Since its launch in January 2009, Bitcoin has pioneered the way for cryptocurrency. Currently, around 420 million people own Bitcoin despite needing to fully meet the criteria for being considered a currency.
Despite this, cryptocurrency has taken on a life of its own, and investing in Bitcoin is still a popular choice for many people, not just those who got on board in the early days.
What Is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a digital asset launched by Satoshi Nakamoto, a programmer or group of programmers. Their anonymity remains to this day, and the exact person or people behind bringing cryptocurrency to the mainstream have yet to be divulged.
Bitcoin is a digital currency designed for transactions that are outside the control of any one person, entity, or group. Like money, Bitcoin removes the need for third-party involvement, and transactions can be made directly between parties.
When used as a digital currency, Bitcoin isn’t complicated to understand. If you have Bitcoin, you can use it to make transactions much like you would cash. However, once you understand how it works, it can get slightly more complicated.
Where Does Bitcoin Come From?
Bitcoin is mined using various types of hardware and software. To mine a Bitcoin, you need to solve a hash, and in the early days, people could do this via a personal computer.
However, mining Bitcoin is becoming increasingly difficult as more people do it. Machines have been developed to specifically mine Bitcoin and are capable of generating 300 trillion hashes per second. These machines are called Application-Specific Integrated Circuits.
All Bitcoin transactions are blocks on a blockchain. Blockchain is a distributed ledger, and each transaction is stored as a block on the chain. The chain is completely transparent, and every block is visible to everyone. Because it’s a distributed ledger, it’s stored on many computers instead of one centralized one, so you can easily follow the chain.
Investing In Bitcoin: What You Need To Know
Suppose you’re interested in investing in Bitcoin. In that case, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting into and do your homework to help you make the right choices and avoid some of the many scams and pitfalls that investing in cryptocurrency can bring. Much like anything else, investing in Bitcoin has pros and cons. Knowing what you’re getting into can help you avoid making bad investment decisions.
Understand What You Are Investing In
While this post has briefly touched upon what bitcoin is, you need to understand exactly what you’re investing in. Bitcoin is not regulated, and as such, it can come with many risks. The more you know about what you are investing in, like with anything else, the easier it will be to make a more informed decision. Take the time to read the developers’ white papers. Every cryptocurrency will have one from its developers detailing the intent of the work and the projected timeline. This can give you a clearer picture than simply talking to others.
Know Your Why
Knowing why you want to invest in Bitcoin can help determine if it’s your right strategy. Is it trendy? Are you curious about it? Do you want to make a lot of money fast? Knowing your reasons can help you make better investment decisions and avoid crypto investment mistakes.
Bitcoin is Highly Volatile
This means that Bitcoin’s price and value can fluctuate wildly frequently. In the first instance, the value of a bitcoin halves every 210,000 blocks or roughly every four years. But on top of this, much like the stock market, cryptocurrency values will rise and fall. Bitcoin can increase or decrease by around 5% to 10% daily. It requires investors to have a high-risk tolerance and be aware that they could potentially save vast amounts of money.
You Need a Secure Key
You need a personal secure key, which is an alphanumeric number—essentially a password—that grants you access to your digital assets. The secure key will be specific to the cryptocurrency accounts a cryptocurrency wallet generates. Whoever has access to this key has access to all its digital assets and its value. If you lose your key, you lose access to the account forever.
Know The Scams
There are countless scams related to many things worldwide, and the world of digital currency is no different. The most common Bitcoin scam to fall for is investing with someone who doesn’t actually have anything to invest in and just takes your money. Always do your research before investing any sums of money. Whether you look for reviews for companies such as On-Demand Trading before signing up or walk away from anything that seems too good to be true or promises high rewards for your investment, read up on common scams to help you avoid flailing for them.
Patience Is Key
Investing in Bitcoin isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. To have the chance to make money, you need to be in it for the long term. Suppose you look at the value of the first bitcoin in 2009, which was USD 0.0009 compared to today’s value of $66,048.30 (value correct as of 4/4/24). In that case, it’s clear that the value has increased significantly, and those who got in early in the first few years will now be seeing a considerable return on their investment. However, even now, those getting into investing in bitcoin still have the possibility of making money, but you should not expect immediate gains.
Transactions Have Fees
Investing in Bitcoin isn’t free, and fees are associated with different aspects of your investment. When you start investing in crypto, you should expect to pay fees, including transaction, escrow, withdrawal, deposit, and trading fees. All of these can eat into any profits, especially if you deposit or withdraw frequently. The fees you pay will usually depend on the transaction value, usually a few percent of the transaction value.
Investing in Bitcoin can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and build wealth for the future. However, like anything, you need to understand what you’re getting into before making any decisions and avoid losing money.
