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Digital platforms like , , and have made it easier for people to relocate. They cut down on commission fees and act as real estate mediators, saving people time they would otherwise have to spend dealing with the legalities. Nevertheless, there is still a middleman taking a cut. Zumper Zillow Homesnap What if there was a convenient way to cut out costly middlemen altogether? Many people want to do it all with just a few clicks of a button or swipes of a screen. There are several sectors of crypto that are burgeoning with potential for the real estate industry as the public becomes more interested in digital currencies. Just look to the rapid rise of NFTs and the metaverse to understand the potential at play. Real Estate meets NFTs The concept of Real Estate NFTs sounds easy on paper. NFTs represent real-world assets, but they are traded on decentralized platforms such as , , and . These platforms are developed with blockchain technology, allowing for the authentication of digital assets and the transparent recording of transactions to show proof of ownership. Items such as art, music, avatars, play-to-earn gaming assets, and even land are being minted in NFT form. The pioneer of land minted as an NFT was in . Open Sea Super Rare Rarible Decentraland While Decentraland led the way in 2017, they have been met with some stiff competition by . Sandbox had a fast rise in the metaverse, with over , whereas Decentraland raked in just under $200 million. Sandbox $420 million in sales volume Why the sudden rise in prices and popularity? Much of the world has shifted to a more virtual environment in the past few years. Widespread adoption led to a fast-growing market as savvy consumers realized NFTs could be used to sell assets and host interesting events in the metaverse. Additionally, many celebrities and corporations decided to capitalize on this burgeoning movement to grow their brands. Snoop Dogg in particular capitalized on it, selling in the Sandbox. Snoop isn’t the only one; notable businesses in the metaverse real estate sector include: Atari, Samsung, Adidas, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Prager Metis, and Miller Lite, to name a few. This list is growing by the week. Snoopverse assets This goes beyond just owning land in the metaverse. Some are leasing land, selling the products of others, advertising their own products, leasing advertising to others and hosting events. We are just getting started. The Metaverse mirrors the real world As real estate has plunged into the metaverse, some businesses are being notably prescient with their strategies. The place for the first real estate marketplace on the metaverse that will provide analytics and brokerage services with transparency is still vacant. For the market to mature we need a platform that will provide an assurance of service to the buyer and assurance of payment to the seller. This connects creators, investors, and metaverse users in one single platform. We are also starting to see metaverse real estate practices mirror those of the tangible world’s real estate industry. is taking the augmented reality (AR) approach, using the technology to sell real-world addresses and landmarks, which can be advertised on and decorated with art. Users will be able to access the world through a mobile phone or with AR glasses in the future. Upland is licensing through the mapping provider before developing them to generate revenue. Think of it as a modern-day virtual version of Monopoly. If you buy a handful of properties in a popular area, you can increase your chance of profit. Upland Upland players can even buy plots of land based on real-world property that Mapbox There seems to be a theme here in the metaverse: location, location, location. The digital landlords of the future could have the opportunity to become virtual real estate moguls of tomorrow. Buying and renting land in the metaverse can get expensive. What if you could take out a mortgage? Well, now you can, thanks to TerraZero. On January 29, 2022, . It was a two-year mortgage for a $45,000 parcel of land in ‘Decentraland’, a Metaverse with approximately 92,000 parcels, for an undisclosed down payment and interest rate. TerraZero provided the majority of the lending funds for the client’s virtual real estate purchase. TerraZero issued one of the first mortgages in the metaverse From Virtual Real Estate to Physical Real Estate Meanwhile, back in The Sandbox, a couple of companies are introducing the first-ever “MetaReal Mansion,” a real-world home that also includes a virtual counterpart in the metaverse. Gabe Sierra teamed up with and to produce this unique NFT. The eventual buyer of the NFT will also acquire the ownership rights of the physical home itself, which is set to be built in Miami, Florida in Q4 2022. General contractor and investor ONE Sotheby’s International Realty Voxel Architects Elsewhere, Propy is a real estate startup looking to lead the way in the physical real estate NFT market that’s already generated a number of crypto news cycles. Propy’s first-ever NFT-backed property sale , when the company auctioned off TechCrunch CEO Michael Arrington’s Ukraine apartment. came last May Then, this February, they sold its A 2,164-square-foot house in Gulfport, Florida, fetched $653,000 (210 ETH) at an auction, with the winning bidder being awarded an NFT as proof of the home’s ownership. The NFT utility unlocks a smart contract, settling the issue of property ownership on a county level. Propy is also working on a platform to enable agents to earn tokens and create personal NFTs, all while utilizing the Propy Offer and Transaction platform. first NFT-backed property in the U.S. The Propy NFT property sale was done on the county level. The method of selling an NFT to represent an LLC has been the only known option so far. While investors can buy and sell NFTs on a site such as Opensea, those are digital properties on the blockchain and there are not always KYC (Know Your Customer) laws in place within the crypto space. When it comes to physical property, especially land and homes, there are laws, regulations, and taxes involved. For a deal within the U.S., there must be compliance with the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. As the crypto marketplace matures, KYC laws and other regulations will become more important. Laws across the U.S. may have to change how deeds get recorded. You can’t be selling anything to anyone without knowing who they are, let alone real estate that will be traded on secondary markets. Only time will tell if this type of largely unregulated property transfer will be allowed to continue to happen. We may see different laws for different counties and states at the outset. Federal law reigns supreme in most cases, yet it could take longer to materialize depending upon political circumstances. Regulators and legislators are still trying to wrap their heads around what to do about crypto. Fractionalized Ownership There is also tokenized real estate. Most people don't know this, but you can not legally tokenize an actual property. To tokenize real estate, you must tokenize the LLC that owns the property rather than the property itself. Once the LLC is tokenized, you then fractionalize the LLC into a certain number of digital tokens built on top of the blockchain of your choice. Real estate tokenization is very similar to fractional real estate investing in this sense. Using the aforementioned LLC method, there are several companies offering partial ownership of property with several options to earn profit. Let’s explore what they’re doing. provides investors with a simple, intelligent, and user-friendly method to buy into fractional and tokenized properties. Investing with RealToken means low maintenance property ownership, access to cash flows related to the property (e.g., rent), and frictionless ownership transactions via RealTokens. RealToken Ownership of each property is distributed across a finite number of representative tokens. Token owners can collect revenue from rent and vote on property decisions based on their overall token share. Each RealToken property has a property management company overseeing it on RealToken owners’ behalf. The property management company sources tenants, collects rent, and manages repairs so the diverse group of RealToken owners don’t have to. Next up is Like many crowdfunding apps before it, Lofty sources and renovates properties before renting them out. Then it creates a Non Fungible Token of the LLC interests and sells them to investors. Investors are then entitled to daily rental dividend payments made through Lofty’s platform. Lofty AI. Lofty earns income by taking a listing fee. Lofty went through , a highly respected startup accelerator, and initially began as an AI-as-a-service firm to help investors find up-and-coming neighborhoods throughout the US. However, they pivoted last year to get more skin in the game and invest in properties directly. Ycombinator NFT Mortgages uses its to offer the first NFT mortgages as home equity loans. The Bacon Protocol introduces a new way for crypto wallet holders to hold a coin backed by the same types of mortgages that banks, insurance companies, and governments use. Because of the efficiency of the blockchain, users of the Bacon Protocol get the majority of the return, about 2 - 3% vs a standard 0.1% if you kept that money in a savings account. Bacon Protocol’s stablecoin, bHOME, is backed by liens against homes in the United States and grows based on payments from the loans made against these liens. LoanSnap Bacon Protocol Pros and Cons of IRL Real Estate NFTs Pros: Legal right to control the property. As fractional real estate becomes more accessible, people will be open to more investment opportunities. Blockchain technology will allow for more transaction tracking and transparency of information. Combining real world real estate with metaverse real estate will allow for 	experimentation of building and designing homes, properties, cities and more, without incurring the high cost of planning, building materials and man power. NFTs  could transition into cryptocurrency collateral, helping owners get mortgages smoothly. The speed and scalability of blockchain technology is a better solution to our current system. Cons: The technology is moving too fast for many regulators, legislators, and everyday people to keep up with. Trying to explain this complicated technology to average people. NFT token holder could force someone to sell his or her home if the holder owned enough of the tokens. If a borrower falls into default, who can collect on the debt? It would be a problem if each creditor could collect individually, 	both for the lender and the debtor. On the other hand, if only one party can collect, this would make these type of mortgages not much different to peer-to-peer lending platforms and, therefore, susceptible to the same problems of centralization. It is also dependent on the type of ERC that the NFT is being minted as. Some types of ERCs, such as ERC-721 tokens, allow for the changing of metadata and can be a threat to the asset’s security.  Since real life real estate NFTs are very new, there is no set standard yet. The future is approaching fast Cryptocurrency is barely over a decade old and is starting to find its way into our everyday lives faster than the internet did at its conception. The point of the blockchain is having a true peer-to-peer economy by pushing for decentralization and cutting out unnecessary middlemen. The blockchain serves as an answer to the fact that as the world has become more globally connected, power structures still remain in the hands of a handful of corporations, banks, and elite organizations. The old way of doing things is not working, yet the new system is still maturing. The two may need to find a way to coexist and work together, lest the world end up with two dysfunctional systems and many people left behind on the sidelines. The LLC model for property transfer through NFTs is a temporary loophole, but that could be remedied with the snap of a finger by regulators or legislators. The past year alone has seen many big businesses involve themselves with NFTs, the metaverse, and the broader blockchain space. They see the writing on the wall and are adapting to the change. Hopefully, we will see more mainstream adoption of this technology, as well as proper regulations and transparent guidelines, so that the crypto and blockchain space can move forward and change our world. How we do business, maintain our homes, keep track of information, and build a brighter future together could all be radically changed by this exciting sector that’s rapidly gaining public attention.

