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Jaipuria Lucknow STUDENT Speaks

Prachi of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow talks of her fears, her fights and her wins- now that her PGDM journey comes to a successful close

Prachi was only few days old in the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow campus and she had to face one of her biggest fears- public speaking. “I was nervous. It was my first presentation and I could feel my sweaty palms and dry mouth. I started and ended it within two minutes and I stood on the stage, completely blank and frozen,” articulates Prachi while talking about the most embarrassing moment from her Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow’s journey. “But, honestly, that day taught me a lot,” adds the 23 years old who stood tall in front of the interview panel of Deloitte recently and returned home with an offer letter declaring her latest recruitment by the company. .

Prachi is about to join Deloitte from May 27, 2018. Her 2 years of PGDM taught her various life lessons but the most important of them all were- “Leadership skills, strategic thinking and presentation skills,” elaborates Prachi. In fact, it was these three qualities that held her in good stead in front of the Deloitte panel. At Jaipuria Institute of Management, students are trained to stand ready for the professional world, from the first day they set their foot on campus. .

Prachi recalls- “we were tested and vetted by our faculty individually prior to placements started in full-swing in the Lucknow campus. When my one to one interaction day arrived, I was bombarded by faculty with questions for almost 30-40 minutes and I was out-of-breath, exasperated and all over, thinking of the answers. In fact, even the easiest answers were eluding me and it was then that I realized I had to prepare more.” .

It was 8pm of a certain evening in March and few students were called in the conference room. Prachi was one of them. She had just finished her final round with Deloitte and with multiple apprehensions, she took her steps towards the room, fearing- “I might not have made it through.” However, she was wrong. All I could think when my name was read out was about my mentor. I couldn’t thank him enough or helping me whatever little I could, so far.” So what does this young girl intend to do with her first salary? .

“I want to spend it on my mother,” says Prachi with a broad grin on her face.

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Jaipuria Lucknow Whats New

Locating the nemesis and beating it right on time- Mansi, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow on her making it to E&Y

“My two cents on placement season in B-schools: boy, it isn’t for the meek hearted!” says Mansi with a chuckle. She has recently bagged herself a plum job with the multinational professional services firm- E&Y. Even though the PGDM girl from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow already had a pre-placement offer from the company she interned with- SMC Global Securities Ltd., she had her eyes fixed on joining a Fortune 500.

Mansi’s friends trust her easy. She says, “that’s may be because I have tried to be around for them, whenever needed and that is a quality my parents had taught me, very early in life.” In fact, not just her friends, even the hostel warden was disappointed when Mansi had decided to find herself a separate accommodation post her 1st year on the campus. “She wanted to put me in-charge of the hostel duties and it was then that I realized how what you give- comes back to you in more meaningful ways than you can ever imagine,” explains Mansi. She adds- “be it my mentors or my faculty or my guides, I have tried to live up to their expectations and it was only around February of 2018, when the placement season started, that I could feel things falling apart.”

It wasn’t a joy ride early 2018 for this brave, young and dynamic girl. Having put her best in academics and extra-curricular, she had her confidence soaring high by the time the first recruiter stepped on campus. “I was rejected. One company after the other,” says Mansi with a smile on her face. With the first recruiter, she couldn’t crack the Aptitude Round. She sat for the second one and she could crack the Aptitude Round but not the GD round. The third process was equally disappointing. And she knew all along her nemesis- the tragic flaw. “Over confidence! I was being over confident because I thought I knew it all.” By the time Mansi’s 23rd birthday arrived, all her friends were placed. With a heavy heart, Mansi sat down to reflect on the latest rejections.

“My mentor Prof. Abhay Kumar Srivastava knew how to spur me right. His exact words were- had I been wrong in thinking you were the best? And that was enough to do the wonders,” exclaims Mansi. She promised him that very moment- “I would be placed by the end of this month, you have my words.” She burnt the midnight lamp, focused and determined to achieve big. 21st March arrived and Mansi had a mail in her mailbox with the offer letter all the way from the E&Y office, stating- “You have been hired. Welcome onboard.” Imagine the joy after the entire struggle!

