Cryptocurrency is a new type of asset that allows you to buy, sell and trade online without the need for a middleman. Its value can be volatile, and many investors are still learning how to properly incorporate it into a portfolio.
There are a few basic things to know before investing in cryptocurrency. First, understand that it’s a risky investment. The typical guideline is to make it a small percentage of your overall portfolio, and only if you can comfortably weather a big drop in its value. It is also a great idea to diversify the types of cryptocurrencies you invest in. The values of different currencies will rise and fall at different rates, which can help insulate you from the biggest losses.
Secondly, avoid falling for any crypto-related Ponzi or MLM schemes. There’s no such thing as a risk-free get-rich-quick scheme, and any return that sounds too good to be true probably is. Finally, remember that cryptocurrency is not insured like money in a bank account. If you lose your private key (a phrase or set of instructions given to you by the app that you use to store your cryptocurrency), you’ll lose access to your funds. Always back up your private keys on a physical piece of paper, and don’t save them on any kind of cloud service, since those services could be hacked or fail.
The most common use for a cryptocurrency is as a form of payment. Crypto transactions are processed by a network called the blockchain, which records and verifies each transaction in a public ledger that’s available to anyone. Each time you spend or receive cryptocurrency, the blockchain is updated with a record of who owns what.
This record is secure because each crypto wallet has a unique set of instructions that only you can understand, known as your private key. The software that runs the blockchain uses these keys to verify the ownership of each cryptocurrency unit. These instructions are recorded on the blockchain in a way that’s almost impossible to hack or change, and it takes a very long time for hackers to create a fake version of a transaction that could be added to the blockchain.
In addition to being a form of payment, cryptocurrencies can facilitate free trade in places with restrictive government controls on citizens’ financial lives. They can also be used to send cash to people in other countries without worrying about business hours or the cost of traditional currency conversions and international wire transfers.
The best way to protect yourself from price swings is to buy and hold cryptocurrencies that you believe have real utility and will continue to grow in popularity over the years. Then you’ll have something to hold onto in case the price goes down, and you can earn steady income from it over a period of time. Beware of chasing trends, however. If a cryptocurrency is suddenly popular, its prices will fluctuate much more than the average.