raised $19.4 million in 2020 so far. Some of the prominent investors in CoinDCX include Block.one, Coinbase Ventures, which is the investing arm of San Francisco-based cryptocurrency trading platform Coinbase. CoinDCX has tripled its workforce this year Sumit Gupta, CEO and co-founder of CoinDCX said, “While the pandemic forced everyone indoors, CoinDCX scaled up exponentially and continues to do so. Our team tripled in number from 30 in March to 90 in December, and we are continuing to hire aggressively.” “The funds raised in the past as well as the current round will help us develop our newly launched <keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin">Bitcoin</keyword> &amp; Crypto Investment App CoinDCX Go and make it the easiest and the safest way to onboard the everyday Indian into cryptocurrencies,” he further added. CoinDCX aims to onboard 50 million Indians into the cryptocurrency market CoinDCX recently launched its flagship app CoinDCX Go. This is a part of the company’s #TryCrypto campaign which aims to onboard 50 million Indians. In the past six months, CoinDCX says it has seen a three-times growth in the overall volume traded. In the same time, it has seen a four-time jump in daily active users, suggesting increased interest in cryptocurrency. This should not be surprising – <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bitcoin-price-has-smashed-past-the-20000-mark-for-the-first-time-doubling-in-value-since-the-beginning-of-2020/articleshow/79775482.cms">Bitcoin has doubled investor wealth in 2020</a>, going from $11,100 at the beginning of the year to hitting $24,200 recently. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bitcoin-price-has-smashed-past-the-20000-mark-for-the-first-time-doubling-in-value-since-the-beginning-of-2020/articleshow/79775482.cms">Industry insiders believe there’s more to come</a>. Making Bitcoin a mass movement CoinDCX says the latest round of funding will help it develop its new app which is aimed at the masses – including onboarding 50 million Indians. But it is not alone. Payment giant PayPal has signaled its intent by allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, giving this idea a major push towards mass adoption. Visa and MasterCard have also thrown their weight behind Bitcoin – while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/mastercards-garry-lyons-davos-fintech-mastercardlabs-blockchain-bitcoin-2016-1">Visa has launched a credit card</a> that rewards purchases in Bitcoin, MasterCard has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/mastercards-garry-lyons-davos-fintech-mastercardlabs-blockchain-bitcoin-2016-1">invested in Bitcoin company Digital Currency Group</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/bitcoin-price-has-smashed-past-the-20000-mark-for-the-first-time-doubling-in-value-since-the-beginning-of-2020/articleshow/79775482.cms">Bitcoin has doubled investor wealth in 2020 — and industry insiders say there's more to come</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-winklevoss-twins-said-buying-bitcoin-is-the-trade-of-the-century-and-predicted-a-30x-return-in-a-recent-interview-here-are-the-9-best-quotes/articleshow/79722959.cms">The Winklevoss twins said buying Bitcoin is the 'trade of the century' and predicted a 30x return in a recent interview. Here are the 9 best quotes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/insurer-massmutual-scoops-up-100-million-worth-of-bitcoin-and-billionaire-mike-novogratz-noted-it-as-the-most-important-news-in-crypto-this-year/articleshow/79681890.cms">Insurer MassMutual scoops up $100 million worth of Bitcoin, and billionaire Mike Novogratz noted it as the most important news in crypto this year</a>

Cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX has raised $20 million since the pandemic broke out⁠ — the founder says he is hiring aggressively as volumes have tripled