So what are the few things that Mansi’s PGDM journey of two years with Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow teach her? “If I have to list them down in order of importance, they would be- discipline, knowledge across domains, and the importance of being a good human being, no matter the situation or the circumstances,” concludes Mansi sipping the dreg from her coffee mug.

This wonderful go-getter joined E&Y on 9th of April and shall be back on campus to collect her diploma on the day of her Convocation.

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Whats New

Marico happened for Taikhoom of Jaipuria Institute of Management, right at first go

When Taikhoom Maluki arrived from Jaora, a small city in Madhya Pradesh, he had big dreams in his eyes. Shifting to the capital city for a PGDM education from a leading B-school cannot be an overnight decision or preparation. Taikhoom had his share of research and deliberations prior to narrowing down to Jaipuria Institute of Management.

He enrolled for the PGDM program at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida with two things on his mind. First, he wanted to have a strong foundation and understanding of management concepts to be ready as a professional with a competitive edge. Secondly, he wanted to grow into a well rounded confident individual. His two years at the B School ensured that the transformation was complete. It also led to his placement with Marico as Territory Sales Officer. Excited to start his professional journey on a high note, he explains the journey he has traversed in last 2 years.


Striking gold right on his first attempt

The placement season is the culmination of all the hard work students put in throughout their programs. It can be a nerve wracking experience and Taikhoom admits that it was filled with ups and downs for him. But his perseverance saw him through and won him the placement on the first attempt. “There were several rounds of aptitude tests, group discussions and personal interviews. I believed in the skills I had gained at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida and that did the trick for me. I am very excited to start my first job, which will largely be on the field. It’s going to be challenging but will also give me the scope to prove myself and I am confident that I can,” he says.

The importance of being a team player

After Taikhoom bagged the placement, his batch mates came to him for advice. He remained effusive in sharing feedback because working in perfect synergy and being a team player is something he learned at the B School. He believes his new professional role will also require him to work in teams while displaying leadership skills. “If I hadn’t enrolled for the program I would have missed out on the immense exposure I got. It is a dynamic course that gets updated frequently, so there are myriad opportunities to learn and analyze different skills at the same time. I love the dynamism the program has brought in me,” he says filled with exuberance.

Metamorphosis of a leader

Taikhoom remembers stepping onto the campus as a raw student but has now evolved into a confident individual backed by leadership skills. According to him, different group activities he was part of in the classroom helped him imbibe the crucial attribute. He also talks about the role of electives and specialized courses like IBM Analytics that have given him the professional edge. “My SIP experience with Dabur also played a crucial role in my placement. It helped me relate my answers to actual experiences and made them more relevant. It has also given me the first taste of corporate life, which I will derive from when I start working,” he asserts.

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Whats New

Young Entrepreneurs In India To Watch Out For In 2018

“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” said Peter Drucker, the Australian management guru. And that seems to be the motto of life for young entrepreneurs who walk down the road of uncertainty to make their dreams come true. After all, entrepreneurs are not just dreamers but doers and Jaipuria Institute of Management students stay inspired by these individuals- in more ways than one.

Here are five young guns in the country, who have hit big time with their ventures. From environmental concerns to women’s issues, their ideas covered areas that touch our lives. With their drive and achievements at the young age, they have become inspirations to us all.

Kshitij Marwah

kshitijThe suave design master is yet to hit 30 but has made a big impact with his cutting edge ventures. First with MIT Media Lab India Initiative and then Tesseract Inc, he made waves in the industry. The latter saw him get on the fast moving Make In India wagon and has led to innovative products that have become the talk of the town. Voxel, first holographic headset for Smartphones and Quark 360, the smallest 360 degree virtual reality camera have brought him and his company much acclaim. The world waits with bated breath for his next success.