Neighborhoods of The Future

Can Machine Learning Predict Loan Defaults?

Reliable Messaging in Distributed Systems

Betroubare boodskappe in verspreide stelsels

በተከፋፈለ ስርዓቶች ውስጥ አስተማማኝ መልእክት

المراسلة الموثوقة في الأنظمة الموزعة

Sistemas Distribuidos ukan Confiable Yatiyawinaka

Paylanmış Sistemlərdə Etibarlı Mesajlaşma

Надзейны абмен паведамленнямі ў размеркаваных сістэмах

Надеждни съобщения в разпределени системи

Pouzdana razmjena poruka u distribuiranim sistemima

Missatgeria fiable en sistemes distribuïts

Spolehlivé zasílání zpráv v distribuovaných systémech

Pålidelig meddelelser i distribuerede systemer

Αξιόπιστη ανταλλαγή μηνυμάτων σε κατανεμημένα συστήματα

Sistema banatuetan mezularitza fidagarria

پیام رسانی قابل اعتماد در سیستم های توزیع شده

Luotettava viestintä hajautetuissa järjestelmissä

Mensaxería fiable en sistemas distribuídos

העברת הודעות אמינה במערכות מבוזרות

Pouzdano slanje poruka u distribuiranim sustavima

Mesaj serye nan sistèm distribiye

Megbízható üzenetküldés az elosztott rendszerekben

Հուսալի հաղորդագրություններ բաշխված համակարգերում

Pengiriman Pesan yang Andal dalam Sistem Terdistribusi

Messaggistica affidabile nei sistemi distribuiti

სანდო შეტყობინებები განაწილებულ სისტემებში

Таратылған жүйелердегі сенімді хабар алмасу

ការផ្ញើសារដែលអាចទុកចិត្តបាននៅក្នុងប្រព័ន្ធចែកចាយ

Бөлүштүрүлгөн системаларда ишенимдүү билдирүү

Messagerie ya kozala na confiance na ba Systèmes Distribués

ການສົ່ງຂໍ້ຄວາມທີ່ເຊື່ອຖືໄດ້ໃນລະບົບການແຈກຢາຍ

Patikimas pranešimų siuntimas paskirstytose sistemose

Uzticama ziņojumapmaiņa izplatītajās sistēmās

Hafatra azo itokisana amin'ny rafitra voazara

Сигурно испраќање пораки во дистрибуирани системи

Тархсан систем дэх найдвартай мессеж

Pemesejan Boleh Dipercayai dalam Sistem Teragih

वितरित प्रणालीहरूमा विश्वसनीय सन्देश

Betrouwbare berichten in gedistribueerde systemen

Melaetša ye e ka botwago ka go Ditshepedišo tše di Abago

Niezawodne przesyłanie wiadomości w systemach rozproszonych

په توزیع شوي سیسټمونو کې د باور وړ پیغام رسول

Rakisqa Sistemakunapi Confiable Willakuykuna

Mesaje de încredere în sistemele distribuite

Ubutumwa bwizewe muri sisitemu yatanzwe

බෙදා හරින ලද පද්ධතිවල විශ්වාසදායක පණිවිඩ යැවීම

Spoľahlivé zasielanie správ v distribuovaných systémoch

Kuvimbika messaging muDistributed Systems

Farriinta lagu kalsoonaan karo ee Nidaamyada Qaybsan

Mesazhe të besueshme në Sistemet e Shpërndara

Поуздане поруке у дистрибуираним системима

Tillförlitlig meddelandehantering i distribuerade system

Ujumbe wa Kuaminika katika Mifumo Inayosambazwa

விநியோகிக்கப்பட்ட அமைப்புகளில் நம்பகமான செய்தியிடல்

Паёмнависии боэътимод дар системаҳои тақсимшуда

การส่งข้อความที่เชื่อถือได้ในระบบแบบกระจาย

ኣብ ዝተዘርግሑ ስርዓታት ዘተኣማምን መልእኽቲ

Paýlanan ulgamlarda ygtybarly habarlaşma

Maaasahang Pagmemensahe sa Mga Distributed System

Mahungu lama Tshembekaka eka Tisisiteme leti hangalasiweke

Надійний обмін повідомленнями в розподілених системах

تقسیم شدہ نظاموں میں قابل اعتماد پیغام رسانی

Taqsimlangan tizimlarda ishonchli xabarlar

Umyalezo othembekileyo kwiiNkqubo eziSasazo

Imilayezo Ethembekile Kuzinhlelo Ezisabalalisiwe

Mathilda by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CHAPTER III here CHAPTER III It was on my sixteenth birthday that my aunt received a letter from my father. I cannot describe the tumult of emotions that arose within me as I read it. It was dated from London; he had returne I could only relieve my transports by tears, tears of unmingled joy. He had returned, and he wrote to know whether my aunt would come to London or whether he should visit her in Scotland. How delicious to me were the words of his letter that concerned me: “I cannot tell you,” it said, “how ardently I desire to see my Mathilda. I look on her as the creature who will form the happiness of my future life: she is all that exists on earth that interests me. I can hardly prevent myself from hastening immediately to you but I am necessarily detained a week and I write because if you come here I may see you somewhat sooner.” I read these words with devouring eyes; I kissed them, wept over them and exclaimed, “He will love me!”— My aunt would not undertake so long a journey, and in a fortnight we had another letter from my father, it was dated Edinburgh: he wrote that he should be with us in three days. “As he approached his desire of seeing me,” he said, “became more and more ardent, and he felt that the moment when he should first clasp me in his arms would be the happiest of his life.” How irksome were these three days to me! All sleep and appetite fled from me; I could only read and re-read his letter, and in the solitude of the woods imagine the moment of our meeting. On the eve of the third day I retired early to my room; I could not sleep but paced all night about my chamber and, as you may in Scotland at midsummer, watched the crimson track of the sun as it almost skirted the northern horizon. At day break I hastened to the woods; the hours past on while I indulged in wild dreams that gave wings to the slothful steps of time, and beguiled my eager impatience. My father was expected at noon but when I wished to return to meet him I found that I had lost my way: it seemed that in every attempt to find it I only became more involved in the intracacies of the woods, and the trees hid all trace by which I might be guided. I grew impatient, I wept; and wrung my hands but still I could not discover my path. sic It was past two o’clock when by a sudden turn I found myself close to the lake near a cove where a little skiff was moored—It was not far from our house and I saw my father and aunt walking on the lawn. I jumped into the boat, and well accustomed to such feats, I pushed it from shore, and exerted all my strength to row swiftly across. As I came, dressed in white, covered only by my tartan , my hair streaming on my shoulders, and shooting across with greater speed that it could be supposed I could give to my boat, my father has often told me that I looked more like a spirit than a human maid. I approached the shore, my father held the boat, I leapt lightly out, and in a moment was in his arms. rachan And now I began to live. All around me was changed from a dull uniformity to the brightest scene of joy and delight. The happiness I enjoyed in the company of my father far exceeded my sanguine expectations. We were for ever together; and the subjects of our conversations were inexhaustible. He had passed the sixteen years of absence among nations nearly unknown to Europe; he had wandered through Persia, Arabia and the north of India and had penetrated among the habitations of the natives with a freedom permitted to few Europeans. His relations of their manners, his anecdotes and descriptions of scenery whiled away delicious hours, when we were tired of talking of our own plans of future life. The voice of affection was so new to me that I hung with delight upon his words when he told me what he had felt concerning me during these long years of apparent forgetfulness. “At first”—said he, “I could not bear to think of my poor little girl; but afterwards as grief wore off and hope again revisited me I could only turn to her, and amidst cities and desarts her little fairy form, such as I imagined it, for ever flitted before me. The northern breeze as it refreshed me was sweeter and more balmy for it seemed to carry some of your spirit along with it. I often thought that I would instantly return and take you along with me to some fertile island where we should live at peace for ever. As I returned my fervent hopes were dashed by so many fears; my impatience became in the highest degree painful. I dared not think that the sun should shine and the moon rise not on your living form but on your grave. But, no, it is not so; I have my Mathilda, my consolation, and my hope.”— My father was very little changed from what he described himself to be before his misfortunes. It is intercourse with civilized society; it is the disappointment of cherished hopes, the falsehood of friends, or the perpetual clash of mean passions that changes the heart and damps the ardour of youthful feelings; lonly wanderings in a wild country among people of simple or savage manners may inure the body but will not tame the soul, or extinguish the ardour and freshness of feeling incident to youth. The burning sun of India, and the freedom from all restraint had rather encreased the energy of his character: before he bowed under, now he was impatient of any censure except that of his own mind. He had seen so many customs and witnessed so great a variety of moral creeds that he had been obliged to form an independant one for himself which had no relation to the peculiar notions of any one country: his early prejudices of course influenced his judgement in the formation of his principles, and some raw colledge ideas were strangely mingled with the deepest deductions of his penetrating mind. The vacuity his heart endured of any deep interest in life during his long absence from his native country had had a singular effect upon his ideas. There was a curious feeling of unreality attached by him to his foreign life in comparison with the years of his youth. All the time he had passed out of England was as a dream, and all the interest of his soul, all his affections belonged to events which had happened and persons who had existed sixteen years before. It was strange when you heard him talk to see how he passed over this lapse of time as a night of visions; while the remembrances of his youth standing seperate as they did from his after life had lost none of their vigour. He talked of my Mother as if she had lived but a few weeks before; not that he expressed poignant grief, but his discription of her person, and his relation of all anecdotes connected with her was thus fervent and vivid. In all this there was a strangeness that attracted and enchanted me. He was, as it were, now awakened from his long, visionary sleep, and he felt some what like one of the seven sleepers, or like Nourjahad, in that sweet imitation of an eastern tale: Diana was gone; his friends were changed or dead, and now on his awakening I was all that he had to love on earth. How dear to me were the waters, and mountains, and woods of Loch Lomond now that I had so beloved a companion for my rambles. I visited with my father every delightful spot, either on the islands, or by the side of the tree-sheltered waterfalls; every shady path, or dingle entangled with underwood and fern. My ideas were enlarged by his conversation. I felt as if I were recreated and had about me all the freshness and life of a new being: I was, as it were, transported since his arrival from a narrow spot of earth into a universe boundless to the imagination and the understanding. My life had been before as a pleasing country rill, never destined to leave its native fields, but when its task was fulfilled quietly to be absorbed, and leave no trace. Now it seemed to me to be as a various river flowing through a fertile and lovely lanscape, ever changing and ever beautiful. Alas! I knew not the desart it was about to reach; the rocks that would tear its waters, and the hideous scene that would be reflected in a more distorted manner in its waves. Life was then brilliant; I began to learn to hope and what brings a more bitter despair to the heart than hope destroyed? Is it not strange that grief should quickly follow so divine a happiness? I drank of an enchanted cup but gall was at the bottom of its long drawn sweetness. My heart was full of deep affection, but it was calm from its very depth and fulness. I had no idea that misery could arise from love, and this lesson that all at last must learn was taught me in a manner few are obliged to receive it. I lament now, I must ever lament, those few short months of Paradisaical bliss; I disobeyed no command, I ate no apple, and yet I was ruthlessly driven from it. Alas! my companion did, and I was precipitated in his fall. But I wander from my relation—let woe come at its appointed time; I may at this stage of my story still talk of happiness. Three months passed away in this delightful intercourse, when my aunt fell ill. I passed a whole month in her chamber nursing her, but her disease was mortal and she died, leaving me for some time inconsolable, Death is so dreadful to the living; the chains of habit are so strong even when affection does not link them that the heart must be agonized when they break. But my father was beside me to console me and to drive away bitter memories by bright hopes: methought that it was sweet to grieve that he might dry my tears. Then again he distracted my thoughts from my sorrow by comparing it with his despair when he lost my mother. Even at that time I shuddered at the picture he drew of his passions: he had the imagination of a poet, and when he described the whirlwind that then tore his feelings he gave his words the impress of life so vividly that I believed while I trembled. I wondered how he could ever again have entered into the offices of life after his wild thoughts seemed to have given him affinity with the unearthly; while he spoke so tremendous were the ideas which he conveyed that it appeared as if the human heart were far too bounded for their conception. His feelings seemed better fitted for a spirit whose habitation is the earthquake and the volcano than for one confined to a mortal body and human lineaments. But these were merely memories; he was changed since then. He was now all love, all softness; and when I raised my eyes in wonder at him as he spoke the smile on his lips told me that his heart was possessed by the gentlest passions. Two months after my aunt’s death we removed to London where I was led by my father to attend to deeper studies than had before occupied me. My improvement was his delight; he was with me during all my studies and assisted or joined with me in every lesson. We saw a great deal of society, and no day passed that my father did not endeavour to embellish by some new enjoyment. The tender attachment that he bore me, and the love and veneration with which I returned it cast a charm over every moment. The hours were slow for each minute was employed; we lived more in one week than many do in the course of several months and the variety and novelty of our pleasures gave zest to each. We perpetually made excursions together. And whether it were to visit beautiful scenery, or to see fine pictures, or sometimes for no object but to seek amusement as it might chance to arise, I was always happy when near my father. It was a subject of regret to me whenever we were joined by a third person, yet if I turned with a disturbed look towards my father, his eyes fixed on me and beaming with tenderness instantly restored joy to my heart. O, hours of intense delight! Short as ye were ye are made as long to me as a whole life when looked back upon through the mist of grief that rose immediately after as if to shut ye from my view. Alas! ye were the last of happiness that I ever enjoyed; a few, a very few weeks and all was destroyed. Like PsycheI lived for awhile in an enchanted palace, amidst odours, and music, and every luxurious delight; when suddenly I was left on a barren rock; a wide ocean of despair rolled around me: above all was black, and my eyes closed while I still inhabited a universal death. Still I would not hurry on; I would pause for ever on the recollections of these happy weeks; I would repeat every word, and how many do I remember, record every enchantment of the faery habitation. But, no, my tale must not pause; it must be as rapid as was my fate,—I can only describe in short although strong expressions my precipitate and irremediable change from happiness to despair. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (2005). Mathilda. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15238/pg15238-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