<ul><li><keyword id="6354947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bitcoin">Bitcoin</keyword> has smashed past the $20,000 mark for the first time, doubling in value since the beginning of 2020.</li><li>Bitcoin has seen growing interest and participation from renowned global investors, including billionaire Alan Howard and insurance giant MassMutual.</li><li>Industry insiders believe there’s more to come in this bully rally in the cryptocurrency.</li><li>Payment giants Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal have also thrown their weight behind Bitcoin, leading to a boost in investor confidence.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a></li></ul>Bitcoin has gone past the crucial $20,000 barrier for the first time, setting a new record in the cryptocurrency’s history. The latest breakout in Bitcoin comes after it was hovering around the $20,000 mark for the last one month. Since the beginning of 2020, Bitcoin has doubled in value – it has increased from $11,100 in the beginning of this year to $22,000 as of December 17, and there are two more weeks left this year. That is a 100% increase in Bitcoin’s value, making it an increasingly lucrative option for a lot of investors. At the time of writing this story, 1 Bitcoin was valued at over $22,000, which is another crucial range for the cryptocurrency. Industry insiders believe there’s more to come. “The more respected companies that join the BTC rally, the more reputable and wanted of an asset it becomes. Not to mention, those large buyers created somewhat of a shortage in Bitcoin liquidity. The price is only going upwards from this,” said Ray Youssef, co-founder and CEO of Paxful. “This time BTC has not just revisited $20,000 but has gone ahead to rally beyond $22,000. We are noticing more and more BTC (Bitcoin) leaving exchanges across the world, 19% more transfer than the 2017 price increase, which is a signal that investors are holding BTC as long-term investments,” said Vikram Subburaj, co-founder and CEO of Giottus Cryptocurrency Exchange. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76063794" title="Bitcoin hodl waves indicate 60% of the cryptocurrency is being hoarded – analysts suggest a bull run could be in the offing" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <div type="image" title="Bitcoin 01_01_20 to 17_12_20" msid="79775530" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Bitcoin&amp;#39;s value crashed in March but since then the surge has become almost impossible to stop&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Investor backing has helped Bitcoin double its value in 2020 The rally in Bitcoin is not just because of a demand-supply gap. Industry sources believe Bitcoin investments from renowned global investors has also stoked the bull rally. Sumit Gupta, CEO and co-founder of CoinDCX said, “Bitcoin breaking above $20,000 is a milestone in a year which saw numerous ups and downs in the global economy. This is mainly due to numerous global renowned investors, institutions putting their weight behind Bitcoin.” Some of the big names investing in Bitcoin recently include billionaire Alan Howard-backed One River Asset Management, insurance giant MassMutual, Ruffer Investment, among others. “With more players joining the bandwagon we will be noticing more price increases in the days to come,” Subburaj further added. Alan Howard’s firm is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-16/bitcoin-whale-surfaces-with-1-billion-and-alan-howard-s-backing">eyeing holdings</a> to the tune of $1 billion in Bitcoin and Ether by 2021. Bringing Bitcoin to the masses Payment giants like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and even Square have thrown their weight behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. MasterCard has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/mastercards-garry-lyons-davos-fintech-mastercardlabs-blockchain-bitcoin-2016-1">invested in Bitcoin company</a> Digital Currency Group, while Visa has launched a credit card that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/visa-will-offer-a-credit-card-that-rewards-purchases-in-bitcoin-rather-than-cash-or-airline-miles-in-early-2021/articleshow/79533024.cms">rewards purchases in Bitcoin</a>. PayPal has announced that it will allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, giving Bitcoin a big push to the masses. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-winklevoss-twins-said-buying-bitcoin-is-the-trade-of-the-century-and-predicted-a-30x-return-in-a-recent-interview-here-are-the-9-best-quotes/articleshow/79722959.cms">The Winklevoss twins said buying Bitcoin is the 'trade of the century' and predicted a 30x return in a recent interview. Here are the 9 best quotes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/insurer-massmutual-scoops-up-100-million-worth-of-bitcoin-and-billionaire-mike-novogratz-noted-it-as-the-most-important-news-in-crypto-this-year/articleshow/79681890.cms">Insurer MassMutual scoops up $100 million worth of Bitcoin, and billionaire Mike Novogratz noted it as the most important news in crypto this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/an-incoming-senator-believes-bitcoin-is-a-better-store-of-value-than-paper-money-and-plans-to-teach-congress-how-to-use-it-to-reduce-the-national-debt/articleshow/79744309.cms">An incoming Senator believes bitcoin is a better store of value than paper money and plans to teach Congress how to use it to reduce the national debt</a>

Bitcoin has doubled investor wealth in 2020 — and industry insiders say there's more to come

