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One might consider it a future possibility, a magnificent one at that, that traders would be able to buy stocks in Bitcoin. As of now, no, you cannot buy shares or stocks in Bitcoin. There have been ample instances when early-adopters have earned millions by simply holding the bitcoins in their wallets for Bitcoin continues its bull-run, hovering near the $20,000 mark for the longest time. Several Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency scams have robbed investors of their money, though some awareness campaigns have helped bust such bitcoin myths.
The Curious case of Bitcoin Inc: One such new scam encompasses persuading investors to believe that Bitcoin was some kind of stock released by a corporation, which is blatantly false. Bitcoin comes into existence via bitcoin mining over a blockchain and isn’t introduced by any central agency. This tactic belongs to an elaborate operation started by an organization called Bitcoin Inc. Unsuspecting investors with no knowledge of how a Bitcoin operates might mistake it for the real Bitcoin. The shareholders of Bitcoin Inc. want to give the impression that their organization was behind Bitcoins’ issuance.
The information on their site says there is a “21 million BTC maximum limit and 1000 Bitcoin Inc full corporate shares maximum limit.” Their one corporate share is equivalent to 10 bitcoins. While we all know that the total number of bitcoins is limited to 21 million, the last bitcoin would not be released until 2140. The website calls out to the investor who missed out in 2010 to hold any amount of USDCX fractional shares in their wallet.
The misinformation cited on the website is enough to dissuade any investor from investing any further. But a naive investor can easily fall into the trap. But since Bitcoin is no brand and has no corporation backing, it’s name is perfectly suited for scammers to gauge money from innocent investors by unscrupulous means.
Though Bitcoin shares might be considered a future possibility, despite the perverted scams, there’s a significant hitch in the provision of such a service as a classical stock exchange and a cryptocurrency exchange function quite differently.
Investing in Bitcoin can be highly rewarding and is directly proportional to your appetite for risk. The past decade has seen multiple ways to buy Bitcoin in India and worldwide, with popular cryptocurrency exchanges like WazirX supporting trading in Bitcoin, Bitcoin trusts Like GBTC (Grayscale Bitcoin Investment Trust), Bitcoin derivatives, and even ETFs of Bitcoin-related companies. Let’s dish out some ways of investing in Bitcoins:
Buying coins via a crypto exchange or trading platform
The first and most obvious way is to buy a coin or a fraction of the coin via an online cryptocurrency exchange or crypto trading apps like WazirX. Such apps provide a user-friendly, interactive, and secure interface to purchase Bitcoin and other altcoins.
You can access Bitcoins’s price performance by keeping a tab on India’s Bitcoin live price via such apps. All you need to do is to set up an account on the platform. The platform might require some personal information and KYC, after which you can deposit money and purchase bitcoins. The purchased bitcoins are stored in an encrypted bitcoin wallet assigned to you.
Buying shares of GBTC
Investors wanting to go the capital market route can access Bitcoin investment through the Grayscale Bitcoin Investment Fund (GBTC). Under GBTC, a product that tracks the 1/10th value of a Bitcoin is provided to the investors. For instance, if Bitcoin is valued at USD 10,000, each share of GBTC would have a NAV of USD 1,000. This value includes a 2% fee maintained by GBTC that has an impact on the overall value.
GBTC arranges offline storage mechanisms to allow less technically versed investors to invest safely in Bitcoin. There are certain advantages of holding a GBTC share. Shares of GBTC are eligible to be held in certain IRA, Roth IRA, and other brokerage and investor accounts, allowing easy access to all levels of investors. It provides security, liquidity, and ease of use to the investors.
Investing in Bitcoin Derivatives
Some investors like a more immediate return through Bitcoin trading and like to sell it at the end of a price rally. Once the market moves in their favor, the investor sells off his Bitcoin investment. Such speculative trading for high returns in Bitcoin is based on the Bitcoin market’s high-volatility and is termed a long position.
At other times, the investors might predict the decreasing value of Bitcoin. Investors adopt short positions and sell their bitcoins to buy them at a lower price in the future. This case scenario happens especially during a Bitcoin bubble.
Bitcoin Futures and options are some crypto derivatives that offer the investors the benefit of liquidity and returns without the volatility and risk involved in direct trading. A derivative is a class of financial contracts that derive their value from an underlying entity’s performance, in this case, Bitcoin.
Investing in Bitwise 10 Private Index Fund
Based on the Bitwise 10 large Cap Crypto Index, the Bitwise Private Index Fund is a large-capacity basket. In such a fund, the company attempts to provide the security and ease of a traditional ETF. It requires a minimum investment of USD 25,000 and has a fee ratio of 2.5%. The funds are stored in cold storage, ensuring optimum security to investors.
While investing via any of the above-mentioned channels, the investors must be wary enough to trade via a regulated exchange or body and keep a few considerations in mind. Bitcoin has undergone dramatic fluctuations but can ensure phenomenal returns in the long term as the world sees blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies gaining traction. But for Bitcoin shares, they are non-existent!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Bitcoin Be Converted To Real Money?
