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FORBES: The cryptocurrency markets may be in decline for the 11th month running, but developers and other participants in the space know that improving the crypto space requires solid projects, rather than speculative investments, or so says Forbes contributor Gerald Fenech. Citing prominent figures like ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, the piece notes that there are a plethora of projects right now, but few that spur actual adoption of cryptocurrencies or blockchain technology in general. Payment startups, for example, must improve to a point where they can compete with existing systems. The piece goes on to outline a number of technologies being developed to work on top of, or alongside, existing blockchain platforms such as bitcoin which may streamline payments. "Right now, regardless of what the expert developers and pro-crypto denizens believe, adoption cryptocurrency is too difficult. Point blank, that is just a fact. If if were as easy as they propose then more businesses, institutions and individuals would have done it already," Fenech explains in his conclusion. THE REST HTC: New details of HTC’s blockchain phone, the EXODUS 1, have been announced. While previously said to be available for purchase with bitcoin and ethereum, the Taiwanese firm now says litecoin users can also get hold of the device with their holdings. Litecoin’s creator Charlie Lee has even joined the Exodus team as a consultant. Lee said his vision for litecoin had always been to” increase the distribution of the currency and use it a foundation for secure transactions worldwide.” Also of note to potential buyers, the phone will ship with a built-in hardware wallet called Zion that offers functions such as dapps, payments and storage of crypto collectibles, as well as the expected exchange service. Zion utilizes "highly-secure" trusted execution environment (TEE) technologies and a secure enclave that keeps key wallet functions separate from the Android operating system. The first batch of the phones started shipping Wednesday. FORBES: The birth of cryptocurrencies can echo the rise of automobiles in the last century, according to this Forbes piece. Cars spurred the creation of entirely new industries, and resulted in a shift away from the status quo for transportation – horses. However, this shift was not instantaneous. It took some 50 years for cars to replace horses as the primary means of transportation, as people grew to better understand and accept the vehicles. Similarly, any mass transition to payments systems utilizing cryptocurrencies is likely to take time. And while Henry Ford did not invent either cars or assembly lines, he did combine the two to create mass-produced, cheap vehicles. Developers in the crypto space are likewise building on others' successes and technologies to create new, efficient projects. | 