President <keyword id="6354561" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-nath-kovind">Ram Nath Kovind</keyword> on Friday awarded prestigious awards to nine meritorious students of <keyword id="6359674" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-roorkee">IIT Roorkee</keyword> as the premier institution held its 19th annual convocation here. This is the first time in the history of the institution that more than 300 students are being awarded their PhD degrees. Three PhD students received the award under the Engineering and Science category from President Kovind. Pulkit Singhal, B.tech, <keyword id="6603085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mechanical-Engineering">Mechanical Engineering</keyword>, received the President Gold Medal for having the highest Cumulative Grade Points Average (CGPA). Hrituraj Singh, B.Tech, Electrical Engineering, was awarded the Institute Silver Medal for having the second highest CGPA. Tanvi Verma, B.Tech, Engineering Physics, received the Institute Bronze Medal for having the third highest CGPA. The Director Gold Medal for the best all rounder went to Sumit Kumar Yadav, B.Tech, Electronics and Communication Engineering while the Gold Medal named after former President of India Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma went to Shivam Jindal, B.Tech, Computer Science and Engineering, for excellent contribution in the field of social service among the all UG/PG students. Anant Vashistha, B.Techh, Production and Industrial Engineering won Dr Jai Krishna Gold Medal for excellent contribution in the field of Youth Leadership. The three students who won the Doctoral Excellence awards are Dr Dhiraj Raj, Department of Earthquake Engineering, Dr Yogeshkumar Manibhai Makwana, Department of Electrical Engineering and Dr Pallavi Gupta, Centre for nanotechnology. Uttarakhand <keyword id="130" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Governor">Governor</keyword> Baby Rani Maurya, HRD Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and IIT Roorkee Director Professor AK Chaturvedi were also present. Professor N P Padhy, Chairman Convocation, IIT Roorkee said that as many as 2029 students are being awarded degrees in this year's convocation. Out of the 2029 students, 1018 are undergraduate recipients, 702 Post Graduate and 309 PhD degree recipients.

Nine IIT Roorkee students get awarded by the Indian President for outstanding academic performance

Bihar election 2020 result- checkout winner candidate list

Management graduates earlier used to dream about joining <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=investment+banking+">investment banking</a> after completing their course, but the situation has changed now. The high burnout rates and long working hours are pushing them to leave high-paying, prestigious jobs at marquee financial institutions to join <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword> or set up their own ventures. 
 
Such developments will mark a major shift in their career track and leave investment banks scrambling for top talent. 
 
In the past few months, at least six investment bankers from top firms including <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bank+of+America+Merrill+Lynch">Bank of America Merrill Lynch</a>, <keyword id="39409" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kotak">Kotak</keyword> and <keyword id="82699" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Macquarie">Macquarie</keyword> have joined startups to be their own bosses. 
 On being asked about the reasons behind such a drastic change, Sumit Agarwal, 30, who quit the post of vice-president at Bank of America <keyword id="6374847" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Merrill-Lynch">Merrill Lynch</keyword> in April, said: "There is no work-life balance in <keyword id="48051" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="investment-banking">investment banking</keyword>." 
 
Agarwal, who is now the CEO of his own firm, said: "I used to work 14-15 hours a day, cancelling all family plans. I have seen my seniors do that." Agarwal, who started his career with the US Bank in 2008 after graduating from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, said he loved his job, exhausting as it was. But "I couldn't do this for the next 15 years. I have the energy to run around for 7-8 years and not more." 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bank+of+America+Merrill+Lynch">startup</a> wave has been attracting talent from sectors such as consumer goods and telecom and even traditional banking. Deal makers joining this exodus is a reflection of global trends, with investment banking acting as a springboard for their new careers. Human resource specialists said the shift will continue. 
 
"The year 2009 saw several bankers being laid off, a forced move that saw many taking up alternate careers like joining corporates. This time around, in 2015, even when banks are selectively hiring, bankers have made a conscious decision to resign and take up a challenging role of setting up firms," said Ajit Premkumar, director, EAL Search, a top recruitment services firm. "We have seen vibrant support to young smart entrepreneurs who have an idea and can deliver. This clearly has attracted a pool of highquality individuals from banking." 
 
To be sure, startups don't necessarily offer the most relaxed work environment. On the other hand, they do allow people to set their own rules. Gaurav Gupta, 39, echoed the sentiment expressed by Agarwal. "Investment banking is not as cushy as it looks from outside," he said. "There's a lot of hard work involved." 
 
After 10 years of service, Gupta quit Kotak Investment Banking in March 2014 to start Myloancare.in with his batchmate from engineering college. "It's hard to say bye to a well-paying job. There's a fear factor," said Gupta. 
 
"We bankers advise companies and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bank+of+America+Merrill+Lynch">entrepreneurs</a> how to go about with their ventures. There came a point in my life when I asked myself how would I go about if I were to start my own venture. If others can take the entrepreneurial plunge, I too can," said Gupta. 
 Gupta's <keyword id="6354730" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Home-loan">home loan</keyword> rate comparison site was born out of a bad experience with getting his own mortgage. 
 
His former colleague Sumit Dhingra has also taken the entrepreneurial path. Dhingra, 32, who interned with Kotak during his MBA and subsequently joined the investment bank, left some months ago to cofound ServiceBob-.com, a Gurgaon-based facilities management business. 
 