Deepanjali Dalmia

deepanjaliOnly 26, Deepanjali serves up inspiration in many doses. She is young woman, who took the leap of faith by quitting her top dollar job with Ernst & Young in New York and decided to work for women’s health in India. Heyday Care produces organic sanitary pads made out of bamboo fiber and corn. They are effective, cheap and safe, making them perfect for women who either don’t have access to sanitary pads or don’t realize the harmful impact of ingredients in the regular off the shelf products. This is just the beginning for Deepanjali!


Ankit Agarwal and Karan Rastogi

ankit_karanOur list of inspiring entrepreneurs includes Ankit and Karan, who spotted an opportunity and turned it into gold. Well, green too since their project is eco friendly. HelpUsGreen came into being after the two noticed temple waste of flowers, which would rot away. They decided to use the “raw material” to create incense sticks, soaps and organic fertilizers. The project has received funding from Social Alpha, a Tata Trust initiative, Echoing Green and Greenfield ventures. Flush with cash and never short of ideas, they are gearing up to set up two more plants in the country.


Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam

rohan_yashasRohan and Yashas, still in their early twenties give the adage “sky is the limit if you are driven my ideas” a whole new meaning. Bellatrix Aerospace was incubated in the legendary Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and received its first high profile order from ISRO couple of years ago. It was for a satellite propulsion system, no less. The company is now working on ambitious Chetak, a two stage launch vehicle, which should be aired by 2023. It will use clean fuel, which makes the project a hit with environmentalists too.


Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain

tarun_swapnilAnother inspiring duo committed to the future of the planet along with profits. Tarun and Swapnil are founders of Ather Energy and the brains behind S340, which is expected to go on the market this year. The almost commercial electric scooter is a design dream that is packed with power too. We won’t harp on the specs of the model, but let’s just say it is up to speed with other traditional two wheelers, competitively priced and is of course energy efficient. That’s what they call an absolutely electric idea.

They are young, committed, open to risks and socially conscious too. Now that’s the perfect recipe for winning entrepreneurs.

At Jaipuria Institute of Management, the future managers are vetted through series of Entrepreneurship activities alongside conclaves, E-Cell events, electives on Entrepreneurship, to name a few. The B-school over a period of time has delivered committed, successful entrepreneurs in the country who have gone ahead to make mark in the world.

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Jaipuria Lucknow STUDENT Speaks

“After Colgate, I showed the patience to wait for what suited me best,” says Anika Srivastava of Jaipuria, Lucknow bag placement with Philips.

Jaipuria Institute Management, like any top B School, grooms its students to be future managers and able leaders. But if there’s one characteristic that sets its graduates apart is the fact that they develop nerves of steel. They are trained to look at adversity in its face and turn it into success. Anika Srivastava, PGDM Batch 2016 – 18, Jaipuria, Lucknow reflected that quality in abundance after her GD group was disqualified during the placement process for Colgate. It was a company she was keen to work with. But she didn’t let the hiccup dampen her spirits. It led to her placement with renowned global brand Philips.

Here’s the story of her turnaround.

Nerve wracking but character defining placement process Anika doesn’t shy away from the disappointment from the initial phase of the placement process. But she asserts that she went for the Philips recruitment with equal gusto. The placement process involved an Aptitude test, GD, interview with Sales Head and another with HR Director. She was the only student who got placed from her campus. The secret? “After the Colgate debacle, I showed the patience to wait for what suited me the best. I took the advice of my faculty members and CMC team on board. Jaipuria, Lucknow had always taught me to trust my abilities, and it saw me through the placement process,” she says with a smile.

Learning only a renowned PGDM can offer

Sitting on a plum placement, Anika looks back on her transformation at Jaipuria, Lucknow. According to her, she learned a few things in the last two years that only a PGDM program can offer. A sound knowledge of distribution channels, organizational functions, and consumer behavior is what she will take into her professional career. “I have developed leadership skills and lost my fear of public speaking. I have become more confident on the whole and thank my B School for it. But I am glad that my internship with Varun Beverages Limited also taught me the difference between being confident and over-confidence,” she reminds us.

