Bear markets are tough. The first half of 2018 has passed with few signs of any market improvements. I’ve listed some of my top ERC20 tokens below with the most viable use cases. Remember we are in a down market- prices and utility do not necessarily correspond.

BAT- Basic Attention Token improves the digital advertising marketplace by creating a token that can be exchanged through publishers and advertisers- all happening on the ethereum network. With digital marketing being a $100 billion industry and blockchain itself expanding rapidly by the day, BAT looks to decentralize the process of advertisement shopping through its own utility token. The token will be used as a unit of account between publishers, advertisers, and users on the service platform.

ZIX- The Zeex Protocol allows crypto holders to tap into the $100B+ gift card industry and spend their crypto on everyday purchases. Zeex allows users to buy products and services from the biggest brands (Amazon, Adidas, Starbucks, etc) with crypto-currency without the need to convert to fiat or pay fees. The Zeex protocol establishes a decentralized economy enabling the seamless exchange of crypto-currencies and virtual gift cards. Due to their relationship with their sister company Zeek and various other gift card providers, products from hundreds of brands will be available for purchase on day one. As the economy grows more suppliers will join in allowing for the purchase of products from thousands of brands globally. The purpose of ZIX token is to act as collateral and provide an easy and fast method of transfer between gift-cards and cryptocurrencies. The token also grants priority and discounts to users within the platform and acts as a login. For more info: https://medium.com/the-zeex-protocol/why-does-zeex-need-zix-8ad243aaae60 (Zeex ICO is coming up soon and will be available on Bancor’s Liquidity Network from Day 1 of their launch).

REQ- Request is a decentralized network that allows anyone to request a payment (a Request Invoice) for which the recipient can pay in a secure way. All of the information is stored in a decentralized authentic ledger. This results in cheaper, easier, and more secure payments, and it allows for a wide range of automation possibilities. Request Network aims to act as a decentralized PayPal. PayPal 2.0 if you will. REQ tokens are ERC20 tokens which are necessary to participate in the network, create advanced Requests and reward various parties who will help build the request ecosystem. When using the network, the participants will need to pay a network fee in REQ which will be burned.

Step by Step guide to converting your ERC20 Tokens

On the Bancor Network, tokens are always available for purchase regardless of trade volume. You may purchase tokens with any major debit or credit card and then instantly convert them to any token. This is possible through Bancor’s automated pricing mechanism which increases a token’s price and its supply each time it is purchased. Thanks to built-in liquidity, the future of user-generated tokens is here! Tokens will be held in wallet and not on centralized exchanges while conversions are facilitated through smart contracts and external reserves; unlike in exchanges where a token’s liquidity is directly pegged to the availability of buyers and sellers at the time of a transaction. Besides your tokens being held in the Bancor wallet, Bancor also supports Trezor’s hardware wallet for all your cold storage needs. Their roadmap projections for 2018/2019 are impressive and with a lot of goals already completed including facilitating affordable and accessible liquidity for 100+ token projects worth over $1 billion in conversions, their final steps for a fully functioning cross-chain support in Q2 2019 should be noted when choosing a DEX to entrust your tokens.

Bear markets are not fun. However, they do create valuable opportunities. Isn’t the “time to buy when there’s blood in the streets?” What are some of your favorite ERC20 tokens you will invest in while the sale is happening, and more importantly where will you trust to keep them?