On the positive side of the fence for the future of cryptocurrency, a New York Times post of January 15th sees the market expanding from niche investments to a more mainstream acceptance. The 2,000 or so altcoins currently on the market have been issued in ICOs by companies cashing in on the crypto craze, and acquiring billions of dollars in investment capital. The NYT sees many financial data firms in a race to be the first (and foremost) hub for trading the so-far unregulated currencies.

The ICOs (initial coin offerings) raise funds by issuing tokens, each with their own name and letter-coded designation. Because these are unregulated assets, they act as a dedicated, in-house currency and can be used only within the issuing company. However, the blockchain system allows such assets to be traded against other cryptocurrencies and, on some trading platforms, against fiat currencies such as dollars or euros.

In a response to a vast increase in demand for ICO altcoins, info and analytics web company, Money.net, is launching a platform on January 16th for cryptocurrency trading, offering an exchange for up to 600 different tokens, as well as the well-known litecoin and ethereum.

CoinFi, a Hong Kong-based company, is also aiming at a leading position in the trade, with the intent to offer the best prices in a market which can vary by as much as 20%.