Ready for the professional sojourn

The SIP was crucial in making Anika ready for the industry challenges. Her project on execution and availability of Stock Keeping Unit was real life proof of ‘joh dikhta hai, who bikta hai’ for her. She admits that it was instrumental in her doing well in the placement interview. And now that she has gone through the litmus test, she looks forward to the career as a professional. “It is my first job and I am very excited. I will be working as a Sales Trainee, Professional Sales (B2B) with Philips. Understanding the pattern of B2B sales, interacting with companies and achieving my targets will be at the top of my mind. I am confident I can do well,” she concludes.

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Alumni Speak Jaipuria Lucknow

An entrepreneur’s story on how his love for Marketing developed

When Manish Jain was graduating as a PGDM student in the year 1999 from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, little did he know where his life would take him a decade from there. With an intense passion for Marketing, Manish started his career with his eyes on becoming an entrepreneur. Eventually things started getting clearer in front of him. Today, Manish runs an entire export brand that sends engineering instruments across the globe- including Middle East, Africa and a lot of East Asian countries.

“For me, it all started from Jaipuria’s classroom. I remember when Prof. Kavita Pathak would deliver the Marketing classes. There used to be absolute silence- with complete attendance,” says Manish while explaining from where his quest for Marketing as a subject began. Being at the helm of affairs of his export unit, Manish didn’t have a day initially when he didn’t have to get into the essentials of Marketing and reach-out. “It is then that I started realizing, just how important the theories were,” says Manish.

With almost 20 years now that he graduated from the school, he thinks “Jaipuria has come a long, really long way. However, we had begun big anyway. In the 90s itself students were doing industry rounds to companies such as- Escorts, JCB and Maruti. We would meet industry stalwarts, engage with global faculty, attend seminars and conferences of global repute- things were ablaze!” Needless to say, experiential learning stands in the centre of the Jaipuria Institute of Management’s PGDM curriculum- to prepare students for an international stage.

Manish being an employee and an employer stands on the vantage point of giving insights to placement trends in the country. According to him, “you have to grow faster than your age.” Manish is extremely hopeful about the entire stress of “Make in India” in the country and thinks, there’s no dearth of opportunities for newbies in the field. “If you keep your learning quotient high, you are bound to go places. You’ve to expose yourself to the practicalities of the market at a faster pace than an ordinary PGDM graduate- especially because you have the privilege and the support of Jaipuria Institute of Management behind you,” concludes Manish with his suggestion.

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Whats New

Five Unknown Facts About Stephen Hawking – an attempt to unveil the greatness of the great man by Jaipuria Institute of Management students

You didn’t have to be a Physics enthusiast to have heard about Stephen Hawking. For many, he was the smartest man of our times. But the man with a sharp sense of humor knew that not all of us lesser mortals could be as brilliant as him. Hence he did his best to make physical concepts more relatable to everyone. In fact, he took great pride in that. He was in the league of his own, but you always had the illusion that he was one amongst us. Perhaps, that is what made him so accessible, lovable and endearing.

Yet there are many unknown facts about the much adored and admired man. Here’s looking at a few that will surprise you.

Grades do lie

Image 1Now it’s a well known fact that Hawking never won the Nobel Prize for his work. But you know what else he didn’t get? Good grades in school. If you needed proof that grades aren’t everything, then you simply have to look at his school score sheet. Yet his inquisitive mind had made him the talk of the school and his teachers often referred to him as ‘Einstein’. But he delivered when it counted, like acing the tests that got him the scholarship to Oxford.

Seeking inspiration around him

Image 2Did you know doctors gave Stephen Hawking only a few years to live when he was first admitted to the hospital in his early 20s? At the time he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which led to complete loss of muscle control. But when in the hospital, he saw a young boy battling leukemia. It helped him stop feeling sorry for himself and carry on with the great things he did.

He knew he wasn’t always right

Image 3A genius might always get it right, but a great man is humble enough to admit his mistakes. Stephen Hawking was both. He was considered the last word in Quantum Physics, but there was a time when he lost a bet on black holes. What made his admission even more commendable was the fact that he did it during a talk at a top scientific conference. Of course, his tongue in cheek remarks and charm could see him through any discomfort in public.