It was on my sixteenth birthday that my aunt received a letter from my father

Who does not love to behold the beauty of nature? The greenery, soothing scent, and different kinds of animals! According to a recent report by , spending time with nature — as long as people feel safe — is an antidote for stress: It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. The Yale School of the Environment The awesomeness of nature can't be overemphasized! However, you can only explore nature effectively with guidance. But, with the advancement in technology, you can enjoy your outdoor hobbies with nature with the help of your mobile device. Several outdoor apps make it easy to explore nature better without limitations on Android and iOS devices. This article will unravel the best outdoor apps that make nature adventures mind-blowing. Let's proceed! Best Outdoor Apps for Nature-lovers 1. Birda App Outdoor hobbies are interesting, but lacking the necessary tools makes it frustrating. It's time to get off the shell and enjoy the fun of nature with one of the best outdoor apps for nature lovers. The Birda app was designed by nature lovers and for nature lovers. It features a well-designed, clean, and user-friendly interface to reveal the enticing world of birds.
The app makes it easy to get outside with your loved ones, record your birding experiences, and share them with conservation researchers. Interestingly, you don't need to further in ornithology to . The Birda app features an inclusive community of nature lovers and researchers like you. If you are unsure about a bird you spotted or need more details about a bird, you can upload a picture of the bird to the community for more details.Also, the app makes it easy to increase your birding knowledge and keep a record of your progress. know more about birdwatching And, if you'd love to get off the online competition, you can use the Birda app offline. Whether you are a casual nature lover, serious birder, or ornithologist, you can use this app to connect with nature and find your flock. It's accessible via App Store or Google Play for easy download. 2. iNaturalist iNaturalist makes it easy to connect with nature and share your experience with the natural world. iNaturalist is the joint initiative of the . The app has over 5 million people signed up, over 121 million observations, and over 400,000 species observed. California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society This app allows nature lovers to easily record their observations, share them with fellow naturalists, and discuss their findings. Observations made by its users are shared with scientific data repositories to help research and use your data. Again, every observation can help improve , from the smallest weevil to your garden flowers. biodiversity science Also, you can keep track of your experience with nature by storing your data in the cloud. The app creates room to connect with experts and other naturalists who can help build your knowledge about your observations. The iNaturalist app works well on all devices. You can download and install the mobile app via Google play or App Store. 3. Solar Walk Do you know you can explore the solar system in real time from your room? You are surprised! A solar Walk is an intuitive tool for astrophile, astronomers, and general nature lovers. It brings the experience of the solar system to your fingertips. This app displays the planet, satellites, and other solar system features in breathtaking detail and accuracy. Interestingly, you can travel to the future or the past through the Time Machine. Just use the date and time filter to select your preferred date and time to examine the universe at that period. Solar Walk makes exploring dwarf planets, galaxies, comets, stars, asteroids, and other celestial bodies easy. You can discover amazing astronomy facts, planet positions, stars' names, and more. Visit Google Play or App Store to download this mobile app. 4. Alltrails It's time to explore with confidence! Whether you want to go on hiking, trail running, wheelchair-friendly, mountain biking, dog-friendly, or road biking, Alltrails has an amazing feature to search, navigate, and track the right trail. The Alltrail app user interface makes it easy to search for trails by city, park, or trail name. Besides, the trails are verified by experts and reviewed by the global community. In addition, the app has amazing menus featuring trending trails, parks worth a look at, cities to explore, and countries to consider. The pro version allows you to stay on track offline. However, you need to download the offline maps or print a backup copy. Also, with the off-route notifications, you can take advantage of your way. Alltrails is otherwise known as the app for the outdoors. Visit App Store or Google Play to download and install this app. 5. Leafsnap Let's tilt the gear and go botanical! Have you seen a plant or tree and wondered what it was? Leafsnap helps you identify any plant without the help of a botanist. Just snap the plant, upload it, and the app will tell you its name in a few seconds. Also, the app gives a step-by-step guide on how to care for a plant. This app is a major tool for an adventurous nature lover. You are not stuck at any phase about a plant and other details. Leafsnap has an inbuilt feature to identify over 32,000 plant taxons worldwide. You can access the app via Google Play or App Store. 6. Just Ahead Every time we go on a trip, we stress ourselves trying to figure out where we are, what to see, and things to know. Isn't it nice having someone with you who has been on that journey countless times? Rather than missing those wild animal sightings and colorful flowers because your face is buried in a guidebook. Just Ahead is the best companion for any journey! The app features an audio guide written by experts and narrated by professionals. It has a GPS-guided tour that knows where you are and what to say. Imagine you are horse trekking a mountain and before you is a beautiful sight. You are trying to figure out what it is. Just Ahead shares a detailed story of what is before you. Also, the app works offline. There are places around the world that lack mobile device service. Just Ahead can work without WiFi or a cell signal. Just ensure you download your guide before embarking on the trip. Again, the Just Ahead guide features an in-built offline map. This feature makes it easy to access the direction for your destination even without internet access. You can download this app through App Store or Google Play. 7. Star Walk 2 Star Walk 2 features a sky map that allows you to enjoy the amazing views of the stars, planets, and constellations. In addition, you can get information about sky objects by checking their photos and 3D models.
The Star Walk 2 features past, futuristic, and spectacular astronomy events. You can check the event's date to get notified quickly. As an extension, you can explore satellites, star clusters, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies. Visit App Store or Google Play to download the app. Factors to Consider in an Outdoor App No one has enough storage capacity to install every app on Play Store on their mobile device. Besides, some apps have high pricing, while some require a monthly subscription. This is why it is necessary to know how to sieve the app store well before opting for an app. Here is the most important thing to consider when looking for an outdoor app: 1. Will it Add Value to My Next Trip? Everyone going on a trip or adventure has different needs. You need to ask yourself – will this app add value to my next outdoor event? The definition of value here is how well an app solves your needs. You can access the features of an app through the app description to know how well it solves your needs. 2. Inclusive Community This factor is a must-have for any outdoor app you want to consider. An outdoor app community will feature experts and nature lovers like you. There are times you will see an organism that is strange to you. This is where the place of community comes in. You can snap and upload a picture of the organism to the community for more detail. Ensure you look out for outdoor apps with a strong community because the benefits are mind-blowing. 3. Does it have an Offline Feature? There is no possibility that there will be a mobile device network when you are out in nature. You need an outdoor app that works well even though your phone has no service or is in airplane mode. 4. Ability to Track Progress The beauty of any action is the assurance that you are making progress. It's a source of motivation to do more. You should get an app with a tracking feature to watch your growth. Final Words It's time to go outdoors! You have at your fingertips the best outdoor apps for nature lovers. Interestingly, this article covers the best app for different nature outings. An end has come to boring adventures. Download and install any apps and be sure to have the best experience in your next adventure.