He said dealing with entrepreneurs from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bank+of+America+Merrill+Lynch">technology</a> and internet sectors had a rub-off effect, motivating him to become an entrepreneur. Likewise with Anand Dalmia, who was covering tech for Macquarie. "Investment banking is one of the best professions. Anything better than I-banking is being an entrepreneur and I want to try it," said Dalmia, who will be launching his own technology-based <keyword id="6354241" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Financial-Services">financial services</keyword> firm next month. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

No burnouts please! Professionals now prefer start-ups over investment banks to avoid long working hours

<ul><li>The video streaming giant YouTube announced last week that it is removing its ‘dislike’ counts on videos for public across its platform.</li><li>In other news, Instagram is testing a new feature that helps users take quick breaks from its platform.</li><li>We speak to content creators and influencer marketing experts to find out what this means for budding creators and how can social media platforms create a safer space for its users.</li></ul>A decade ago, when we didn’t have internet connection or a desktop at home, I would walk to the nearest cybercafe to check my Facebook account and see what my junior college friends were up to. I would pay Rs 10 for half an hour’s time to share memes on Facebook. The last 10 minutes were always dedicated to playing Candy Crush on the platform and inviting my friends to beat my score. Today, I spend at least an hour on Instagram, mindlessly scrolling through the Reels or watching reviews on YouTube of films that I never end up watching. The next morning, I wake up with a lot of regret for wasting my time. It is not just about my daily dose of entertainment, social media has grown to be an extension of my body and identity. A lot of businesses also rely on social media for their income and when these social media platforms face outages, brands, content creators and advertising agencies enter into a state of panic and end up losing a lot of ad monnies. During the pandemic, the number of small and medium-sized businesses that depend on social media also increased. Today, just a small negative comment from a troll can spiral into a boycott trend on Twitter and just any piece of content can attract millions of dislikes on YouTube. What comes across as just a comment, can have a long-lasting impact on creators, especially on people struggling with impostor syndrome. So, as social media becomes an important money-making tool for the economy, should there be more checks in place? Last week, social media platforms took a few steps in the right direction. The intent is to create a safer space for its users and regular creators. In a move to help keep small creators stay safe from being targeted by dislike attacks and online bullying, social media platform YouTube announced last week that it would be making its dislike count private. Viewers can still dislike a video but it will be visible only to the YouTube creators. With this tiny dislike button, not only does the creator feel demotivated, their creativity quotient is questioned with no possible explanation. It can probably affect their relationship with a brand. If a branded content piece ends up getting more dislikes than likes, it can change a creator’s relationship with their brands. On the other hand, Instagram is testing a new feature that helps users take quick breaks from its platform. Instagram head Adam Mosseri also posted a short video on Twitter, explaining the new feature. He mentioned that the users can enable in-app reminders after a duration of their choosing. If the testing goes smoothly, Instagram will roll out the new feature in December. <div type="twitter" handle="mosseri" handlename="Adam Mosseri 😷" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1304432225279148032/OblFLTSF_normal.jpg" favoritecount="767" retweetcount="194" status="Testing “Take a Break” 🧑‍🔬We started testing a new feature called “Take a Break” this week. This opt-in control e… https://t.co/ZU9d6dJ295" createdat="1636560971000" id="1458468539812044803"></div> We asked content creators, influencers and their marketing agencies about these updates and thoughts on building virtual communities safer for users, here’s what they had to say: Madan Gowri, South India's Biggest YouTuber, Digital Content Creator and Founder of Kokru: Personally, I feel these measures by social media companies are a mixed bag. While I encourage the "Take a break" feature in Instagram and YouTube, I find the removal of the Dislike button as hitting on the YouTube community. Unlike Netflix or Amazon Prime, YouTube is a platform made by a community of creators and users. As a user when someone watches the number of likes and dislikes they can immediately understand how this content has performed among the audience. Removing it from public view is denying the opportunity for the user to view what really the public thinks about the content. Also, when someone wants to show something negative, instead of disliking it, they will go directly to the comments section which is more toxic! Niyati Mavinkurve aka Niyu, Digital Content Creator and Co-founder of Let's Make You Rich: Any steps that a social media platform can take to make the platform healthier is welcome. One suggestion I have for social media platforms to make safe spaces for creators and users is to check the content that people post as comments and then remind them if the content is harsh. This is not an original idea, but I think it would help if AI asked people to rethink their comments just once. I think it would positively affect the influencer and content creation industry if people took breaks from social media frequently. Constantly consuming content overwhelms the brain and unfortunately, we've trained our brains to seek reward and validation with numbers like the like counts and follower counts. So, if people took time off social media, it would help them mentally not rely on numbers to get happiness. Of