Cryptocurrency investment can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and make some good money in the foreseeable future. Today, we tell you everything you wanted to know about investing in Cryptocurrency including pros and cons.
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that exist outside of any government’s control and can be traded globally. Many cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have experienced exponential growth and new ones continue to be introduced. Thus, it is important to do your research well and invest wisely. Even as you lookout for the best digital currencies to invest in, it is essential to understand the benefits and risks involved.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other coins are constantly in the news and on people’s minds. It’s hard not to get swept up in the hype when these things are all over social media and constantly trending in the news. This popularity is partly driven by the undeniable reality that many people are looking for ways to make money in this new digital age.
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital currency that uses encryption techniques to secure its transactions and that allows them to be digitally signed using cryptography. Cryptocurrency is usually accessed through a system known as the blockchain, which is a digital distributed ledger of transactions.
The blockchain is controlled by a network of computers that process the transactions and verify the identity of the parties involved. After verifying the transactions, it is placed on a public ledger or the blockchain, and there is no central authority to regulate or monitor the whole process. Cryptocurrency is pretty much like having your own currency in an electronic cash system.
Growing Acceptance of Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has become a very popular thing to invest in these days. However, many people are still shunning it in fear of not having any real value or seeing it as something with no real value. But one cannot deny the demand for it and the rising value of digital coins. People are buying up different types of digital coins they have never used before because they are confident that the price will go up in the future. As such, people from across the world are increasingly losing interest in traditional investing.
Many have been investing in cryptocurrency as a way to diversify their portfolio. To them, digital currency is an investment they see as safe and it offers the opportunity to make a fortune. Cryptocurrency is the newest trend in the world today. The most popular type of cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. The value of Bitcoin has steadily increased over time. Since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrencies have seen a dramatic rise in popularity. With an exciting time where people are looking for better and more secure investment options, cryptocurrencies are taking the world by storm.
There are many things to consider when investing your money. One of the most important considerations is figuring out the best way to diversify your investment portfolio. In the world of stock markets or real estate, there are various ways to invest in a variety of industries. However, if you’re looking to invest in cryptocurrency, you don’t have as many options. Most cryptocurrencies only offer one way to trade: buying and selling digital coins. Nonetheless, digital currencies have been considered widely to be very promising in the future.
How to Invest in Cryptocurrency
Some cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are available for purchase with U.S. dollars while others require you to buy them using bitcoins or another cryptocurrency instead of traditional cash. To buy these currencies, you’ll need a wallet that can hold them online. In other words, a wallet is an online app where you can store your currency on an exchange account. Your coins are secure and accessible at any time when needed without having to carry around large amounts of physical coins or paper wallets everywhere.
For those people who are more accustomed to traditional brokerage accounts, there are some virtual brokers out there offering access to stocks as well as for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. These include TradeStation, SoFi Active Investing, Webull, and Robinhood among many other options. Sometimes, you may not be interested in trying out pure-play crypto exchanges that only operate within the world of cryptocurrency transactions but still want all major digital assets. In that case, join exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini. Although these won’t give direct access to core assets through their own platforms, you will have better selections overall compared to most brokers. It is essential to choose a cryptocurrency exchange that will meet your trading needs.
Which is the Most Traded Cryptocurrency?
According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin is currently the most traded digital currency. It leads other popular currencies including Ethereum, Tether, Binance Coin, Solana, and USD Coin. One of the first steps for investors to take into the world of cryptocurrency is buying bitcoin. It can be an unfamiliar landscape for someone used to traditional financial products. The value of bitcoin, which was once only $3,237 in December 2018 had since increased to new record highs above $65,000 by November 2021.
Like all cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is uncertain and highly volatile than many tried-and-true investments like mutual funds, bonds, and stocks. To be safe, one common rule of thumb is not investing more than 10% of your portfolio into individual stocks or risky assets like bitcoin.
If you are new to this style of investment, be sure to find out about how it works. To successfully invest in cryptocurrencies and gain rewards, there are certain important decisions you must take before buying digital assets. Doing so will help you to invest wisely right from the beginning.
How to Store Cryptocurrency
Digital currency wallets are usually in two forms: hot and cold wallets. But ultimately it is up to you to choose which type you prefer or need for your situation.
Hot wallet
A hot wallet is where bitcoin can be stored by a crypto exchange or provider in the cloud. They are accessed through an app or computer browser on the internet. With a hot wallet, transactions happen faster, but there is more of a chance that they could be hacked into. Hot wallets are often preferred because exchanges offer them at no charge. Bus some crypto traders prefer to transfer their coins and store them with third-party providers of hot wallets. Advocates say that blockchain technology behind this kind of storage system makes it even more secure than traditional electronic money transfers. The downside of hot wallets is that their nature makes hacking attempts easier.
Cold Wallet
Cold wallets have the advantage of being safer while making transactions take longer. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have implemented extra security steps that help keep assets safe in cold wallets while still allowing people to access when needed. Many believe cold wallets provide better protection than any other storage option available today. This security is largely due to enhanced anonymity features implemented in cold wallets.
That said, let’s now take a look at the benefits and risks of investing in digital currencies.
Strengths of Investing in Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is becoming more and more common in our everyday life. We can see people who invest in it in every corner of the world. Some of the biggest investors are famous companies, such as Amazon. Also, other major players in the industry are infamous criminals. With a lot of different exchange sites around the world, most people are now able to buy or sell cryptocurrency through a reliable and secure payment method. Below are the pros of cryptocurrency investment.