7 Best Outdoor Apps for Nature Lovers

Borrowing has been a critical pillar of the financial system for generations. Not only do customers borrow from banks, but banks borrow from each other to meet their reserve requirements. They say money makes the world go round, but ultimately it’s debt that provides the propulsion. Although the concept of a loan is simple to understand, lending is a relatively recent innovation in the world of cryptocurrency, enabling individuals to obtain capital or earn interest on their digital asset holdings. Blockchain-based lending/borrowing protocols have proliferated at a rapid rate in recent years, flying under the flag of open or decentralized finance (DeFi), and more than any other primitive, they have been responsible for billions of dollars of value flooding into the market. So, how does crypto lending work? And where does the industry go from here? Decentralized Lending: Cutting Out the Middleman In recent years, institutional lenders such as Genesis, BitGo, and Galaxy, as well as their DeFi counterparts Compound, Aave, and Maker, have sucked a tremendous amount of liquidity into the market. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to consider the lending market in the context of DeFi. Just as banks do with fiat currencies, pay interest on savers’ cryptocurrency deposits from the margin generated through loan issuance. Lending protocols can be utilized by individuals or businesses, with smart contracts automating the process through a decentralized network rather than an intermediary. DeFi lending protocols In other words, the protocols – which are generally Ethereum-based – provide the technology to facilitate borrowing and lending, rather than taking custody of clients’ assets and manually managing the operation. Ostensibly, users interact in a peer-to-peer fashion. While some familiarity with crypto is an advantage, these trustless protocols are committed to lowering the barriers to entry and enticing more players into the market. In theory, it’s not a hard sell: investors stand to earn significantly higher yields in crypto lending than in legacy markets. At present, DeFi lending protocols generate in annual interest; borrowers, meanwhile, have taken out almost $7.5 billion in loans. While these numbers are minuscule when compared to the regular credit market, they are growing all the time. And as the price of assets like bitcoin and ethereum rise, more people are likely to put their savings to good use by locking them up to earn yield. over $650 million The DeFi Lending Market As mentioned, the major players in DeFi lending are Compound, Aave, and Maker. According to , Compound rules over 50% of the lending market and over 60% of borrowing. DefiPulse When users supply cryptocurrency to Compound, they receive cTokens in exchange, ERC20 tokens that can be redeemed for their underlying asset at any time. Like many of its competitors, Compound relies on an algorithm to assign interest rates to its supported cryptocurrencies including DAI, ETH, WBTC, USDC, USDT, UNI, ZRX, BAT, SAI, and REP. Anyone with an Ethereum wallet can interact with Compound, depositing crypto to immediately start earning interest or borrowing against collateral. Where borrowing is concerned, all loans are overcollateralized. Meaning if you want to borrow, say, DAI, you’ll need to over-collateralize the loan amount with another digital asset such as WBTC. According to Messari’s , Compound’s rival Maker “may have been the critical building block that laid the foundation for DeFi’s credit markets, stablecoin markets, and ultimately, 2020’s DeFi bull run.” Within the Maker ecosystem, users can acquire loans denominated in the platform’s dollar-pegged Dai stablecoin. To ensure system stability, users are required to maintain a margin of at least 150% overcollateralization, relative to the quantity of that they have minted. Ryan Selkis Dai is another popular lending protocol. Uniquely, it provides access to undercollateralized loans – meaning users can acquire loan values that would otherwise be unattainable. Lendefi makes this possible by tapping into decentralized liquidity pools such as Uniswap, which facilitate peer-to-peer trade. The protocol is controlled by the community via a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), enabling active participation of token-holders in the direction of the platform as a whole. Lendefi Naturally, the terms of crypto lending depend on which asset you are depositing or borrowing, as well as the time period specified for repayment. The aforementioned DefiPulse provides a snapshot of , though features a wider range of providers, from Nexo and BlockFi to Yearn, dYdX and Curve. Generally speaking, interest rates start from around 0.03% and rise in some cases to over 50% APY. current rates LoanScan DeFi Lending Risks If DeFi lending sounds like a land of milk and honey, think again. While these protocols are, in the main, safe and secure, hackers have also been able to exploit flaws and steal user funds. Last year, for example, the Value DeFi platform in a complex attack. Another DeFi platform Akropolis in a similar attack. lost $8 million worth of DAI stablecoins lost $2 million The truth is, funds locked in DeFi protocols are only as secure as the code underlying the protocols themselves. Which is to say nothing of the risks related to market movements, which can cause users to become undercollateralized – meaning they have to add more funds to avoid liquidation. Ultimately, it’s still very early days for DeFi lending. While these protocols give borrowers and lenders a gilt-edged opportunity to bypass banks, it pays to do your research and place your trust in a reputable, secure platform that offers peace of mind. Providing you do your due diligence, crypto lending can be an extremely rewarding way to unlock liquidity and generate a passive income from your assets. Disclaimer: This material is not sponsored by any organization mentioned in the article.

DeFi Lending in 2021: A Guide

Educational Apps For Kids They say a dictionary is a language in reminiscence, and learning is a window into the past. But, it’s lagging behind both in approach and context. For instance, e-learning apps — they are mammoth available in the market but scarce in classrooms. Also, mobiles are portrayed as cheat-devices, distractors, and addictive gadgets and restricted from the classrooms. And, that is distressing, given the potential education apps hold for learners and schoolings — inspiration and time for mentors, motivation and support for learners, transparency for parents and high ROI for farsighted businesses. Once Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best return”. So, if the above quote holds true and blue, education lane is like burning the candle at both ends to the ROI (Return On Investment). Are you looking for proof? Let’s take at present the which is much older than you think. And, it’s not far that it will be cut into two. The precedents are already there. With easy access to the right tools and knowledge, kids step out from their classroom as a millionaire — merely at 15! average age of successful entrepreneurs So, rather than discussing disruption, it’s high time to align with the best and unfurl intricacies of creating a groundbreaking educational app. app development company After all, thinking about creating an awesome learning app is a promising move for future. And, herein we are going to help you hunt down answers to questions of your interests: What lion share does educational app capture? What is the prerequisite of design and product excellence? What will be the development options? How to monetize educational apps? What Lion Share Do Educational Apps Capture? According to Statista, the e-learning market globally is predicted to eclipse 37.8 billion U.S dollars in 2020. The educational app numbers approaches approximately to 936 million downloads presently — 470 million on Apple app store and 466 million on Google play store by the Q1 of 2020. Image Source To offer a tip of it’s diversity, here’s a brief description of product categorisation by Edsurge. Educational software usually funnels down to five categories. School Operations: This category is basically designed for use by higher designated officials like principals and school administrators to manage schools and educational process participants. Curriculum Products: This category involves help with teaching concepts and skills. Curriculum products ask for compliance, especially with the transformation in Common Core Standards. Post-Secondary: The post-secondary category aims at learners, admins, professors, and also parents involved in post-secondary learning surrounding. Teacher Requirements: This array of educational software helps the teacher with classroom-related activities like lesson and lecture planning, classroom management, grading system and a lot of other stuff. The Left Out: This category sheath the complimentary K-12 curriculum products or anything else related with the education aisle. To your surprise, you will be amazed to see the distinctiveness in architecture and content of numerous e-learning mobile app: Educational games Subject-oriented learning apps Multi-purpose learning apps Learning apps for preschoolers and toddlers Management learning apps Taking into consideration the objective, the app varies from instructive (drill-and-practice) with the help of experimentation and discovery to constructive ones, in regards to using Bloom’s taxonomy of learning to write practical learning objectives. Many among them aim at knowledge and skillset, while others focus on collaboration and learning and teaching support, and