"There are 3 eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math based."
-Chris Dixon, Technology Investor
"Digital currency is going to be a very powerful thing"
-John Donohoe, Ebay CEO
Table of Contents
'I just don't get it. Cryptocurrencies aren't REAL, how can they be worth anything?'
Litecoin Vs. Bitcoin
Litecoin is poised to take off
The bane and benefit of ASIC
'Can I think it over for a while?'
'How long before ASICs hit the market?'
'What do you want from me and what will I get in return?'
How do I invest?
In Closing
WHAT EXACTLY IS A CRYPTOGRAPHIC CURRENCY AND WHY SHOULD I INVEST IN LITECOIN?
Good question. Lets start with a short primer on cryptographic currency:
Perhaps you have heard of Bitcoin, the digital currency making headlines around the world. Bitcoin is a cryptographic currency (meaning it is backed by a real investment of math, time and processing power). Crypto currencies are becoming more legitimized every day as governments and businesses scramble to adapt and support them.
Even if you have heard of Bitcoin, you may not have heard of the second most popular crypto currency, Litecoin. With a current market cap exceeding $500 million, it has recently begun to gain some serious momentum. Let's spend a little time talking about these currencies, what they are and how they relate to each other:
The first cryptocurrency, 'Bitcoin', was conceived and publicized by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 in a paper filed to a cryptography listserv. In a nutshell, it is a digital currency which is not centrally regulated and is impossible to copy. "Miners" use specialized software to find and verify legitimate currency and track global transactions.
Coins are "mined" by solving increasingly difficult algorithms using powerful hardware (usually GPU's which are 10-100 times more efficient at processing huge amounts of parallel floating point operations than a CPU) or ASIC (Application-specific integrated circuit) hardware. The mining of coins is tracked in a globally distributed (p2p) and recorded in order to prevent hacking and duplication of currency.
Cryptographic currencies are made available through a pre-defined decentralized protocol which is governed and maintained by the mining and wallet software itself ... every mining machine runs specialized software which monitors the state of the protocol and the current block being mined, and every consumer who runs a Cryptocurrency Wallet also has a copy of the 'Blockchain' - a complete record of who owns how much of that currency, and every transaction ever completed using the currency - whenever a new transaction is completed and verified, a record of that transaction quickly spreads through the network.
In other words, the system is completely self regulating and impossible to defeat or cheat by claiming you have more currency than you really do.
Litecoin is a peer-to-peer Internet currency that enables instant payments to anyone in the world. It is based on the Bitcoin protocol but differs from Bitcoin in that it can be efficiently mined with consumer-grade hardware. Litecoin provides faster transaction confirmations than Bitcoin (2.5 minutes on average).
One of the aims of Litecoin was to provide a mining algorithm that could run at the same time, on the same hardware used to mine bitcoins. With the rise of specialized ASICs for Bitcoin, Litecoin continues to satisfy these goals. It is unlikely for ASIC mining to be developed for Litecoin until the currency is widely used.
OK, SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A 'COIN' AND HOW ARE THEY MADE?
Coins are just bits of data which are encrypted into larger blocks of data and released into the wild on a schedule which is governed by the previously discussed decentralized protocol, after which they can be discovered (mined) through a process of decrypting VAST amounts of block data. Most chunks of data in the system contain nothing, but some contain portions of the currency being mined. When a mining machine finds some of the currency, it reports the discovery to its peers (other mining machines on the network), which verify it. If 20 peers are able to successfully verify it, then the discovery is deemed valid and the operator of the mining machine gets credit for it... and the discovery is recorded in the blockchain, which is itself a completely decentralized p2p (peer to peer) entity, being located on each machine which is running the wallet software. Every time any transaction is completed or a discovery is made and verified, that information propagates through the system, being passed from machine to machine and recorded in the blockchain.
All coins, whether obtained through mining or other transactions are protected by public and private keys, and are stored in the end-user's encrypted "wallet" which is located either online (in the cloud) or on a user's storage device... which can be a pc, smartphone, SD card, anything really. If a user uses a local wallet, it is smart of them to keep backups.
The following articles help to explain these concepts in more detail:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/what-is-bitcoin-explained
I JUST DON'T GET IT. IT'S NOT REAL! CRYPTOGRAPHIC CURRENCIES ARE JUST FILES IN A COMPUTER, HOW CAN THEY BE WORTH ANYTHING?
Yes, they are files...fully encrypted files which are impossible to copy and difficult to generate (or ‘mine’), requiring a real investment of time and mathematical calculations even once you have the necessary hardware. People want things which are hard to obtain and which cannot be duplicated: this is the very essence of value. It is why gold is worth more than silver per ounce. There is simply less of it to go around, and we cannot make more. Gold is not more USEFUL than silver in most cases... it is only 'worth' more than silver because it is harder to find and so we all agree that it is worth more. Gold's value is what we assign to it.