course, this is provided people actually use the feature to take frequent breaks. Tony Kakkar, Singer, Composer and Lyricist: To build social media space safer, we need immediate blocking of the abusive and harassing comments. To find a way of deleting those users who are there to only speak badly or bully someone. In my opinion, the of winning everything is through positivity only by giving less importance to dislike counts now Youtube has proved that they really care about the power of positivity and it will motivate the creator even more to work harder with lots of happiness and positivity as the life of a content creator/ artist is not as easy as it looks. Thanks to YouTube. It will be moral boosting for lot of content creators and artist as most of the time the dislikes are targeted dislikes from a certain fandom or a set of people who want to pull you down for multiple reasons. Sumit Gupta, Founder, Viral Pitch: There’s a thin line between criticism and judgement. And with such a wide reach of these social media platforms, it’s pretty convenient for anybody to just pass on lewd comments and shatter somebody’s earned confidence and respect. It’s actually high time to build better versions where the creator’s creativity has the edge. Giving more power to the creators is an applaudable move, especially by privatising their creations’ data. And in the same breath, let’s not ignore that we are becoming addicts and maybe consuming data at a higher rate than absorbing it. Humans need time off in order to function better, and companies owe that to their users. Reminding people to ‘take a break’ can have a greater impact than what I and you can think of, both physical and mental. There’s no denying that with such powerful updates coming our way, there will be more room for creativity and innovation. Hesitation will take a back seat as you can expect better engagement and response from a creation-driven audience. Might as well expect more virality in coming times. Sahil Narang, Fashion and Hair Influencer: I create content across Instagram and YouTube and this content is usually exclusive for each platform. The process of ideating, creating and interacting with my audience across two major platforms is undoubtedly difficult. In fact, I juggle between creating content and a full time network engineer. Needless to say, there are days it gets a tad bit difficult to handle. With notifications constantly buzzing, I try to respond as much as possible to ensure good engagement, however, sometimes the negative comments get the best of me. That said, It is wonderful to see platforms themselves coming forward to help the creators and their audiences. Instagram’s ‘Take a Break’ feature could really be a path breaking step by the platform to prioritize the mental health of their creators. Secondly, with Youtube apparently disabling the unlike button from public view, social media is becoming a safer space for all content creators. These steps by the platforms make it clear that they are stepping towards creating a more secure environment free of negativity and addiction. Platforms are understanding the very value their creators bring to the platforms thereby ensuring a healthier space for them and the users. However, it will be interesting to note how this changes branded content and the industry in general. Any break that a creator takes usually has an impact on the brands they work with, thereby impacting their overall revenue. Nevertheless, we’ve noticed over the last year that brands are becoming more cognizant of a creator’s personal space and this step of taking a break and hiding negative views may just help creators, like myself, to work more creatively and churn our better content. Pranav Panpalia, founder, OpraahFx: YouTube has always been the platform that motivated creators with its features, and lately, Instagram too has joined the bandwagon. Social Media apps regularly updating their features for the benefit of content creators is a clear indication that they truly understand the value and impact of unique and high-quality content + positive environment on the app. Safeguarding the creators (exclusive or not) on their platform has become the most important agenda of many applications as it is these creators who are driving and engaging people on these applications. Content creators feeling safe and valued will be motivated to create more and more unique content for the platform. Maybe that is one of the reasons why content creators prefer YouTube or Instagram over Facebook. For social media applications to create a fully safe space, the platforms will have to build strong algorithms to promote more positive and neutral sentiment content and minimize negative content distribution. About the new features, I am glad to see the launch ‘hiding the dislike counter’ on YouTube and the testing of the ‘take a break’ feature on Instagram. While the dislike button allows creators to gather instant feedback, I don’t see a point in displaying the numbers to the public, as anyone can use this feature to demotivate the creators. Last year, we all saw a dislike campaign for a Bollywood movie trailer which went on to become the most disliked trailer on YouTube. As content consumers, it's really toxic to put people down, just because you can. Having said that, now that the dislike counter would be turned off, I am expecting people to make the right use of the comment box and converse with the creators on the hits and misses of the content. I feel that will be a much healthier practice, giving clear feedback and fostering a thriving consumer-creator ecosystem. Pranay Swarup, Founder &amp; CEO, Chtrbox, a QYOU Media INC group company: Social Media platforms have become so integral to day-to-day lives that any changes and tweaks can be highly controversial. It's however important for these platforms to continue to evolve and adapt. The recent changes by both Instagram and YouTube are important steps to make their ecosystems a more positive place for creators, brands and users alike. In the instance of YouTube removing the dislike counts publicly, it’s good for all 3 stakeholders because it limits mass