the list is never-ending. Keep in mind; the consumer market covers several needs — from kids to teenagers, specially-abled kids app, corporate training tools and what else you can think of. But the number and diversity of learning apps are not surely assuring you quality. Indeed, the first generation of mobile learning app has shown there is a behemoth area of advancement. So,without any further ado, let these insights guide you through the education app development aisle. Step 1: Craft For Quality and Excellence Firstly, integrating an engineering-style and problem-solution thinking to complicated domains like education is a big challenge. But, knowing how to align the app’s design and use the processes of learning and developing requires a proper understanding of the learning science with the right assistance from an experienced to power decisions that matter. app development company Here’s Seven Vertical Of Creating An Educational App To Keep In Mind In an e-learning app architecture, these seven dimension transform the product roadmap: Single/Bi-directional information flow Communication: Open to public / confine to a specific group Public: Information adjusted based on user identity Identity: Asynchronous/Synchronous user interaction Temporal: Potential of in-app purchases Transaction: The piece of information or feature set customized for user location Location: The app solely / a group of other participants Multiplicity: The Crucial Shafts Of E-learning App Design Do you think content is enough? No, it’s not! Designing the right learning flow is equally important. Have you ever wondered what makes an educational app truly “learning” by design and nature? Humans quickly learn best when they: Socially Interact with others in high-quality approaches Actively involve with curious heads Engage with the intuitive learning materials Have meaningful experiences In the end, the that create an excellent educational app to promote active, highly engaging, meaningful, and socially interactive learning are the winners. And you can too! mobile app developers Step 2: Know Your Development Choices Understanding a ballpark for the time and cost to create an educational app makes it a lot easier to scrutinize the budget before heading starting with the development process. But simultaneously two similar projects can gradually vary in cost. You just simply can’t assign features a set price and expect the price to be the same across every project. The advises developing just one screen of a mobile app taking about a week with a full-time employee (FTE). This consists of planning, development, and then testing and final approval, so a mobile app is developed in two months. research The trusted offer a ballpark of cost by multiplying the hourly salary of FTE with the time taken. And, that’s excluding other overhead expenses like developers license for app creation tools. app development company So, when you pen down the rough sketch for creating an educational app, the below listed parameters are imperatives. Have a look: Registration/ Log-in Instructional Overlay User Profile/Dashboard Search Filters Push Notifications Social Media Integrations Database Offline Mode Motivational Feature Set Communication and Interaction Module Audio/Video Streaming Education App For Kids 2021’s Generation Technologies For Educational App The latest editions in technology stack and approaches have made their way to educational apps. AR Captivates All Senses Whether you agree or not, Augmented Reality amplifies real-world experiences. Be it an amusement park or an art gallery; AR technologies hold the potential to uphold any situation, location, surrounding or even venture to a totally new level. AR is gradually transforming the way people interact and learn with mobile devices. Besides, the biggest reason love it is because ideas for AR are almost everywhere — just have a look around. Explore night from a new aspect with a , or go to the woods with a , or feel free to learn new languages on the go with . mobile app developers Star Chart Leafsnap Google Translate There are also tools for mentors and students available on to establish their own AR & VR content. Students can visualize any topic on subjects varying from history to astronomical science. Teachers can create curriculum and monitor, assess and correct students at the weak points with the help of the app. EON Creator AVR Artificial Intelligence Is The Key To Accelerate Learning Capability Image Source You must be wondering, “is your teaching about to be disrupted”? Yes, it is. But in a better way. With the debut of AI, every aspect of education is revolutionizing, from curriculum development all to assessment, smart algorithms are adjusted according to the learner’s abilities. . No more averages, everyone gets the best. As the value of AI technology starts to penetrate the customer/user/learner experience, replying to customer demands will become a decisive force, with an average of one in three citing customer demands as a significant reason for AI adoption, approximately for 50% of the dwelling from education organizations. Lastly, Education apps are the forerunner in AI adoption with services and enablers having 5–10% lower adoption rates. Image Source So, undoubtedly, AI creates mammoth value for the organization as a tool for assessment and reviews, and as a tool for educational apps. Moreover, the passionate offer an ideal blend of intelligence, for instance, a distributed learning strategy aiming to integrate live classroom methods with the right virtual technologies consisting of virtual facilitators, intelligent tutor, augmented reality and other exclusive features. mobile app developers The Gaming Element For Non-Gaming Context Motivation is quite crucial in learning and education. Still, it often comes with challenges in conventional classrooms, like challenges in games were getting some arbitrary value or reaching the next level have little to no practical value. Fortunately, the primary elements of gaming and learning to eclipse sometime — especially for setting objectives, developing a strategy, and getting rewards are the common things. And, it’s not just for kids app, gamification has been significant in employee performance, customer engagement, and also crowdsourcing initiatives. For better understanding, let’s take an example of a at Webster University. The app notifies freshmen on a scavenger hunt with the help of a smartphone. And, with customizable treks and challenges, it’s informative and interactive, in short, a great alternative to monotonous handouts. location-based mobile app for orientation Streaming Going Viral In The Corporate Learning Presently, corporate learning is inclined towards . Also, Josh Bersin said, “the connection between corporate learning and video/audio streaming services is not anymore a far-sighted future”. education ‘in the flow of work’ Modern learning methods transform a series of playlist and channels that you subscribe to and get customized AI-powered recommendations, similar to Netflix. Businesses grab the value of micro-learning and in return, provide their own video-learning platforms. Step 3: Monetize Your Educational App When a reliable mobile app developer creates your excellent educational app, monetization takes time. For beginners, the Free model is perfect for alluring clients. Simply, because of the plentiful availability of the apps of the same category, that’s the only option available. The minimum you can do is offer a free trial to get to know your app. But, creating reliable revenue streams is an unskippable aspect of app success, so weigh your choices. The paid features are where mostly free educational apps scale new heights. You cannot get VC injections forever. So, better to think of some compelling features outside your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that users will happily pay for. Freebie: If you offer a platform for user-generated content, you can always change an interest for a course viewing or a commission for posting a paid course. Commissions: A monthly subscription is a popular choice for monetizing an e-learning app. Alternatively, introduce numerous user plans for access to different functionalities (free/VIP/premium/pro). Subscriptions: In-App ads are bothersome so it’s advisable to use them in moderation. Ensure you know the ad policy for your potential target users, especially if you are creating it for toddlers and kids. Advertisement Revenue: Advertising towards children is rightly limited by strict rules and regulations like and the advertising industries own self formulated regulation through the . Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) Providing paid consumables within an app sometimes can be a red flag, especially with kids apps, as many parents find it daunting to safeguard their wallets. In-App Purchases: Also, app stores offer parents guidance and needed tools against the strategy. So, gracefully offering users a choice to opt-out will provide you with more credit than being confined and manipulative. The other way round is charge once for the app’s download. Paid model is only viable if you aim at the mammoth size market. Keep in mind to offer a free-trial as no one enjoy a pig in the poke. Paid Downloads: Final Thought Although the pandemic has taken its levy on everybody, there is no more need to be a hostage to the situation. But, with , it’s worth continuing to funnel down new opportunities and optimally use the situation to craft new projects and ideas. mobile app developers Also published at https://loricaricofe.medium.com/2021s-cost-feature-analysis-to-create-an-educational-app-8327614873d4