That last part is key. Any currency or object only has as much value as people are willing to assign to it.
Bitcoins, Litecoins, US Dollars, Yen and all other currencies have value only because people agree that they have value. Even if the currency is backed by gold or some other physical material, the physical material itself is only valuable because we all agree that it is.
A dollar bill is nothing but a piece of paper, and a unit of cyptographic currency is nothing but a bit of encrypted data on a hard disk that cannot be duplicated. Neither has any intrinsic value... but as soon as people start agreeing to trade goods and services for them, and settle on a specific amount that they are willing to give for one, that is when they become valuable.
And that has already happened. It is why Bitcoins were trading at more than $1000 recently and Litecoin at around $20-40. Bitcoins may or may not be in a bubble at the moment, but Litecoins are certainly undervalued, and that is why we are focusing on them for this investment opportunity.
BTC and LTC exchanges:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Buying_bitcoins#Fixed_Rate_Exchanges_.26_Others
Companies and governments currently accepting and trading in BTC and/or LTC:
COMPARING LITECOIN (LTC) TO BITCOIN (BTC):
Litecoin can be seen as the 'Silver to Bitcoin's gold'. 84 million Litecoins will eventually be released (vs. Bitcoin's 21 million), with the release rate halving every 4 years. This timed, controlled release is due to finish in the year 2140 (the same as Bitcoin), but most of the currency units will have been mined by the year 2033. Since there will be 4 times as many Litecoins at Bitcoin and they share the same markets, exchanges and fundamental design concepts, the final Litecoin value is likely to be on the order of 25% that of Bitcoin.
In addition to coins becoming more difficult to mine and obtain (requiring more processing power per coin as more and more are found), both Bitcoin and Litecoin are scheduled to halve the available number of coins every 4 years. When Bitcoin was released in 2009, 50 coins could be found per block of encrypted data. Today, 5 years later, the first halving has occurred. Now only 25 can be found per block. This trend will continue until the year 2140 when the release schedule is designed to end. This will result in an ever increasing demand for the currency and directly combat inflation. Litecoin will follow the same schedule, halving its availability every 4 years until 2140 when it, too will come to the end of its release cycle (but Litecoin, being newer, has not yet hit its first halving as of this writing). As previously stated, 4 times as many Litecoins will eventually be available as Bitcoins (84 million vs 21 million), and this is the reason that the final real value of Litecoin is likely to be on the order of 25% that of Bitcoin.
Litecoins are not as easy to convert to cold, hard cash as Bitcoins (Yet!), but both can be used for direct online purchases already, and LTC can be directly traded for BTC on BTC-e, crypto-trade and other sites. Once converted the BTC can be used to buy real-world goods online (some online retailers are beginning to accept LTC directly as well), it can also be converted to cash directly through a site such as Coinbase, by selling directly to BTC users or by purchasing and immediately reselling real world goods such as gold (many online gold retailers currently accept Bitcoin).
https://coinbase.com/docs/merchant_tools/payouts
Being a more flexible derivative of the Bitcoin model, Litecoin is inextricably linked to Bitcoin and their fates are intertwined. LTC is easily convertible to BTC and vice versa.
Many companies are already accepting Bitcoin, with large online retailers such as Overstock and Amazon starting to get into the game as well.... and Litecoin acceptance goes along with Bitcoin since they are inextricably intertwined and directly exchangeable for each other.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bitcoin-boom-20131209,0,4687478.story#axzz2n5htQwWD
LITECOIN IS POISED TO TAKE OFF. IN FACT, IT IS DOING SO AS WE SPEAK
It is still possible to mine Litecoin with relatively inexpensive hardware due to lack of Litecoin-specific ASIC applications (see next section). But that is about to change. With the advent of Bitcoin ASIC mining hardware, the days of small scale Bitcoin mining are long gone. Only large players which became established early on can mine and generate Bitcoins effectively now. However, due to the nature of the Litecoin 'Scrypt' cryptography algorithms which are far more specialized and memory dependent than those used by Bitcoin, no ASIC hardware currently exists to mine them, but that will all change shortly (see next section).
Litecoin value sits at more than $20.00 at the time of this writing. Time is of the essence if we are to take advantage of the current undervalued state of the currency.
THE BANE AND BENEFIT OF ASIC (Application-specific integrated circuit) MINING RIGS:
An application-specific integrated circuit is purpose-built hardware designed for a specific task; in this case, the mining of cryptographic currencies through the resolving of hashes in order to discover units of the currency contained within. ASIC devices come in several flavors, from add-on PCI-E cards to entire pre-built mining rigs. Dedicated ASIC systems generally cost tens of thousands of dollars and massively outperform any home-built mining machine, rendering small scale mining obsolete and unprofitable.