1. Privacy of Personal Information
If you are planning on buying anything from a merchant and paying with your credit card, you offer them your credit card. You have to provide your pin code for them to be able to process the payment. When it comes to your security, your pin codes are very private. The way to be safe is to avoid sharing it. Revealing your credit card pin code is sometimes inevitable when making payment out there. But this isn’t an issue with cryptocurrencies. You don’t have to share any personal information about yourself or reveal any details that might compromise security with crypto transactions. The money made will also be transferred while encrypted so nobody can see how much was sent or who it was paid out to.
Blockchain is the largest store of data in history, where all the information is encrypted. It is a multi-layered system that maintains the integrity of the Blockchain through the process of mining. People earn more coins by finding the blocks and by validating transactions. This kind of encryption means privacy at its finest. As a result, cryptocurrency payments not only make sense but also allow privacy like never before possible. Thus, using cryptocurrency is an excellent option for completing anonymous payments.
2. No Mediatory
Most digital currencies rely on a decentralized system, which is why they can be valuable. The majority of cryptocurrencies are controlled by the developers who use them as well as those who own large amounts. They are also maintained by an organization that develops them before giving them to the market. For example, there is no third party involved in Bitcoin transactions. It uses the public ledger, public address, public key, and encryption in order to secure the transactions. It is a democratic technology, the more the number of participants, the more this is private.
Unlike other financial systems, digital currencies do not need intermediaries in the transaction. Most have their transactions distributed across the globe. Decentralization, which is characterized by the lack of concentration in a single entity, serves as protection against currency monopoly. In other words, no single entity or power decides the flow and value of cryptocurrencies. This keeps digital coins stable without risk for failures like many fiat currencies that are controlled by the government.
3. Instant, Secure Transfer
If you have cryptocurrencies in your digital wallet, you’re sitting on a valuable asset. It’s easy to transfer it to anyone without obtaining permission from anyone. All one needs is the recipient’s private key that is used to complete the transaction. There is no cost for transferring ownership. Moreover, no documentation is needed and there aren’t any stressful situations that one goes through. However, as opposed to other scenarios like property transfer or bank account closing, one has to go through extensive paperwork and pay commission costs too.
4. Self-Regulated and Managed
The maintenance and governance of any cryptocurrency are fundamental in its growth. Both developers and miners earn transaction fees so they maintain accurate transaction records to preserve cryptocurrency integrity. They do this while data is decentralized. Developers maintaining accurate transaction records isn’t enough. Cryptocurrency exchanges ensure to be accountable for their decisions about other people’s money. If a crypto trader wants more money, he or she simply needs to work more hours.
5. Not prone to Inflation
People often complain about inflation or the devaluation of money over time. But this does not happen with cryptocurrency because currencies are introduced at their inception with a predetermined quantity. For example, the total supply of Bitcoin in circulation is set to 21 million at the moment. As demand grows for these types of assets, supply remains fixed. As a result, their value increases, keeping pace with market trends in the long term. This means any type of monetary inflation does not occur because prices remain stable.
Weaknesses of Investing in Cryptocurrency
There are now several cryptocurrencies available for investing. This is all good and well, but what are the real risks of investing in cryptocurrency? Certainly, making cryptocurrency investments can be a risky business. Here are some things you should know before you invest in cryptocurrency to make sure you don’t lose your money by jumping into something blindly.
1) Risk of Hacking
Although digital currencies like bitcoins themselves are incredibly secure, exchanges that trade them aren’t always so safe particularly with regard to storing users’ wallet info. In the past, hackers have been able to steal such information from some cryptocurrency exchanges. They have then gone into those accounts afterward and stolen huge sums of coins. For example, Bitfinex was hacked back in 2016. Mt Gox had also been hacked around two years before that incident. Bitcoins worth thousands or even millions were stolen during both attacks. Today, most cryptocurrency exchanges work very securely. But there remains an undeniable possibility for hackers getting through possible security breaches that may occur in the future.
2) High Risk of Loss
The self-risk is that you don’t own these coins and have no power over them. If something goes wrong with your wallet you are powerless against loss. This is because traders lack control over technical issues that might happen on a trading platform. Furthermore, if there is any type of problem/issue with your coins, you have no specific place to report the matter. This is because nobody controls the digital currency, which means they always remain anonymous. So, before utilizing cryptocurrencies, one must consider whether their country accepts this form of payment by checking relevant government regulations.
3) Easy to Perform Illegal Activity
Bitcoin transactions have a high level of anonymity and security. So, it can be difficult for authorities to track down any user or keep track of their data. A case in point is that cryptocurrency has been used to conduct illicit operations in the past such as purchasing narcotics. In addition, some people utilize crypto as a way to convert dirty money through trustworthy mediators while concealing its source.
4) Lacks refund policy
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible. If you send your Bitcoin to the wrong wallet by accident, there is no way you can reverse the transaction. This makes it easy for people who want to defraud others of their digital coins. Because there is no refund system in place, one may simply be duped into paying bitcoin for which they never received a product or service.
5) Very Volatile Market
The cryptocurrency market is consistently changing and very volatile. For example, predicting the change in the value of bitcoins can be challenging, but it is possible with a large volume of research and analysis. You must be a competent analyst to invest in cryptocurrencies. You need to know about news reports on trends within this market as well as what is going on at any given time. That way, you are prepared for any situation while trading cryptocurrencies.
Conclusion
You may still be puzzled about whether or not investing in cryptocurrencies is worth it? Even with the said drawbacks, many people choose to focus more on the potential gains. The value of the cryptocurrency has risen over time and will continue to rise more so in the future. For example, unlike in the past, few people now utilize bitcoins when shopping online because their value has risen over time and will continue to increase with time. If you make a cryptocurrency investment today, there are high chances that you will trade your investment at a higher value in the future. Long-term investment in digital currencies is definitely worth a try. The secret is to buy them early enough while their prices are low rather than later after price increases.