Cost and Feature Analysis for Creating Educational Apps in 2021

In case you missed it, I using a from . Then I built a to serve the model’s predictions. That’s nice and all, but… how is my model? built a neural network to predict loan risk public dataset LendingClub public API good Today I’m going to put it to the test, pitting it against the risk models of the very institution who issued those loans. That’s right, LendingClub included their own calculated loan grades (and sub-grades) in the dataset, so all the pieces are in place for the most thrilling risk modeling smackdown of this century (or at least this week). May the best algorithm win! joblib

prev_notebook_folder = loans = joblib.load(prev_notebook_folder + )
loans.shape import "../input/building-a-neural-network-to-predict-loan-risk/" "loans_for_eval.joblib" (1110171, 70) loans.head() ┌────┬────────────┬────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────────────┬────────┬──────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────┬──────┬────────────┬──────────────────┬────────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────┬───────────┬────────┬────────────┬─────────────────┐
│    │ loan_amnt  │   term     │ emp_length  │ home_ownership  │ annual_inc  │      purpose        │  dti   │ delinq_2yrs  │ cr_hist_age_mths  │ fico_range_low  │ ...  │ tax_liens  │ tot_hi_cred_lim  │ total_bal_ex_mort  │ total_bc_limit  │ total_il_high_credit_limit  │ fraction_recovered  │ issue_d   │ grade  │ sub_grade  │ expected_return │
├────┼────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────────────┼────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────┼─────────────────┼──────┼────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼───────────┼────────┼────────────┼─────────────────┤
│ 0  │    3600.0  │ 36 months  │ 10+ years   │ MORTGAGE        │    55000.0  │ debt_consolidation  │  5.91  │         0.0  │            148.0  │          675.0  │ ...  │       0.0  │        178050.0  │            7746.0  │         2400.0  │                    13734.0  │                1.0  │ Dec-2015  │ C      │ C4         │         4429.08 │
│ 1  │   24700.0  │ 36 months  │ 10+ years   │ MORTGAGE        │    65000.0  │ small_business      │ 16.06  │         1.0  │            192.0  │          715.0  │ ...  │       0.0  │        314017.0  │           39475.0  │        79300.0  │                    24667.0  │                1.0  │ Dec-2015  │ C      │ C1         │        29530.08 │
│ 2  │   20000.0  │ 60 months  │ 10+ years   │ MORTGAGE        │    63000.0  │ home_improvement    │ 10.78  │         0.0  │            184.0  │          695.0  │ ...  │       0.0  │        218418.0  │           18696.0  │         6200.0  │                    14877.0  │                1.0  │ Dec-2015  │ B      │ B4         │        25959.60 │
│ 4  │   10400.0  │ 60 months  │ 3 years     │ MORTGAGE        │   104433.0  │ major_purchase      │ 25.37  │         1.0  │            210.0  │          695.0  │ ...  │       0.0  │        439570.0  │           95768.0  │        20300.0  │                    88097.0  │                1.0  │ Dec-2015  │ F      │ F1         │        17394.60 │
│ 5  │   11950.0  │ 36 months  │ 4 years     │ RENT            │    34000.0  │ debt_consolidation  │ 10.20  │         0.0  │            338.0  │          690.0  │ ...  │       0.0  │         16900.0  │           12798.0  │         9400.0  │                     4000.0  │                1.0  │ Dec-2015  │ C      │ C3         │        14586.48 │
└────┴────────────┴────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────────────┴────────┴──────────────┴───────────────────┴─────────────────┴──────┴────────────┴──────────────────┴────────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────┴───────────┴────────┴────────────┴─────────────────┘
5 rows × 70 columns This post was adapted from a Jupyter Notebook, by the way, so if you’d like to follow along in your own notebook, go ahead and fork mine or ! Kaggle GitHub Ground rules This is going to be a clean fight—my model won’t use any data LendingClub wouldn’t have access to at the point they calculate a loan’s grade (including the grade itself). I’m going to sort the dataset chronologically (using the column, the month and year the loan was issued) and split it into two parts. The first 80% I’ll use for training my competition model, and I’ll compare performance on the last 20%. issue_d sklearn.model_selection train_test_split

