
Cryptocurrencies are becoming more popular by the day, and many new investors want to know:
What's the best cryptocurrency to invest in?
If you have decided that you want to jump into this rapidly growing market, then there are some very important things that you need to understand.
In this guide, you will learn how to choose the best cryptocurrency investment for you. We will also analyze a few hot currencies, to kickstart your research.
Keep in mind that this guide focuses on long-term investing strategies and NOT active trading.
If you want to get started with active cryptocurrency trading, you should read this post.
[toc]The Best Cryptocurrency to Invest in is…
Anyone who tries to tell you that the “X” cryptocurrency is the absolute best cryptocurrency to invest in, probably has a very large vested interest in it.
In reality, there are will mostly likely be several big winners in cryptocurrency. It's like the dot com boom, where companies like Microsoft, Oracle and Google ultimately became blockbuster investments.
But you only made money in those investments, if you understood why they were good investments AND you had a reason to keep those investments for the long term.
Otherwise there would have been a big temptation to sell them as soon as you made a little bit of profit.
If you don't understand what a cryptocurrency does or why it's valuable, then don't invest in it. Many of these cryptocurrencies are going to be a passing fad.
Like these things…

There will be a select few cryptocurrencies that will be great investments. Bitcoin has already shown us the potential.
But the majority of coins will fade into obscurity.
Since nobody knows which ones will be huge winners and which ones will be epic fails, we believe that the best investment strategy is to have a portfolio of currencies.
Putting all of your eggs into one basket is a recipe for disaster.
You don't have to understand every single technical detail of each currency. However, you should read a lot about a currency that you want to invest in and make a very informed decision.
That is the only way to find the best cryptocurrency investments. We will give you a few examples of the research that we have done, at the end of this post.
…so stick around.
How to Buy Cryptocurrency
Where you buy your cryptocurrency will depend on which cryptocurrencies you want to invest in. If you are only interested in the big three, then you don't have to open a trading account.
The big three cryptocurrencies are:
A site like Coinbase is all you need. They don't offer any trading capabilities, but they do make it easy to purchase these coins with a credit card or bank account.
If you want to buy smaller cryptocurrencies, then that is when things get a little more complex. Some cryptocurrencies are only listed on select exchanges.
So you will have to do your research to see where you can buy that cryptocurrency. For example, if you want to buy IOTA, you will need to open a trading account at Bitfinex because that is the only exchange where it is currently traded.
However, Bitfinex does not allow US customers to purchase cryptocurrencies with US Dollars. If you are a US customer, you would need to first buy Bitcoins from a site like Coinbase.
Then you have to transfer those Bitcoins to your Bitfinex account. Once those coins have been transferred, you can use that balance to purchase IOTA.
Other websites like ShapeShift and Changelly can help you trade Bitcoins to another type of currency, without setting up an account. The coin options are limited, but if a coin is available, they can save you the hassle of setting up an account.
Alright, now that you have purchased some cryptocurrency, it's time to store it somewhere safe.
How to Store Cryptocurrency for a Long-Term Hold (Cold Storage)

Before we get into actual investing strategies, let's talk about keeping your investment safe. You should NOT hold cryptocurrencies at an exchange or in an online wallet for an extended period of time.
If you are actively trading cryptocurrencies, then you will probably have to keep at least some of your coin at an exchange, so you can get in and out quickly.
But exchanges and online wallets can be hacked and poorly run exchanges can even fold. So whenever humanly possible, get your coins into a wallet that you control.
These options are called “cold” storage because they can be taken offline and therefore aren't “hot.”
Here are your four cold storage options:
1. PC Wallet
In our opinion, a wallet on your computer at home is not a good option for cold storage. This is because your computer can get a virus, your hard drive can crash or your computer can get fried by a power spike.
If you are going to store a significant amount of your cryptocurrency on a home computer, it is a good idea to only use that PC for cryptocurrency storage. You can get a cheap laptop from eBay and use that as your storage computer.
This is safer because that computer won't be connected to the internet all the time and you won't install any other programs that could contain viruses.
Unfortunately, some cryptocurrencies can only be stored in a PC wallet, so you don't have a choice in those situations.
But if you do have an option, we would highly recommend that you pick one of the following two options…
2. Hardware Wallets
This is the best balance between convenience and security. A hardware wallet is a device that has the bare minimum of software that provides security and allows the device to store cryptocurrency.
Many of these devices look like a memory stick.
A hardware wallet that is very popular right now is the Ledger Wallet. It has a tiny screen that allows you to control the device.
As this post is being written, they are currently out of stock because it is very popular. So you may need to look at several different online retailers before you can find a place to purchase it.
There are other wallets like the Trezor.
The wallet you use will depend on the currency you want to store. Wallets are only designed to hold specific currencies, so be sure to do your research before you purchase.
The Upsides to Hardware Wallets
Hardware wallets can be plugged into your computer and your funds can be quickly accessed with a PIN or security phrase. Even if someone gets ahold of your wallet, they can't access your funds without the code.
Since hardware wallets only have software related to storing cryptocurrencies, the risk of hacking is low. Some wallets also give you the ability to backup your wallets to an online account.
The Downsides to Hardware Wallets
Like all electronic devices, hardware wallets are susceptible to power spikes, water and hacking. If you do use cloud backup, that can also be another account that could be hacked.
Also be sure to use a wallet that is water resistant. You don't want to cry over spilled milk…literally.
3. Paper Wallets