He wasn’t alien to bold statements

Image 4Stephen Hawking was a well known atheist and didn’t believe in the existence of God. But you could get him talking about possibility of aliens in the universe. He had world media in frenzy when at NASA’s 50th anniversary celebration he said that primitive and perhaps intelligent life could be out there. He further elaborated his thoughts on the topic in one of the episodes for a show on Discovery Channel.

Didn’t shy away from spotlight

Image 5To say that he was an indomitable spirit and a unique personality would be an understatement. The Theory of Everything, which won Eddie Redmayne the Oscar for portraying Stephen Hawking captured many facets of his personality beautifully. But the man himself has made several appearances on screen. Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Simpsons, Futurama you name it. His appearance on these shows is silver screen gold for Hawking fans!

There are many unknown gems about the man who once took the zero-gravity flight to save human race. We will keep discovering Stephen Hawking’s stories and the influence he has had on our species in ‘brief history of time’.

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Alumni Speak Jaipuria Lucknow

Importance of going beyond your domain knowledge- A conversation with Anurag Mohan, alumnus Class of 1999, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow

It has been 19 years since Anurag Mohan stepped out of the Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow campus. It was year 1999 and Anurag’s was the batch that was making the shift from the old Lucknow campus to the new one. “I distinctly remember how even back then, we were getting compared to some of the top B-schools of India and we had not even started full-throttle,” says Anurag with a broad smile on his face. Why exactly? “Because of the thrust Jaipuria Institute of Management has always been putting on excellence,” elaborates the alumnus who is currently working in HPL Electric & Power Limited.

“While a lot many institutes that had mushroomed during the late 90s perished, Jaipuria Institute of Management went on beating one milestone after the other because of its undeterred and unflinching attitude towards achieving excellence,” says Anurag while recalling how some of the practices at the B-school were path-breaking even twenty [almost] years back. Student exchange programmes, simulations, conclaves and role plays were making their way to Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow way before many B-schools had even heard of them. The result of such progressive approaches to management education is alumnus like Anurag, making their presence felt in some of the top companies in the country.

However, which was that one activity at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow that had made Anurag really understand the importance of a good PGDM for a manager to survive in the 21st century? “During my time, we went to JCB, Escorts and Maruti. That was the first time I’d actually seen something being manufactured and visiting a factory which makes India’s largest selling cars was nothing short of phenomenal,” describes nostalgic Anurag with childlike glee.

Anurag Mohan works at the solar division of HPL where he deals in product ranging from bi-directional metres, injunction boxes, etc. Having spent more than 17+ years in the industry, across varied sectors and domains, the man with strong knowledge across sectors strongly believes that in order to stay on top of one’s game, “you need to go way beyond your domain knowledge. Sometimes your client or the person sitting across the table to you would be speaking of politics or global reforms or climate change or automobiles. You need to have understanding around things to sustain these conversations. Therefore, push your limits, daily.”

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Jaipuria Indore Placement Update

From Jaipur to Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore and now, to Emami India

Jaipur to Jaipuria, Indore and now, to Emami- the Indian Conglomerate Company headquartered in Kolkata

Ashish was sure he would make it to Emami. There was absolutely no speck of doubt in his heart. While he stood outside the Personal Interview room waiting for his turn with the senior professionals of the company, all he could think was “I have cracked it already,” and he was not even done with the final round. Such is the power of confidence and why wouldn’t he be! “After the kind of training we are exposed to at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore, we learn to withstand stress and steam- no matter the situation,” says the PGDM student of Class 2018 of the B-school.

Ashish arrived at the Jaipuria, Indore campus in the year 2016 with hopes of a promising future. When Emami happened to him, the Jaipur boy was happy beyond words. However, now that he looks back, “it wasn’t all a cake walk.” In fact, to make it to the Indian conglomerate headquartered in Kolkata, Ashish had to face his shares of hardship. After his rejection from TATA Motors Finance, he was taken aback. He had prepared for everything but hadn’t quite imagined the initial hiccups that life could offer. “I was taken aback when I couldn’t make through the GD of TATA Motors Finance. I was prepared every bit, however, I kept my focus right,” and eventually, Emami happened.