loans[ ] = loans[ ].astype( )
loans.sort_values( , axis= , inplace= , kind= )

train, test = train_test_split(loans, test_size= , shuffle= )
train, test = train.copy(), test.copy()
print( ) from import "date" "issue_d" "datetime64[ns]" "date" "index" True "mergesort" 0.2 False f"The test set contains loans." {len(test):,} The test set contains 222,035 loans. At the earlier end of the test set my model may have a slight informational advantage, having been trained on a few loans that may not have closed yet at the point LendingClub was grading those ones. On the other hand, LendingClub may have a slight informational advantage on the later end of the test set, since they would have known the outcomes of some loans on the earlier end of the test set by that time. I have to give credit to Michael Wurm, by the way, for of comparing my model’s performance to LendingClub’s loan grades, but my approach is pretty different. I’m not trying to simulate the performance of an investment portfolio; I’m just evaluating how well my predictions of simple risk compare. the idea Test metric The test: who can pick the best set of grade A loans, judged on the basis of the independent variable from , the fraction of an expected loan return that a prospective borrower will pay back (which I engineered as ). my last notebook fraction_recovered LendingClub will take the plate first. I’ll gather all their grade A loans from the test set, count them, and calculate their average . That average will be the metric my model has to beat. fraction_recovered Then I’ll train my model on the training set using the same pipeline and parameters I settled on in . Once it’s trained, I’ll use it to make predictions on the test set, then gather the number of top predictions equal to the number of LendingClub’s grade A loans. Finally, I’ll calculate the same average of on that subset, and we’ll have ourselves a winner! my last notebook fraction_recovered LendingClub's turn statistics mean

lc_grade_a = test[test[ ] == ]
print( )

print( )
print(round(mean(lc_grade_a[ ]), )) from import "grade" "A" f"LendingClub gave loans in the test set an A grade." {len(lc_grade_a):,} "\nAverage `fraction_recovered` on LendingClub's grade A loans:" "fraction_recovered" 5 LendingClub gave 38,779 loans in the test set an A grade.

Average `fraction_recovered` on LendingClub's grade A loans:
0.96021 That’s a pretty high percentage. I’m a bit nervous. My turn First, I’ll copy over my function from : run_pipeline my previous notebook sklearn.model_selection train_test_split sklearn_pandas DataFrameMapper sklearn.preprocessing OneHotEncoder, OrdinalEncoder, StandardScaler tensorflow.keras Sequential, Input tensorflow.keras.layers Dense, Dropout X = data.drop(columns=[ ])
    y = data[ ]
    X_train, X_valid, y_train, y_valid = (
        train_test_split(X, y, test_size= , random_state= ) validate (X, , y, )
    )

    transformer = DataFrameMapper(
        [
            (onehot_cols, OneHotEncoder(drop= )),
            (
                list(ordinal_cols.keys()),
                OrdinalEncoder(categories=list(ordinal_cols.values())),
            ),
        ],
        default=StandardScaler(),
    )

    X_train = transformer.fit_transform(X_train)
    X_valid = transformer.transform(X_valid) validate input_nodes = X_train.shape[ ]
    output_nodes = model = Sequential()
    model.add(Input((input_nodes,)))
    model.add(Dense( , activation= ))
    model.add(Dropout( , seed= ))
    model.add(Dense( , activation= ))
    model.add(Dropout( , seed= ))
    model.add(Dense( , activation= ))
    model.add(Dropout( , seed= ))
    model.add(Dense(output_nodes))
    model.compile(optimizer= , loss= )

    history = model.fit(
        X_train,
        y_train,
        batch_size=batch_size,
        epochs= ,
        validation_data=(X_valid, y_valid) validate ,
        verbose= ,
    ) history.history, model, transformer


onehot_cols = [ , , , ]
ordinal_cols = { : [ , , , , , , , , , , ,
    ]
} from import from import from import from import from import : def run_pipeline (
    data,
    onehot_cols,
    ordinal_cols,
    batch_size,
    validate=True,
) "fraction_recovered" "fraction_recovered" 0.2 0 if else None None "if_binary" if else None 1 1 64 "relu" 0.3 0 32 "relu" 0.3 1 16 "relu" 0.3 2 "adam" "mean_squared_logarithmic_error" 100 if else None 2 return "term" "application_type" "home_ownership" "purpose" "emp_length" "< 1 year" "1 year" "2 years" "3 years" "4 years" "5 years" "6 years" "7 years" "8 years" "9 years" "10+ years" Now for the moment of truth: _, model, transformer = run_pipeline(
    train.drop(columns=[ , , , , ]),
    onehot_cols,
    ordinal_cols,
    batch_size= ,
    validate= ,
) X_test = transformer.transform(
    test.drop(
        columns=[ , , , , , ,
        ]
    )
)
test[ ] = model.predict(X_test) test_sorted = test.sort_values( , axis= , ascending= )
ty_grade_a = test_sorted.iloc[ :len(lc_grade_a)] print( )
print(format(mean(ty_grade_a[ ]), )) # Train the model "issue_d" "date" "grade" "sub_grade" "expected_return" 128 False # Make predictions "fraction_recovered" "issue_d" "date" "grade" "sub_grade" "expected_return" "model_predictions" # Gather top predictions "model_predictions" "index" False 0 # Display results "\nAverage `fraction_recovered` on Ty's grade A loans:" "fraction_recovered" ".5f" Epoch 1/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0249
Epoch 2/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0204
Epoch 3/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0202
Epoch 4/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0202
Epoch 5/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0202
Epoch 6/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 7/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 8/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 9/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 10/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 11/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 12/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 13/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 14/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 15/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 16/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0201
Epoch 17/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 18/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 19/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 20/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 21/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 22/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 23/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 24/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 25/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 26/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 27/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 28/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 29/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 30/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 31/100
6939/6939 - 15s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 32/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 33/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 34/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 35/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 36/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 37/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 38/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 39/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 40/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 41/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 42/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 43/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 44/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 45/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 46/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 47/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 48/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 49/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 50/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 51/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 52/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 53/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 54/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 55/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 56/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 57/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 58/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 59/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 60/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 61/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 62/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 63/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 64/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 65/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 66/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 67/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 68/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 69/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 70/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 71/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 72/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 73/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 74/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 75/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 76/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 77/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 78/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 79/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 80/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 81/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 82/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 83/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 84/100
6939/6939 - 12s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 85/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 86/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 87/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 88/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 89/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 90/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 91/100
6939/6939 - 14s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 92/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 93/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 94/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 95/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 96/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 97/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 98/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 99/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200
Epoch 100/100
6939/6939 - 13s - loss: 0.0200

Average `fraction_recovered` on Ty's grade A loans:
0.96166 Victory! Phew, that was a close one! My win might be too small to be statistically significant, but hey, it’s cool seeing that I can keep up with LendingClub’s best and brightest. What I’d really like to know now is what quantitative range of estimated risk each LendingClub grade and sub-grade corresponds to, but it looks like . Does anyone know if loans grades generally correspond to certain percentage ranges like letter grades in academic classes? If not, have any ideas for better benchmarks I could use to evaluate my model’s performance? Go ahead and chime in in the comments below. that’s proprietary Previously published at https://tymick.me/blog/loan-grading-showdown

Can I Grade Loans Better Than LendingClub?