This is a secure option because it is totally offline.
Paper wallets are created by software and printed on paper. They give you an easy way to store your public and private keys.
You can think of it as a fancy way of writing down your password.
These wallets usually have QR codes that you can easily scan to get the public and private keys. If you had to type in those keys, it would take too long and you would probably make a mistake.
That could cost you a lot of money. 🙁
Many wallet designs also give you a way to hide your private key. You can also buy tamper resistant tape so you know if someone has peeked at your key (pictured above).
There are several solutions out there for the more popular currencies.
Here are links to a few examples:
Always check the security of a paper wallet generator before using it. Read below for details.
The Upsides to Paper Wallets
Paper wallets cannot be hacked or lost to a power spike. Since they are totally offline, they cannot be compromised by a virus.
You can also easily create multiple wallets, so all of your money is not in the same wallet. They are easy to transport and one wallet can store as much money as you care to keep on it.
The Downsides to Paper Wallets
There are a few downsides to all of this security.
First, these wallets are essentially bearer bonds. So whoever has possession of the wallets is the owner of the currency in those wallets.
This is because the private key (or password) that is required to access the funds in the wallet is also printed on the wallet. So if you do create paper wallets, keep them in a secure place, like a safety deposit box.
Next, if you print your paper wallet on regular paper, with inkjet ink, then prepare to lose your investment.
Seriously, that is the worst idea ever.
It may be tempting because it is a very cheap solution. But liquid, a small child and fading are all enemies of this el cheapo approach.
If you are going to store your currency on paper, be sure to use a laser printer because the ink is waterproof.
Be sure to buy as “dumb” a printer as possible.
That means that it cannot be WiFi connected and does not have a large internal memory. Both of these things can potentially be hacked, so it is best to keep it as low tech as possible.
Also use high-quality synthetic paper like this, which is compatible with laser printers. These “papers” are essentially made of plastic and cannot be torn with your bare hands.
Yeah, I didn't believe it at first either.
But it's legit! I couldn't rip the paper.
Obviously, the paper can be burned though.
Finally, you have to be careful how you create paper wallets. A shady coder could create a wallet generator that secretly transmits the private key of the wallet back to the creat0r.
This would allow them to steal your funds as soon as you transfer money into the wallet. Do some research online to find out which wallets are safe.
Not all cryptocurrencies have an option to store your wallet on paper. So if you really want this capability, be sure to research your storage options before buying a currency.
4. Brain Wallets
A “brain wallet” refers to the technique of memorizing a mnemonic recovery phrase that will give you access to your cryptocurrency wallet. This phrase is not written down (in a true brain wallet), so you are the only one who can access your funds.
The passcode usually consists of a long list of short, random words.
Here's an example:

Not all cryptocurrencies give users the ability to do this.
While this is probably the most secure option on this list, it is also the easiest to “lose.” If you forget your passcode, your money is gone forever.
Brain wallets might be a good short-term solution, but I would not recommend them for cryptocurrency investing. Imagine trying to remember your passcode when you are 80 years old.
Not gonna happen 🙂
There is also a solution called Cryptosteel, which allows you to create a physical backup of your phrase. Since it is made of metal, it's waterproof, fireproof and lockable.