trolls that often videos can get, it allows creators to be more experimental with their content while not being afraid of backlash. For users the like button still serves as a way for them to know if a video has been appreciated while letting them form their own opinions. At the same time, creators can still opt to view their dislikes privately so they can receive needed data driven feedback to know what’s working for them. Slayy Point, Comic Content Creator: App makers are apparently trying to make it seem like they care about the time users spend on their apps. It really doesn't convince me. Apps design their algorithms so that we spend as much time as possible using them. It is important to them to look like the most preferred app, the most entertaining app, the coolest app, to have the best content, and they need to have the best algorithms that make it more addictive. Almost all now feature short videos. All these features like: take a break and even Youtube has a timer after a point that reminds you to take a rest, are not of a great impact. Even though my mother uses this YouTube feature, she chooses to ignore notifications about it each time. Being a Gen X, she is so into this content and ignorant of that sign, how could anyone expect young adults of today to follow this break option. I guess we know when and how to take a break if we need to. All it takes is self-control. In addition, removing the dislike button for the public on YouTube again seems unfair because creators have always had the option to hide their likes and dislikes. The fact that they have already done that for us beforehand doesn't make any difference. Youtube likes and dislikes are an honest feedback tool, so it's always helpful to get an honest opinion through likes and dislikes The process of content creation will not change just because likes and dislikes aren't visible. I don't think people will stop using the apps if it reminds them to take a break. The algorithm is addictive, so people will still watch. For brands and creators, nothing will change. In fact, they might make matters worse if they try to capitalize on the attention people are giving them. If people are just going to spend an hour or two on the app, everybody will try their best to get their audience to watch their content first. This will lead to a whole new battle. Yashvi Bagga, Entertainment Content Creator: YouTube was the only platform that promoted constructive criticism in a way, constructive because nobody could type in a bully comment or abuse you but just dislike as a means of disagreement with your viewpoint over a video. But now after the dislike is removed, it will ignite the audience with hate to go down to the comments and type in something that’ll be way more harassing than a mere dislike. While this initiative may be to help and protect the content creators from targeted harassment but many do realize that this is one step ahead of the hate haters that would spread. People who want to hate will look for worse ways hereafter! COMMENT SECTION, INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT (DMS, Instagram comments), some might even mail them hate which is going to be way more specific and targeted! And as we know comments are a better way of engagement over likes the videos people hate will still trend. No doubt, "Take a break" sounds like a good feature, but if one took a break from one social media, they'd switch to another! If Instagram restricted me to use its app for a while, I'd go on Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat instead, since we've had so much exposure to all these apps throughout the whole quarantine phase! It gives us a better opportunity to explore other apps, but it can also prove to be a disadvantage for Instagram as the most popular platform! Furthermore, if Instagram could come up with a feature that would allow you to keep the app open but display an aesthetic and pleasing section of reels or posts, it might help the user remain calmer and composed within the app. You could reduce the screen brightness to give your eyes a rest from scrolling so brightly! Magsplay, Gaming and entertainment content creator: Instagram has taken a nice step here, because usually when we are scrolling through stories and reels, adults or children, we just keep scrolling without realizing how much time we have spent. In the 'take a break' feature, where they suggest taking a break from social media and spending time with friends or doing productive work if you have been on the app for a certain amount of time. Social media content has been consumed like anything during this lockdown. I think it's beneficial to its users as well as content creators because we're so engrossed with engagement numbers, social media, that we don't leave time for other things in the real world. Our attention is always focused on the likes and dislikes of posts, pages, and what others are doing. This is a good initiative for the mental health of all the creators since we are constantly working 20 hours a day without even realizing that we haven't given any time to other activities as we any fixed or specific working hours to work on, on a daily basis. The fact that this is happening is good. Our industry is geared towards entertaining people. Although buttons that display the likes and dislike give us an idea that what type of content is our audience appreciates and what they didn't like. It helps us to work on our next content accordingly. Though I feel displaying numbers on the channel can be very stressful as it may also influence other people to dislike or like. YouTube's initiative is a positive step forward. Creating videos now won't be stressful regarding the number of dislikes shown by the public. Content creator industry and influencer marketing agencies will not be affected either positively or negatively by this update. YouTube will have a positive impact on content creators mentally. The take a break feature is more aimed at the parents so they can monitor how their children use social media. Adults will do whatever they want anyway. However, these things won't have any effect monetary wise or content-wise.