DeFi industry is stepping forward at a great pace. Currently it appears to be the largest tectonic plate covering the Blockchain sphere and you have to be fully prepared. However, with DeFi projects, I see that their communities often do not know where to get the most up-to-date information about the DeFi market. Potentially, this is a chance for scammers. So I decided to make a list of reliable portals that provide up-to-date and currently reliable information about DeFi. working Information is your power. DeFi Pulse https://defipulse.com/ Even though Pulse has a bit out of date design, it still provides with a comprehensive DeFi projects tokens price and overall trading volume in a very simple and accessible manner, even a beginner might use it easily. The main purpose of the Pulse is to display Ether and tokens locked in DeFi project. CoinMarketCap DeFi page https://coinmarketcap.com/ru/defi/ Coinmarketcap has already gained a reputation of a trustworthy platform, which would be impossible if CoinMarketCap team would not follow the modern trends, DeFi Especially. The platform lists token in Market Volume order with a reflection of the 24 hours price waves and graphical curves display. Very convenient for an urgent and fast search. Etherscan.io https://etherscan.io/defi-leaderboard Yes, Etherscan is an expected guest on a top list such as that one. This tool is effective mostly because a simple list contains as much information as possible for making a decision where to invest. Especially it is related to the fact that Etherscan reflects projects’ specialty and the industry sector they are dedicated to. Actually, on the page you can find most of the necessary information. DeFiprime https://defiprime.com/ This is an outstanding portal with the most detailed information about different projects that they had already processed and displayed in any of the sections. Besides news and blog related to the DeFi, you can find a convenient search for projects in several categories such as Alternative savings, Daos, Payments, Staking and many more. It really reveals from the burden to find a project on a certain niche you are trying to access and, what is more important, it saves time. Loanscan https://loanscan.io/loans#borrow-volume Imagine you are doing a research on a very specific niche and you do not have enough time before the deadline to put everything on a right place, but still quality is important. This platform will help you to derive all data you need to know about the DeFi loans sector. Revealing, isn’t it? Using these platforms will help in decision making and data collection. Surely, it’s better to use a combination of the services, to get as much deeper knowledge as possible. We will talk about it in a series of future articles. If you want to learn more about DeFi or you are a DeFi project and want to know more how to promote you project, please contact me in Telegram (@baloyan) or LinkedIn.

5 Portals That Rate And Rank DeFi Projects For You

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) can be rightfully considered a third revolution in the crypto space. If you wonder what the first two are, these are the invention of blockchain itself along with the technology’s firstborn, Bitcoin, and the inception of the smart contract technology. Just like blockchain provides the basis for smart contracts, the latter give rise to DeFi. It is often said that smart contracts are poised to revolutionize the ways both humans and organizations interact in their contractual relationships. In this sense, DeFi is the stage where these relationships are set to emerge and develop. With a bigger picture in mind, it is the world that the blockchain technology lays the foundation for, while smart contracts help to build it. Why we need DeFi, how it is possible, what makes it tick and click are the main themes of this article. But seriously, why do we need it? Since most financial services in existence today are provided by or involve third parties, for example, banks, exchanges, investment companies, insurance agencies etc, DeFi is an attempt to build an alternative environment, an ecosystem of applications offering the same set of services but now powered by public blockchain networks in a decentralized, transparent and permissionless way. By and large, the basic idea that guides DeFi is essentially the same ethos that drives innovation with crypto as such, but at an entirely different level. Just like cryptocurrencies try to wrest the state supremacy over money from the hands of rogue governments and central banks, DeFi takes it further and aims higher. With DeFi, it is no longer a matter of creating a coin in an effort to replace fiat money, which mostly doesn’t work anyway. However, building a whole new domain of financial services available fairly and squarely to anyone, with full control over the assets but without corrupt governments and greedy intermediaries sticking around, may pan out better after all. So, answering the question posed at the beginning of this section, we need DeFi for basically the same reasons we need cryptocurrencies. Or, put differently, if we need cryptocurrencies, an assumption that has been proved indisputable, it is inevitable as well that we will sooner or later become interested in decentralized financial services powered by these cryptocurrencies through smart contract blockchains. We can’t just create Bitcoin and say that’ll do. It is a natural development, a Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in a sense. How is it even possible? As mentioned in the introduction, DeFi emerges thanks to smart contract tech and decentralized applications (or simply dApps) running them. So how does it work in practice? To better understand the idea, let’s take a closer look at a relatively simple example of a decentralized crypto-backed stablecoin which can be created through a smart contract. Stablecoins are coins whose value is pegged to a stable asset such as a commodity like gold or a fiat currency like the US dollar. There are a few different types of stablecoins that exist in the wild. For the purpose of this exposition, we are interested in crypto-backed stablecoins. Like stablecoins collateralized by fiat, these stablecoins use cryptocurrencies as collateral. However, the key difference is that a fiat-based stablecoin is pegged to the fiat currency which is backing it up. Kinda obvious. A crypto-backed stablecoin, on the other hand, is pegged to one asset, say, the American dollar, but backed up by a completely different one, for example, Ether. Things get tricky. A crypto-collateralized stablecoin is possible through the magic and the beauty of the smart contract governing it. If the price of such a stablecoin rises above its peg or parity, you can create more stablecoins and sell them at a premium. If the price of the stablecoin falls below parity, you can buy stablecoins and liquidate them at a discount. If the collateral itself crashes, undercollateralized stablecoins will be liquidated with their collateral now backing up fewer stablecoins. As a result, the price always gets pushed back to parity. And all this rather complicated stuff is done on the blockchain in a decentralized and automatic fashion with no banks or other third parties involved. Consequently, more services are easily possible too. And quite a few at that. Okay, what decentralized financial services are available? Well, one such service we have just described above. Cryptocurrencies are infamous for being extremely volatile, and stablecoins are designed to deal with this issue. There are many stablecoins out there like Tether, TrueUSD, or Gemini Coin, but they are all based on trusting the third parties. Easily one of the best known crypto-backed stablecoins is ’s DAI, which is pegged against the US dollar with a basket of crypto-assets as collateral in a truly decentralized and trustless way, that is, a blockchain way. MakerDAO Crypto-based stablecoins can be used on their own by offering a hedge against the price volatility of such popular cryptocurrencies as Ether or Bitcoin. Aside from that, they are also instrumental in other DeFi services, for example, in decentralized exchanges like or . IDEX BiKi.com With stablecoins, it becomes possible to create fiat trading pairs in addition to crypto ones in entirely decentralized, non-custodial trading environments as opposed to centralized exchanges like Bitfinex or Binance, which are vulnerable to high-profile hacks and personal data leaks. Unlike MakerDAO, doesn’t strive to create a rock-solid stablecoin. Instead, it comes up with the notion of “adaptive money built on sound economics”, with its mission stretching out as far as to marry “the scarcity of Bitcoin with the elasticity of fiat”. Ampleforth It tries to go beyond the relatively simple concept of a stablecoin and brings forth the idea of elastic money supply that can expand and contract depending on market demands, as well as allow the creation of a valid form of collateral for DeFi based on that idea. Obviously, DeFi is not just about stablecoins or the financial services using them. Blockchain-based borrowing and lending is another important DeFi arena. With platforms like , , , you can deposit your crypto assets to either earn interest on them or use these assets as collateral for borrowing. Compound dYdX Dharma Smart contracts automatically match borrowers and lenders, offering dynamic interest rates based on supply and demand. And with tools like , you can also easily shop around for the best interest rates on the block. LoanScan These examples are far from exhaustive, of course, as space is rapidly expanding and evolving. However, there are some fundamental issues that put grit into the wheels of the DeFi war machine. So where’s the catch? There are many advantages of DeFi, but to be of any practical use, it needs up-to-date information that would be reliable and authentic. Smart contracts that DeFi is based on are hopelessly on-chain, but the data they need for processing is mostly off-chain. Without a bridge to close this gap between a smart contract and its source of external information, smart contracts are entrapped in closed-off dungeons of their blockchains. To be sure, no crypto-based stablecoin is going to work correctly without a real-time price feed for the assets taken as its collateral and used for maintaining the peg. To get around this roadblock, a concept of blockchain oracles has been suggested. But as the chain cannot be stronger than its weakest link, blockchain oracles seem to be that weak link in the field of DeFi and beyond as obtaining information in a verifiable way can be an intimidating task. What approaches dApps are taking to procure and verify sources of truth in the external world is the topic of our upcoming article about blockchain oracles. Stay with us and stay tuned! The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. Every investment and trading move involves risk. You should conduct your own research when making a decision. Follow us to get the latest news about the crypto world. Previously published at https://stealthex.io/blog/2020/08/04/decentralized-finance-defi/

DeFi - The Whys, Whats, Wheres, and Hows of Decentralized Finance

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