Butterflylabs' Bitcoin ASIC machines can hash at rates measured in the hundreds of Gh/s (billion hashes per second), putting Bitcoin mining well out of the reach of new start-ups. Inexpensive GPU hashing setups are usually measured in mere Kh/s (thousands of hashes per second).
The above is a Monarch-ISOv1 Bitcoin mining ASIC PCI-Express card made by Butterfly labs. It is capable of mining for Bitcoins at a rate of 300 billion hashes per second - it retails for more than $2,200, and puts Bitcoin mining squarely out of the reach of the average joe or most small startups. But no such ASIC hardware currently exists for Litecoin.
No ASIC hardware yet exists for mining Litecoin. However, all of that is about to change. Manchester, UK based Alpha technologies has just announced that they are developing purpose built Litecoin ASIC machines and cards which will go on sale in early- to mid-2014:
WHAT IS SO URGENT ABOUT THIS? WHY CAN'T I THINK IT OVER FOR A FEW WEEKS?
Because of the graph below showing the global hash rate of the Litecoin mining network which indicates that Litecoin miners are starting to come online in droves, and because of the impending release of Litecoin specific ASIC Hardware which will quickly render small mining operations unable to compete. People are already jumping on the Litecoin bandwagon. Time is our enemy and every day counts if we are going to effectively take advantage of the opportunity.
Alpha Technologies is in the final stages of developing their Application Specific Integrated Circuit for Litecoin mining as we speak, and they claim that they will be releasing to market in the first or second quarter of 2014. Now, we all know that development release schedules almost never go as planned, so we likely have a bit more time than that, but rest assured that sometime in 2014 Litecoin mining will change forever and only those with the funds to harness the new ASIC systems will be able to continue the effort effectively.
This is what happened with Bitcoin: it used to be the domain of the hobbyist miner. People were able to mine hundreds, even thousands of them at home with relatively inexpensive equipment, but when the ASIC Bitcoin miners went on sale, REAL money and processing power began to flow into the networks and mining operations, and small scale mining quickly became unprofitable. The same will happen with Litecoin when Alpha technologies and companies like them begin selling their ASIC devices. We need to be ready to make the switch to these ASIC machines when that happens. We need to remain competitive in order to pull in profits in perpetuity; so, we need enough capital to purchase the ASIC hardware when it becomes available. That means we need to start mining on as large a scale as possible as soon as possible, so we can use profits from early on to purchase ASIC hardware and graduate to higher profits when they hit the market, instead of getting pushed out of the market.
SO HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY BEFORE LITECOIN ASICS HIT THE MARKET?
We likely have between 6 months and a year (as of this writing) before Litecoin ASIC setups become widely available, exponentially increasing both the value and mining difficulty of Litecoins and rendering home mining unfeasible and obsolete. We must invest in relatively inexpensive mining hardware now (as much as possible) and begin mining immediately in order to become well established and flush with cash before the ASIC machines hit the market, at which point we will either sell off or repurpose our old hardware to another lesser currency such as Peercoin, and switch over to the ASIC Litecoin hardware in order to continue the mining operation while giving an even better return to our investors (you).
So, let's assume Litecoin is heading for a modest $100 per coin in 6 months’ time (shortly after ASIC machines go on sale, driving the price and mining difficulty up dramatically). - If an investor purchased a B3 level investment today ($1000 and 1.44 Mh/s as of this writing), At that rate the investor would recieve at least 62 Litecoins within that 6 month span.
$100 x 62 Litecoins = a $6,200 return from a single B3 level investment over the next 6 months
Even including liberal power consumption and trade fees, that is a high and fast ROI. If that's not reason enough to build as much mining power as we can ASAP, then I don't know what is.
The numbers just presented are very likely to be close to reality in 6 months time, but even if Litecoin doesn't quite hit the $100 mark by then, the important thing to remember is this: You are not renting mining power from us... you are buying it. As long as we stay in business, you will continue to get returns on your investment. In our estimation, cryptocurrencies aren't going anywhere, and will only increase in value in the long run due to their inherently limited supply and the increasing difficulty associated with increased mining efforts. If you intend to get involved, now is the time to do it.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME, AND WHAT WILL I GET IN RETURN?
We are seeking a monetary investment obviously, which will be used to add overall processing power to our mining cluster. On average, each standard investment will pay for itself within 3 months at current Litecoin exchange rates, but the the operation will continue mining and making money for as long as we can keep it going, generating ongoing returns for our investors.
