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Understanding ICOs and other cryptocurrency offerings (North American Securities Administrators Association)

Choosing how you want to trade cryptocurrencies is the first decision you need to make before selecting the coins themselves. You need to decide whether to trade via derivatives or use an exchange: Trading via Derivatives: When you trade cryptocurrencies via financial derivatives such as binary options, spread betting or CFDs (where allowed), you can speculate on their price without having to own the underlying coins. Trading via an Exchange: Trading via an exchange you have to purchase the assets themselves, storing tokens in a digital wallet until you’re ready to sell. The trading fees you will have to pay can be significant. Most crypto exchanges are unregulated, meaning you have no protection if the exchange is hacked or However, derivatives platforms like IG are FCA-authorized, offering the protection of segregated accounts. Get a Feel for the Market
Once they have a key, they can obtain and spend cryptocurrency. Without the key, the holder can’t spend or convert their cryptocurrency — rendering their holdings worthless unless and until the key is recovered.