Fundamental Analysis of Cryptocurrencies
Since there are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the use cases of cryptocurrencies, it is very important to really understand every cryptocurrency you invest in.
So let's take a look at the major fundamental factors that you absolutely must understand about any currency you buy.
What Problem is the Cryptocurrency Solving?
This is the most important factor in determining if a cryptocurrency will have long-term value or not. I always tell people that they should think about cryptocurrencies as tech stocks.
What problems does the company (cryptocurrency) solve? Is this something that has real-world value, or is it just a nice idea?
Also consider the development team and who is running the show. Do they have a long-term vision for the currency? What do users think about the currency?
By asking these simple questions, you will start to uncover which currencies may be valuable in the future and which ones will crash and burn.
But that's just the beginning. Here are some other things that you have to consider.
What is a Blockchain?
As you do your research into the different types of currencies out there, you should understand the basics of how a blockchain works and why it is so revolutionary. Almost all cryptocurrencies are based on the blockchain technology that has made Bitcoin popular.
It is basically a database that is downloaded to every computer on the network. So if you are a miner or you have a PC wallet, you will have a copy of the blockchain for that currency.
This database stores all of the transactions that have ever happened in the currency. Therefore, even if one copy of the database is hacked, it won't match up with the other copies and the change will be ignored.
What's the Advantage of The Cryptocurrency?
Even if a cryptocurrency does solve a problem, there might be other cryptocurrencies out there that solve the same problem.
…and they might do it better.
So before you invest in a currency, research the competition. It can be tempting to think that the currency you have found will be the solution that disrupts an entire industry.
But it might actually be the worst solution available.
Some things to look for:
- Go through the website, does it look professional? Does it make sense?
- Is the team experienced?
- Try out the software, if possible, to see how well it works
- Read the whitepaper on the currency
- Are there potential security issues?
- And more
Total Float and Maximum Supply

Just like with stocks, you have to take the float and maximum supply into account, when making long-term cryptocurrency investments.
One thing that makes Bitcoin such a valuable commodity is the fact that only 21 million coins will ever be created. Once it’s all mined, there will be no more supply and demand will determine price.
The supply of Ripple is also limited. However, the maximum number is 100 billion coins! That is one of the biggest reasons that price has stayed so low.
Ether on the other hand, will have an unlimited supply. The same amount of Ether will be produced every year. As time goes by, that amount will become a smaller percentage of the total outstanding supply of Ether.
But this ever-increasing supply should keep the price fairly low, especially in relation to a currency like Bitcoin.
These are the types of supply dynamics that you have to understand about each currency.
Purchase Availability
How hard is it to buy this currency?
If a currency is available on big exchanges that many people have access to, then it has much more potential to increase in value. The easier a currency is to buy, the more likely it will benefit from hype or favorable news.
However, just because a currency is not widely available, does not mean that you should avoid it. That might actually be a really good thing.
When a currency is hard to get, that also means that it might be undervalued. So if you have done your research and you really like a currency, figure out a way to get some.
The extra work might be worth it.
Wallet and Storage Options
Another characteristic of a cryptocurrency to consider the options for storing the currency. Are they easy to use?
…or are there multiple solutions that work well?
Remember that the average person is not technically savvy enough to do a lot of crazy command line steps that were required to store and move many currencies in the past. So the more options the public has to easily store a currency, the more likely they are to buy it.
Marketing
Why would a decentralized and community-owned cryptocurrency need marketing? Well, the same reason why Apple still needs to market their high-quality products.
There are countless cases of great ideas that lost out to lower quality ideas, simply because of bad marketing.
Before you invest in a currency, take a look at how well the team is marketing it. Check their Twitter account and any other social media channel.
Also find out if key online influencers are promoting the currency.
Good marketing can make all the difference in the success of a cryptocurrency.
Technical Analysis of Cryptocurrencies
Once you have a few currencies that you want to invest in, it's time to find a good place to get in. Since you are looking for a longer-term investment, you are only looking for good spots to buy.
Luckily, cryptocurrencies are currently heavily long-biased at the moment.
So it can pay to look for this…
The Only Chart Pattern You Need to Know (For Now)
On a cryptocurrency chart, you are simply looking for a point where price appears to be forming a support level. It's even better if price consolidates for a period of time.
I call the ideal pattern a Baseball Cap.
Here's an example of a chart that is currently showing this pattern. As you can see, it looks like a pointy cap with a bill on the right.
I'm not recommending this specific cryptocurrency, but it does have a sweet Baseball Cap pattern.

The reason that this formation happens is because of the pump and dump nature of cryptocurrencies right now. Many of these price moves are unsustainable, so price has to come down to a level that makes sense.
When you start to see price finding a “floor,” this can be a clue that it could be gearing up for another sharp rise. Here's another example on the Bitcoin chart.