You might choose to invest only a few dollars, millions; it makes no difference. We will do what is necessary to convert your investment dollars into real Litecoin mining power; we will build and set up new mining servers as necessary, program them, physically host them, and perform all cluster upgrades and facility maintenance. At the end of every month, the total aggregate income of the mining cluster will be calculated and the investor’s share sent to his or her Litecoin wallet receiving address or converted to USD and deposited to a U.S. bank account of their choosing.
Note: receiving monthly returns via Litecoin Wallet is HIGHLY recommended over a bank account. If you use a U.S. bank account, we will be converting your earned Litecoins into USD at the end of each month, which effectively means you will be cashing out every 30 days and won't be able to ride Litecoin as it increases in value.
The actual accounting of all generated profits, including return percentages and what funds are used to maintain and upgrade the mining cluster itself is laid out in the Investment Agreement document. Please see the Investment Options and Investment Agreements portions of this website for further information.
SO WHAT IF I DECIDE TO INVEST? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Very likely the first thing you need to do is talk to the person who gave you this document. They are likely a Nimue Cryptomining registered broker, and will be able to walk you through the Investment agreement contract and help get you through the website purchase process. If they cannot, please contact us directly via www.nimuecrypto.com/contact
Once you are in contact with a broker or other representative, you will be asked some basic questions, such as how much you are willing to invest, and what return you are trying to see on a monthly basis right now. The representative or broker will be able to explain the options to you and you can decide how much mining capacity you wish to invest in; after which you will be helped to sign up through the website Investment Options page at https://nimuecrypto.com/investment-options/ ( by far the fastest and easiest option). Alternately, you might be walked through filling out a hard copy of the investment agreement which will lay out the terms and details of the operation and the investment itself, including the expected return rate and how all funds will be allocated and paid out on a monthly basis.
Whether you invest online or fill out a hard copy you will need to specify your preferred payout method (LTC wallet or US bank account). In our opinion, a Litecoin wallet is the preferred payout method for the moment, since since LTC will be increasing in value for the forseeable future… but you can always cash out later.
During the purchase process, you will need to decide exactly how much you want to invest. Payments can be recurring, or made in a lump sum. Either way, your payment secures you mining returns in perpetuity, or for the duration of the operation. You are PURCHASING mining power, not renting or leasing it.
If you choose the hard-copy route, a deposit account number will be provided to you, and you may make a direct deposit to that account (please include a deposit notation so we know who the payment is from). Investment through the store checkout tools on the website is the preferred method, but direct deposit and other methods can be worked out on a case by case basis.
Once payment is received, we will immediately begin adding power to the cluster; adding machines if necessary, programming and bringing your mining capacity online. This process will likely take less than 48 hours, but could take longer depending on the size of your order.
Once your mining capacity is up and running, you will begin receiving statements and monthly payments via your chosen payout method. If your chosen method is a Litecoin receiving address and you are unsure of how to set one up, please ask your broker for assistance or contact us directly. If necessary we can walk you through the process of setting up your own Litecoin wallet in order to receive your payments.
That's it! You're done. Sit back and let the returns roll in. We will issue monthly statements and you may contact either your broker or Nimue Cryptomining directly 24/7 to help with any questions or concerns you may have.
In Closing
We are short on time. Due to the advent of ASIC hardware, It is no longer possible to cheaply and profitably start up a Bitcoin mining operation, but we have a real opportunity with Litecoin.
Many of the investment options available in Litecoin mining today will likely pay for themselves in less than 3 months at current Litecoin exchange rates, and our cluster business plan is future proof because cluster upgrades are inherently built into the business model, making sure we are never using inferior hardware.
This is not designed to be a short term operation. The goal is to enter the Litecoin ASIC mining business as soon as such hardware becomes available, using funds generated from the first generation mining cluster, thus keeping the operation going in perpetuity, generating ever-increasing returns.
The more mining hardware and hashing power we can bring online now, the better. 10 mining servers is good, but 10,000 is better. The buy-in cost is very small compared to many other investments, and the potential return is astronomical… continuing in perpetuity as long as we are able to keep reinvesting in the mining infrastructure at a fast enough rate to stay ahead of the curve.
As an investor, your mining capacity can begin to be brought online almost immediately after funds are received.
Litecoin is currently valued at ~$22.00. We expect that it will increase to north of $100 per coin by July 2014 (shortly after the ASIC hardware becomes available). After that, there will be ups and downs, but the final value of the currency should be on the order of 25% that of Bitcoin, which is currently valued at more than $750, and which many analysts think will settle in the $700- $1000 dollar range when all is said and done.
We are in a gold rush right now, and we have a real opportunity with Litecoin. If you want to make some serious money with the currencies of tomorrow, NOW is the time to act.