Cryptocurrencies have evolved from a fringe concept to a mainstream technology in less than 15 years, reshaping the financial landscape by providing users with faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions. In 2021, the crypto market cap peaked at $2.9 trillion.
There are even restaurants, cafes, and stores where certain cryptocurrencies are available as options for payment.
But, we need to remember that cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, which can be good for trading because of frequent highs and lows. There are a lot of experienced traders that are speculating on the crypto market for multiple years, but how can a new trader get into it?
Well, in this article, you are going to learn all the essential things to get you started.
Basics of Crypto Trading
The value of every cryptocurrency is defined by a market that is open 24/7, which means that every second of the day, a change is taking place. Because of this, cryptos are very volatile, and prices can change drastically in either direction, which normal currency can’t.
It is important that you, as a newbie in this type of trading, have some knowledge before joining the market.
It’s common knowledge that the more you know about something, the better you will be at it. Cryptocurrency ranges from simple transactions like you exchanging your, for example, US dollars to more complete currency pairs. The more complex transaction is, the more money you can make, but it’s also a higher risk for the trader.
Understand What You’re Investing In
Just like everything you are looking to buy or invest in, you need to do some research before completing the purchase. If you are in the stock market, you probably look at the company’s financial reports and annual reports, and overall you analyze the company inside out.
You will need to do the same thing with cryptocurrencies. Maybe even more. That’s because cryptocurrencies are created every day. So much so that we’ve already seen more than 1,700 failed crypto coins already. How many are out there? Up to 21,000.
Remember that cryptocurrencies are not backed by anything. They work on thinking that someone will pay more than they did. It’s run by an optimistic approach and hopes for the bull market so you can profit.
On the other side, companies can grow their profits and increase the value of their stock.
The Past is the Past
This is the most common mistake new traders make. They look at the past and project their strategy to resemble that. Itt’s highly unlikely to see another run like Bitcoin did. You need to ask yourself, “Can this growth continue, and if it can, at what rate?”
Experienced traders try to look into the future. They don’t care about what happened in the past. That’s because they’re aware the past can’t be changed. A seasoned trader is aware that today’s purchase needs to bring money tomorrow, not yesterday.
Volatility
Cryptocurrencies are as volatile as something can get. We are talking about a 5% change, either up or down, in just a second. For inexperienced traders, 5% is a lot for a day in stock exchanges. Crypto prices can drop drastically based on a rumor that turns out, is not true.
Volatility can make you big money ot empty out your pockets. Experienced traders are making the most of it by buying every time it goes down (Buy Low – Sell High), while new traders are scared easily and sell as soon as it drops by a little bit (Buy High – Sell Low).
So, if you have funds and want to make money trading crypto, you only need to find the most effective broker.
Manage Your Risk
Cryptocurrencies are generally a very difficult market to manage risk, but it’s possible. First of all, you need to know what you are going for, short-term or long-term.
- Long-Term: Here is simple you just never sell. You don’t care what the price at the moment is; you buy more, and when you are happy with the returns, you sell.
- Short-Term: Here is a little bit more complicated for risk management. You should set strict rules like when you are down 10%, automatically cash out. This way, you have lost only a portion and not the whole amount.
Traders who just started with cryptocurrencies should split the money they decide to invest. So if a position is going bad, they can leverage it. The key is you can’t trade if you don’t have any money, so keep some money on the side.
Ways You Can Invest In Cryptocurrency
Traditional investing in cryptocurrency is still the most popular, but there are other ways to gain some profit. Each of these methods has its own risks, so you should understand them before you start using them.
- Crypto Futures: This uses risky leverage but can be a lot more profitable. They can be very useful (or they can drain your entire investment) because they accelerate an already volatile market. This is the fast way to either 0 or abnormal profits.
- Crypto Funds: There are funds out there that allow you to wager on the prices of cryptocurrencies.
- Broker Stocks: This is an indirect approach. You buy stock in platforms that handle crypto transactions. So, if more people trade, your stock rises in value.
Closing Thoughts
The best advice for new traders in the crypto market is to start small and trade with money they can afford to lose. Cryptocurrency is very speculative and highly volatile, and because of that, many big traders and institutions are staying away from it. But with a lot of learning and studies, you will be able to trade cryptocurrencies and be profitable.
