CFDs trading are derivatives, which enable you to speculate on cryptocurrency price movements without taking ownership of the underlying coins. You can go long (‘buy’) if you think a cryptocurrency will rise in value, or short (‘sell’) if you think it will fall.
Like all cryptocurrencies, the majors are digital assets that secure and verify transactions using computer science and complex mathematics, known as cryptography. Unlike traditional (‘fiat’) currencies, they are not currently issued or backed by a central authority such as a government. Instead, they run across a network of computers and are underpinned by blockchain technology – a permanent record of transactions that cannot be altered without the consensus of the network.

It’s always hard to know exactly what is driving crypto prices given the opacity of the market and a certain rather large player whose name rhymes with weather, but we think it’s probably partly related to the same market madness that drove GameStop to da moon, as well as to a desire for an alternative to central bank-issued money due to worries about the government overreach (by means of Covid restrictions), and also endorsements from chief executives at the likes of PayPal, Tesla and Twitter/Square.
If you are a user outside the U.S., there are greater opportunities to trade and buy numerous coins on one platform. For those in the U.S. wanting to do the same, they may find themselves resorting to the use of other crypto exchanges.