While it shares characteristics of both currency and investments, there’s still debate among experts about whether cryptocurrency is clearly one or the other.
Create your FREE Amazon Business account to save up to 10% with Business-only prices and free shipping. Six Questions with Kiana Danial What are cryptocurrencies? Cryptocurrencies are a form of digital asset that are secured by cryptography. The biggest name in cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. However, there are thousands of other cryptocurrencies that have their own unique characteristics and are spread across many different crypto categories. Why are cryptocurrencies so popular? Cryptocurrencies first became popular thanks to the original crypto asset, Bitcoin. A defining feature of Bitcoin is that it is not issued by a centralized authority and is fully decentralized. This means no government or centralized entity can interfere or manipulate it. Many other cryptocurrencies other also decentralized contributing to their popularity. Why invest in cryptocurrencies? There are different reasons to consider investing in cryptocurrency. First and foremost is diversification from traditional asset classes and exposing your portfolio to a new form of capital gains. What is a crypto wallet? A crypto wallet is a device or a service that stores your private cryptocurrency keys, keeping them safe. You can use your crypto wallet to store and retrieve your digital assets. There are different types of crypto wallets you can choose from depending on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment strategy. How do I protect myself? 1. Educate yourself and fully understand the fundamental value of the crypto assets you are planning to invest in 2. Know your risk tolerance and only invest in cryptocurrency if it matches your risk tolerance What are the current cryptocurrency prices? Cryptocurrency prices change on an hourly basis and investors often seek information from popular websites, media outlets and popular apps. About the author Kiana Danial Kiana Danial, author of Cryptocurrency Investing For Dummies is an award-winning, internationally recognized personal investing and wealth management expert. She is a highly sought-after professional speaker, author and executive coach who delivers inspirational workshops and seminars to corporations, universities, and entrepreneurial groups. She is a frequent expert on many TV and radio stations and has reported on the financial markets directly from the floor of NYSE and NASDAQ. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, CNN, Forbes, The Street, and numerous other publications. As the CEO of Invest Diva, Danial’s goal is to help you create an investment strategy that’s unique to you. Identify top-performing cryptocurrencies Understand reasons to invest in cryptocurrencies Create a crypto strategy that matches your goals

GURA: A HODLer is crypto-speak for someone who bought cryptocurrency and who's held on to it, despite its extreme volatility. Lummis paid $330 for her first bitcoin back in 2013, and today it's worth around $60,000. She's bought more of it since, which means Lummis stands to gain or lose from the policy she's helping to shape. Lummis wants Wyoming to become one of the world's crypto capitals.
The longer term relationship varies over time. After exhibiting strong positive correlation in 2013 (where prices rose), and 2014 (where prices fell for a sustained interval), the longer term relationship between Bitcoin and Litecoin starts to break down around the middle of 2015. It can be seen in the accompanying price plot that at this point the Bitcoin price starts to gradually recover, whereas the Litecoin price does not.