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Investing in Cryptocurrency – Investopedia

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3 years ago

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What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is digital money. This type of currency uses blockchain technology, which is considered secure because it is capable of establishing distributed consensus even among untrustworthy parties. Cryptocurrency blockchains resemble old-fashioned bookkeepers’ ledgers, except that the ledger is electronic, and everyone with access to the ledger can also be the bookkeeper.

Investors worldwide have invested and are starting to invest in cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin is likely the best-known digital money, thousands of cryptocurrencies already exist. Cryptocurrency can be considered as one of the newest and most exciting asset classes that is available to investors.

Key Takeaways

  • Cryptocurrency is digital money that is secured by blockchain technology.
  • Cryptocurrency investing can take many forms, ranging from buying cryptocurrency directly to investing in crypto funds and companies.
  • You can buy cryptocurrency using a crypto exchange or through certain broker-dealers.
  • Investing in cryptocurrency is risky, so it’s important to not invest more money than you can afford to lose.

Understanding Cryptocurrency Investing

When you think of investing in cryptocurrency, you might think about buying and holding one or more crypto coins. Buying cryptocurrency directly is probably the most common way to add crypto exposure to your portfolio, but when it comes to investing in cryptocurrency, you have a few different options:

  • Buy cryptocurrency directly: You can choose to directly purchase and store one or more cryptocurrencies. Your options range from the most established digital currencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin to virtually unknown coins that are newly released in an initial coin offering (ICO).
  • Invest in cryptocurrency companies: You can invest in companies with a partial or total focus on cryptocurrency. Your options include cryptocurrency mining companies, mining hardware makers, companies like Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) that support cryptocurrency, and many others with varying levels of crypto exposure. You can also invest in companies like MicroStrategy Incorporated (MSTR) that hold large amounts of cryptocurrency on their balance sheets.
  • Invest in cryptocurrency-focused funds: If you don’t want to choose among individual cryptocurrency companies, then you can decide to invest in a cryptocurrency-focused fund instead. You have a choice of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), such as index funds and futures funds, in addition to a range of cryptocurrency investment trusts. Some crypto-focused funds invest in cryptocurrency directly, while others invest in crypto-focused companies or derivative securities like futures contracts.

  • Invest in a cryptocurrency IRA: If you want to invest in cryptocurrency and at the same time garner the tax advantages afforded by an individual retirement account (IRA), then you can consider investing in a cryptocurrency IRA. Using the services of a crypto IRA provider can also facilitate more secure storage for your cryptocurrency holdings.
  • Become a crypto miner or validator: Perhaps the most direct way to invest in cryptocurrency is to mine it or act as a validator in a crypto network. Cryptocurrency miners and validators earn rewards in crypto, which they can either hold as investments or exchange for another currency.

How Cryptocurrency Investing Works

If you want to invest in cryptocurrency directly, then you can use a cryptocurrency exchange. Here’s how to buy cryptocurrency through an exchange:

  1. Choose which cryptocurrency exchange you want to use. Your best bet is a reputable, well-known exchange with a large selection of currencies.
  2. Establish an account with the cryptocurrency exchange. You will need to provide your personal information and verify your identity to complete the registration process.
  3. Fund your account with fiat money. Before you can buy any crypto, you need to fund your exchange account with another currency such as U.S. dollars.
  4. Decide which cryptocurrency you want to buy. You can choose to invest in one or many cryptocurrencies. Research your options to help you decide.
  5. Place a buy order for your chosen cryptocurrency. Follow the steps required by the exchange to submit and complete a buy order for one or more cryptocurrencies.
  6. Store your cryptocurrency in a digital wallet. After your purchase is complete, the information that you need to access your cryptocurrency is held in a digital wallet. That crypto wallet can be hosted either by the cryptocurrency exchange or an independent wallet provider.

As an investor in cryptocurrency, you need to decide how much of your portfolio to allocate to digital assets.

A best practice among investors is to periodically review your entire portfolio to perhaps rebalance your holdings. That might mean increasing or scaling back your crypto exposure, depending on your investment goals and other financial needs.

What to Know Before Investing in Cryptocurrency

Investing in cryptocurrency is considered to be risky. The prices of cryptocurrencies, even the most established cryptocurrencies, are much more volatile than the prices of other assets like stocks. The prices of cryptocurrencies in the future could also be affected by regulatory changes, with the possibility that cryptocurrency becomes illegal and therefore worthless.

Many investors are nonetheless attracted to the potential upside of investing in crypto. If you decide to invest in cryptocurrency, it’s important to carefully research any digital coin before buying it. Pay attention to transaction fees when making crypto purchases, as these fees can vary widely among currencies.

The cryptocurrency space is evolving rapidly, so it’s also important to pay attention to new developments that may affect your crypto holdings. Cryptocurrency investors need to understand the tax consequences of using crypto, especially if they purchase something or sell their crypto holdings.

Given the riskiness of cryptocurrency as an asset class, it’s especially important not to invest in crypto more money than you can afford to lose.

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Economy

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite, U.S. stock markets also up

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8 hours ago

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September 17, 2024

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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was higher in late-morning trading, helped by strength in energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also moved up.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 34.91 points at 23,736.98.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 178.05 points at 41,800.13. The S&P 500 index was up 28.38 points at 5,661.47, while the Nasdaq composite was up 133.17 points at 17,725.30.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.56 cents US compared with 73.57 cents US on Monday.

The November crude oil contract was up 68 cents at US$69.70 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.40 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$7.80 at US$2,601.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.28 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Economy

S&P/TSX gains almost 100 points, U.S. markets also higher ahead of rate decision

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4 days ago

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September 13, 2024

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TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets climbed to their best week of the year.

“It’s been almost a complete opposite or retracement of what we saw last week,” said Philip Petursson, chief investment strategist at IG Wealth Management.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.

While last week saw a “healthy” pullback on weaker economic data, this week investors appeared to be buying the dip and hoping the central bank “comes to the rescue,” said Petursson.

Next week, the U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut its key interest rate for the first time in several years after it significantly hiked it to fight inflation.

But the magnitude of that first cut has been the subject of debate, and the market appears split on whether the cut will be a quarter of a percentage point or a larger half-point reduction.

Petursson thinks it’s clear the smaller cut is coming. Economic data recently hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been that bad either, he said — and inflation may have come down significantly, but it’s not defeated just yet.

“I think they’re going to be very steady,” he said, with one small cut at each of their three decisions scheduled for the rest of 2024, and more into 2025.

“I don’t think there’s a sense of urgency on the part of the Fed that they have to do something immediately.

A larger cut could also send the wrong message to the markets, added Petursson: that the Fed made a mistake in waiting this long to cut, or that it’s seeing concerning signs in the economy.

It would also be “counter to what they’ve signaled,” he said.

More important than the cut — other than the new tone it sets — will be what Fed chair Jerome Powell has to say, according to Petursson.

“That’s going to be more important than the size of the cut itself,” he said.

In Canada, where the central bank has already cut three times, Petursson expects two more before the year is through.

“Here, the labour situation is worse than what we see in the United States,” he said.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points, U.S. stock markets also fall

Published

2 weeks ago

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September 6, 2024

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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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