Crypto exchanges, Bitcoin ATMs, Bitcoin Debit Cards, and Peer Peer Transactions are all options for converting Bitcoin to cash. This can be accomplished by using Bitcoin exchanges such as WazirX. A Bitcoin ATM is a real place where you may purchase and sell Bitcoins with cash, unlike standard ATMs that allow you to withdraw money from your bank account. Many websites provide the option of purchasing Bitcoin in return for a prepaid debit card that works similarly to a standard debit card. Through a peer-to-peer marketplace, you may sell Bitcoin for cash faster and more privately.
Is Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency The Same Thing?
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that was designed to facilitate cross-border transactions, eliminate government control over transactions, and streamline the entire process without third-party intermediaries. The absence of intermediaries has resulted in a significant reduction in transaction costs. Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, created the first cryptocurrency in 2008. It began as open-source software for money transfers. Since then, plenty of cryptocurrencies have emerged, with some focusing on specific fields.
How To Convert Bitcoin To Cash?
There are many ways of converting Bitcoin to cash, such as crypto exchanges, Bitcoin ATMs, Bitcoin Debit Cards, Peer to Peer Transactions. You can use cryptocurrency exchanges such as WazirX for this. Unlike typical ATMs, which allow you to withdraw money from your bank account, a Bitcoin ATM is a physical location where you may buy and sell Bitcoins using fiat currency. Several websites provide the option of selling Bitcoin in return for a prepaid debit card that may be used just like a standard debit card. You can sell Bitcoin for cash through a peer-to-peer platform in a faster and more anonymous manner.
Who Created Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the first application of the concept of "cryptocurrency," first articulated in 1998 on the cypherpunks mailing list by Wei Dai, who proposed a new form of money that relies on cryptography rather than a central authority to manage its creation and transactions. Satoshi Nakamoto published the initial Bitcoin specification and proof of concept on the cryptography mailing list in 2009. Satoshi exited the project in late 2010, with little information about himself available. Since then, the community has evolved, with numerous people working on Bitcoin. Satoshi's anonymity has sparked unfounded fears, many of which may be traced back to a misunderstanding of Bitcoin's open-source nature.
Is Bitcoin Cash A Good Investment?
Bitcoin Cash is a hard fork of Bitcoin formed in 2017 to address Bitcoin's scalability and challenges. Bitcoin Cash seeks to make global transactions faster, cheaper, and more secure. Bitcoin Cash is now accepted by thousands of online and offline businesses all over the world. Studied correctly, Bitcoin Cash may be an investment worthy of consideration.
What Is Bitcoin Used For?
Bitcoin was created as a means of sending money over the internet. The digital currency was designed to be a non-centralized alternative payment system that could be used in the same way as traditional currencies. Bitcoin is being used by an increasing number of businesses and individuals. This includes establishments such as restaurants, apartments, and law firms.
Is Bitcoin Legal In India?
In India, Bitcoin is not illegal. Because of cryptocurrency's rapid evolution, policymakers and regulators seemed to have recognized the chance to accept the new technology early. From the infamous 'RBI ban' in 2018 to reports of an impending bill banning cryptos in 2021 that has yet to develop, India has seen its fair share of ups and downs when it comes to Bitcoin regulation. Last year, the Supreme Court Of India approved the use of Bitcoin throughout the country. According to the Supreme Court, the existence of Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency is unregulated but not unlawful.
How Can I Convert Bitcoins To Cash?
Bitcoin may be converted to cash in various ways, including crypto exchanges, Bitcoin ATMs, Bitcoin Debit Cards, and Peer to Peer Transactions. You may do this by using Bitcoin exchanges like WazirX. You may also sell Bitcoin for cash faster and more anonymously through a peer-to-peer marketplace.
How Does Bitcoin Technology Work?
The blockchain is the foundation of Bitcoin. It is a decentralized, distributed ledger that tracks the provenance of digital assets. The data on a blockchain can't be changed by design, making it a real disruptor in industries like payments, cybersecurity, and healthcare.
What Are The Chances Of Bitcoin Crashing?
Two Yale University economists (Yukun Liu and Aleh Tsyvinski) produced research titled "Risks and Returns of Cryptocurrency" in 2018. They looked at the possibility of Bitcoin crashing to zero in a single day. The authors discovered that the chances of an undefined tragedy crashing Bitcoin to zero ranged from 0 percent to 1.3 percent and was around 0.4 percent at the time of publishing, using Bitcoin's history returns to determine its risk-neutral disaster probability. Others claim that because Bitcoin has no intrinsic value, it will inevitably crash to zero. On the other hand, Bitcoin advocates argue that the currency is backed by customer confidence and mathematics.
Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency is not a legal tender and is currently unregulated. Kindly ensure that you undertake sufficient risk assessment when trading cryptocurrencies as they are often subject to high price volatility. The information provided in this section doesn't represent any investment advice or WazirX's official position. WazirX reserves the right in its sole discretion to amend or change this blog post at any time and for any reasons without prior notice.