Ashish had to clear two critical rounds with Emami. The first was his favorite- Group Discussion round. “It was meant to analyse our Psychometrics and the Personal Interview followed. The PI tested our situational and technical knowledge,” and once he received the news of his placements in Emami’s Sales and Distribution team, he couldn’t thank his two years old decision of doing a MBA enough. “I saw my PGDM help me evolve as a more confident and outgoing human being. In fact, my summer internship with Pladis Global acted as a cherry on the icing,” explains Ashish.

He spent 75 days of his summer in the year 2017 at the leading biscuit, chocolate, confectionary company- Pladis. Immersed in a global professional set up, sales and logistics, Ashish gained a lot of insiders’ views on how to unfurl and project products to a broader target audience in the market- for real. He worked closely, day in and out with senior professionals of Pladis and gathered knowledge where he could see classroom PGDM theories, getting practiced to help brands connect to a wider set of audience. “The HR of Emami took a lot of interest in my internship and asked me series of questions around it,” says Ashish while explaining the importance of professional summer stints. “I was selling Pladis’ products in 47 degrees Celsius- under the scorching sun of Rajasthan”- needless to say, experiences such as these can’t (or, let’s say- don’t) go to waste, ever.

Ashish is now all set to join Emami- the 25,000+ employees’ company; the pioneer of the beauty and fairness cream industry of India.

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Whats New

Jaipuria Institute of Management students demystify Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies

It would be nearly impossible to find a person who has not heard of Bitcoin these days. What exactly is a Bitcoin? And what are the distinct differences between Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies? Jaipuria Institute of Management’s Finance students elaborate it for beginners looking forward to invest in the Crypto world.

It is a cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system. It is the first decentralized digital currency. It works on a peer-to-peer model, in that transactions take place between users directly, without an intermediary.These transactions are verified by network nodes through the use of cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a Blockchain. Bitcoin was invented by an unknown group of people under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009.

Bitcoin is pseudonymous, which means that funds are not tied to and real person or entity but rather to Bitcoin addresses. The owners of theses addresses are not explicitly identified, which has led to fears of Bitcoins being used to fund terrorism and other illegal activities.

Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies constantly manage to make news, not least because of their innovative nature. A while back it was the euphoria of rising Bitcoin values – towards the end of 2017, each Bitcoin was valued at nearly $20,000, up from just $2,500 in the middle of the year! More lately it is because of the inevitable correction and regulatory crackdown on transactions.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency are terms that are used interchangeably by many. But are they the same? Let us understand some key points of differentiation between the two:

What they are?

Cryptocurrencies: A Cryptocurrency is a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency, establish authenticity, and verify the transactions.

Bitcoin: A Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency, or digital private currency, which operates on the encryption technique. Though widely accepted as a currency or medium of exchange, a Bitcoin does not have any legal backing from any central bank.

Are they legal?

Cryptocurrencies:Any cryptocurrency launched as a sovereign digital alternative to the prevailing currency is legal. These are backed by the sovereign currency to the extent of value encrypted in it.

Bitcoin: Bitcoin has no such value since it a private currency in digital form. Bitcoin is not backed by any asset or real currency.

The main difference (and advantage!) of Bitcoin is the network effect. The network effect is a phenomenon where increased numbers of adoptersincreases the value of a good or service because everyone then wants to be on the same network, leading to a circle of growth. This has led to more exchanges, more merchants, more software and more hardware that support it. Bitcoin is far more liquid and trades in much larger volumes than every other Cryptocurrency. Moreover, the security and reliability of Bitcoin has been proven over 8-9 years of growing use.

The flipside of this network effect and popularity is the volatility of Bitcoin value. From a peak of $20,000 in December 2017, prices corrected rapidly to below $7,000 in just February 2018!

As things stand, given Bitcoin’s popularity and wide acceptance, an alternative Cryptocurrency can probably succeed only if it is strongly backed by multiple regulators who actively discourage the holding, trading, or acceptance of Bitcoins.

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