Weekly Brief
×Be first to read the latest tech news, Industry Leader's Insights, and CIO interviews of medium and large enterprises exclusively from Financial Services Review
Thank you for Subscribing to Financial Services Review Weekly Brief
By
Financial Services Review | Monday, November 21, 2022
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
Cryptocurrency is a good investment if you want to gain direct exposure to the demand for digital currency. A safer but potentially less lucrative alternative is buying the stocks of companies with exposure to cryptocurrency.
FREMONT, CA: A growing number of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and the blockchain industry are flourishing despite risks. Investors are increasingly able to obtain institutional-grade custody services as much-needed financial infrastructure is being constructed. As investors gain access to tools that allow them to manage and protect their cryptocurrency holdings, professional and individual investors alike are gradually gaining control over their investments. Crypto futures markets are emerging, and many businesses are gaining direct access to the cryptocurrency market. Block and PayPal, two financial conglomerates, are making it easier to purchase and trade cryptocurrencies on respective famous platforms. Block and other firms have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin and other digital assets. In early 2021, Tesla purchased USD 1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. By February 2022, the electric vehicle manufacturer had reported holding about USD 2 billion in bitcoin. Since 2020, MicroStrategy, a business intelligence software firm, has been accumulating Bitcoin. By the end of 2021, it had USD 5.7 billion in cryptocurrency and claimed it intended to buy more with excess revenue earned from operations. Individual investors and businesses are seeking to get direct exposure to cryptocurrencies because many believe it is safe enough to invest big quantities of money in.
Many cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, are established with ambitious goals that can be accomplished over long periods. While the success of any cryptocurrency project is not predictable, early investors in a cryptocurrency project that achieves its objectives can be rewarded handsomely in the long run. The adoption of cryptocurrency must first reach a broad audience to be considered successful over the long term. The fact that Bitcoin is the most well-known cryptocurrency means that it benefits from a network effect, implying that more people will be inclined to acquire it. Bitcoin has gained interest as a form of "digital gold," but it may also be used as a digital currency.
Unlike fiat currencies like US dollars and the Japanese yen, the quantity of bitcoin is fixed. These factors contribute to investors' belief that bitcoin will gain appreciation in value over time. It is estimated that there are less than 21 million bitcoins in circulation, whereas conventional currencies can be created by central banks at their discretion. When fiat currencies depreciate, Bitcoin values will rise, according to many investors. Ether is the Ethereum platform's native coin, and it may be purchased by investors who want to diversify their portfolios using Ethereum. While Bitcoin is considered digital gold, Ethereum is developing a worldwide computing platform that will enable a wide range of other cryptocurrencies as well as a vast ecosystem of decentralised apps. Ethereum has the potential to benefit from the network effect and generate long-term value as a result of the number of cryptocurrencies that are available on the Ethereum platform as well as the open-source nature of dApps. Ethereum allows the creation of smart contracts based on terms entered directly into the code of the contract.
In exchange for executing smart contracts, the Ethereum network takes Ether from users. In addition to disrupting existing markets, smart contracts can open up new ones, like real estate and finance. Global adoption of the Ethereum platform increases the utility and value of the Ether token. Ethereum investors can profit by purchasing Ether directly, whether they believe in Ethereum's long-term potential or not.