We asked influencers and marketing agencies about YouTube disabling dislike count from public view and Instagram testing time-outs, here’s what they had to say

The entire list and a brief profile of 'Delhi ke nirmata'⁠— the makers of Delhi felicitated at Kejriwal's oath taking ceremony

Sumit Chhazed, Co-Founder, CredR 
 
"The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/StartupIndiaStartups-and-investors-are-smiling-their-way-out-of-Vigyan-Bhawan/articleshow/50606389.cms">startup plan</a> is quite a promising one and we are happy with few initiatives proposed by the government such as tax exemption for 3 years, no inspection for compliance under labour law and starting start- up in 1 day via mobile app. Also the government acknowledges failures to be part of building great start - ups and promises 90 days exit plan, which is well received by the start - up community. Efforts to seed entrepreneurial culture and supporting it through incubation set ups in universities should really propel product innovation. 
 
Government is looking to accentuate the Make in India and Make for India efforts. Plans to create 1000cr fund over next 4 yrs with incentive for tax capital gains to investors would really boost start - up risk appetite in the whole ecosystem. This is indeed a wonderful move from the government and we hope to see these initiatives executed in the near timeframe." 
 
Samar Singla, CEO and founder, Jugnoo 
 
Immense potential for entrepreneurship in India can be forseen with this campaign. By making the taxation and compliance norms easier, the government has taken some very positive steps in this direction. 
 
Raghav Chandra, Co founder, Urbanclap, 
 
This initiative of PM Modi is the right step in making the environment friendlier for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/StartupIndia-Standup-India-Softbanks-Masayoshi-Son-ishaving-a-roaring-love-affair-in-India-and-hes-in-no-hurry-to-move-on/articleshow/50601754.cms">entrepreneurs</a> and thus encouraging them to start up. We will wait for the fine print to understand exactly what the next steps will be. However, I can only say that outcome will be in the positive direction and we are very excited! 
 
Krispian Lawrence, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, Ducere Technologies – Makers of the world’s first haptic footwear Lechal 
 
The government's initiative to fast track start-ups patent applications is a very beneficial move to encourage start-ups. In addition, 80% rebate on patent filing and prosecution deals will allow start-ups to file and create intellectual properties which in the long run will end up being additional sources of revenue. This will spur product innovations in the country and allow Indian product companies to compete globally. Other encouraging aspects of the plan include self certification on labour and environment for all Start-Ups to be up in three years. 
 
Start-ups face a lot of challenges when setting up a business and if the government can ease smaller issues; it will help us to focus on scaling up the business. 
 
Shailesh Jain Co-founder, Mirraw.com 
 
It is delightful to know that our Prime Minister has taken into account small and medium size Start-ups that are not funded by huge investments. Specially, the tax benefits policy and ease on patent fee will extensively support a bootstrapped company like us where single money counts. India is a breeding ground for innovation and this intiative will give <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Startup-IndiaOla-Cabs-Bhavish-Aggarwal-is-conscious-thatsecurity-is-a-concern-more-measures-need-to-be-taken/articleshow/50602554.cms">opportunitie</a>s to many young minds to explore unique ideas. 
 
Anupam Tulsyan co-founder and managing director, Peachmode.com 
 
"We are going to witness a revolution in Start-up culture, with our country's PM validating the governing rules. Elimination of regulatory burden, faster certification and easy exit policy will encourage many youngsters to join the wagon. Tax redemption for 3 years is an important move by our Government that will help the new entrants to scale their business without VC's money. These tax redemptions will allow a bootstrapped company like us to be self-reliant and make profitable in the long run We have high hopes with Startup Indiamovement and sincerely believe that it will lead to many job creation in future. " 
 
Shaifali Agarwal Holani, founder and CEO, EasyFix 
 
What an initiative and a great day for India. Most populated India has sharpest brains of all times and this initiative will give a platform to many enthusiastic but under confident talents to come out of their ordeal. Encouraging privatisation will speed the pace at which India is developing and we will become a developed country soon. 
 
For us, EasyFix is a labour development &amp; construction focussed company, PM Modi said "he is trying to foster innovation and incubation" and our startup is looking forward to collaborating with Modi Govt for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Exclusive-Practo-Foundersays-Modi-govt-should-do-away-with-regulatory-hurdles-in-the-healthcare-sector/articleshow/50604175.cms">skill development</a> and labour development initiatives. We want to be able to contribute to the society &amp; transform the unorganised labour market by doing things right, and that is by better execution of skill development programs. 
 
Swati Gupta, CEO and Founder, Industrybuying.com 
 
Patent fee reduction of 80% will be huge for IP based startups who can not only protect their intellectual property , but patents once registered add to tangible valuation increase" 
 
"No inspections for 3 years will very much reduce the regulatory burden related to VAT set up in new states, warehouse procedures , new factory set ups and much more physical infrastructure related start ups. 
 
Puja Bansal, Founder &amp; Director, Myheera.com 
 
Listening to action plan today I m most exited about the tax exemptions which will release the maximum burden on a startup like us. Self certification compliance in which for three years you are not disturbed from the govt end and you are at ease of doing your best to perform and more focused on the idea and its implementation. Today a start up can register themselves in one day which truly will show more minds and ideas coming quickly and getting jumpstarted. The fund of 10,000 cr which has been created to boost the startups will bring so much confidence as this is coming from our own country. 
 
Incubation centers getting promoted along with pre incubation centers will surely again prevent many failures in startups. Now when we see the entire ecosystem is contributing to 'Make in India' the sentiments of manystartups will change with much more deliverables and may more opening and changing the world. India is full of talents and now when our govt has finally joined hands we will see it as a big game changer with entrepreneurs emerging from every corner of the country. Faster exits were again a breather for many startup who again feel morally down with their failures. It will not be late when india will become world’s largest start up hub. 
 
Manish Kumar, co-founder and CEO of GREX 
 
“The Prime Minister’s announcement of the Startup Policy had quite a few important and measurable benefits that the startups can gain from. Most importantly, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister outlined a change in the principle approach of the government towards the economy – that the government wants to stay away from deciding and directing on what needs to be done. Instead, the Government looks at a policy of arm’s length enablement. This stand is a bold new change in the government policy and disruptive in its own right. 
 
Venture debt was miserably missing in the ecosystem. Startups have only been used to equity as a mode of capital. GREX is completely poised to launch venture debt in a few weeks’ time. This will help our partner Banks and NBFCs walk the road along with us more aggressively as credits become guaranteed. 
 
Another big thing that was anticipated but not announced is the addressal of concerns around notional valuation gains to investors over and above the fair market value. The incidence of such tax deductions today lie at startups’ end. The ecosystem will expect more details on this front. However, the Prime Minister’s assurance on this is welcome. Some other welcome steps in favor of companies and therefore their investors are retention of profits by the company for three years.” 
 
Kulpreet Kaur, Co-founder, Shop Pirate Coupons

	“The Indian government has kick-started ambitious Start-Up India mission that envisages technology business incubators and research parks. This was for the first time a government in India has launched an exclusive program for startups and the expectations were really high. The vision to set up 75 such startup support hubs in the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIEPRs) will help India to develop local brands that can create global footprints. In the past India has been a market for technological innovation created overseas. The time has come now that the Indians create technological products at home that can be marketed globally. 
	We have the skills and need a platform. 
	Start-Up India is going to go a long way in filling up this void. I would say today is the day, that will take new and young entrepreneurs to a next level as the issue from incorporation to talent to infrastructure, all have been discussed. Its appreciable that the major concern of B2B business which is 10% TDS and 14.5 % ST, have been noticed and government saying they will rationalize the same. <o:p></o:p>

	Also as rightly said by Anisha Singh, it’s important that women entrepreneurs should be looked upon as entrepreneurs, not just women entrepreneurs. It’s our work that should get noticed not our gender. However the change is need of time and to give this equality government has to encourage women entrepreneur. It’s good to see that certain provisions are made where there are funds allocations for women entrepreneur. Ecosystem is getting changed and allowing more women to work, which is a highlight of Start-Up India Initiative. Apart from this startup sector becoming unregulated will be better for the sector. Instead of looking at Singapore, we will now have our ecosystem in India. Hoping the budget session will further revolutionize the startups in India. Now the only concern will be 'Sell it India" that is a challenge that needs to be addressed next.<o:p></o:p>

	Amit Ramani, founder and CEO, Awfis Space Solutions Pvt Ltd
Honourable PM Modi's action plan demonstrates a startup like thought process. It provides simple yet innovative policies that can catalyse a revolution to transform India as the most innovative country and major player in global GDP, a feat India enjoyed around 300 years back.

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