Obviously, there will be different variations of this pattern, but it is something that you should look out for. This video will explain it in more detail.
Of course, there are no guarantees in trading.
Even if price makes this formation, it could still head lower. But by waiting for price to fall back down to a reasonable support level, you save yourself some money by not having to sit through a major drawdown.
Now that you know the pattern to look out for, here are portfolio building strategies that you can use to increase your holdings.
Cryptocurrency Investing Strategies
Here are the investing strategies that we will go over in this section:
- Dollar cost averaging
- Balanced portfolio
- Unbalanced portfolio
- Profit reinvesting
Dollar Cost Averaging
Some people on the interwebs promote this type of strategy heavily.
…and it's not the worst idea that we have ever seen.
But I personally think that it's an incredibly lazy approach and even a small amount of additional work can greatly increase your returns.
Dollar cost averaging is when you buy a fixed amount of cryptocurrency at regular intervals. You don't even look at the price, you just buy to accumulate it for investment purposes.
For example, let's say that you like the long-term prospects of Litecoin. On Coinbase, it's easy to setup a schedule to buy a certain amount of Litecoin every month.
You could setup a schedule where you purchase $50 of Litecoin on the first day of every month. Here's what it would look like.

Who this Strategy is For
If you are extremely busy and want to participate in cryptocurrencies passively, then this could be the strategy for you. You may forget to check the charts and want it all automated.
But quite frankly, that's just being lazy.
Yes, dollar cost averaging would have worked very well over the past year. But that is only because we saw a historical jump in prices, across almost all cryptocurrencies.
As currencies become more actively traded, dollar cost averaging becomes much more risky.
Here's why…
Downsides to this Strategy
For the small amount of time that Litecoin has been actively traded, we have seen huge percentage drops in price. One example is the drop marked here with the arrow.

It went from $38.95 to $19.36, a drop of about 50%!
If you had bought $500 worth of Litecoin and saw it drop to $250 in a matter of a few weeks, would you still stay in?
Maybe.
But most people I know would freak out, and rightfully so. That's not good risk management.
It's a much better investment to try to get in near $19.36 because that minimizes your downside. Could it drop more?
Of course.
However, you just eliminated about $20 of downside, simply by waiting for a better place to get in.
Balanced Portfolio
In this strategy, you would purchase the same dollar amount of each currency that you are investing in.
So if you are investing in:
- Bitcoin
- Monero
- XRP (Ripple)
- Dash
…and you have $1,000 to invest, you would allocate $250 to each currency. Any subsequent investment would be divided equally between the four currencies.
You would wait for the price to form a Baseball Cap (as described above), before you buy each one.
Who this Strategy is For
If you want to build a diversified portfolio of coins, but you aren't sure which ones will do well, then this is the strategy is for you. It gives you exposure to a few currencies that have the best chance of succeeding…at a good price.
Downsides to this Strategy
With this buying strategy, you would fail to maximize your investment in the currencies that will outperform the rest. But since you can't be absolutely sure of which ones will be successful, this strategy gives you good diversification.
Unbalanced Portfolio
To take advantage of the currencies that you think will do the best, you could use the Unbalanced Portfolio Strategy. In this strategy, you would allocate every investment by how well you think each currency will perform.
For example, if we use the same portfolio as above, you might have the following allocations:
- Bitcoin (60%)
- Monero (25%)
- XRP (10%)
- Dash (5%)
If you think that Bitcoin will perform the best over time, then it would make sense to invest a majority of your money in it.
Each subsequent investment would be distributed according to these predetermined percentages.
…and of course, you would not buy each currency until you see a Baseball Cap. 🙂
Who this Strategy is For
This is for investors who have done extensive research into currencies and have a very good idea of which ones will perform well. The preset percentage allocation to each currency can change over time, but be sure that you have a very good reason to make the change.
Downsides to this Strategy
The only downside is that you could get the allocation wrong and invest too little in the best performing currency. So only use this strategy if you are reasonably sure of your predictions.
If not, then the Balanced Portfolio Strategy would be best.
Profit Reinvesting
Once you have a solid portfolio of currencies and you are in profit, you can start to branch out to other currencies that have good potential.
For example, let's say that you bought 3 Ether coins for $52 each. As I write this, Ether is at $368.
So your total profit is:
3 x $52 = $156
3 x $386 = $1,158
$1,158 – $156 = $1,002
Now, let's say that you really like the potential of the Ripple Network. You could take half of that $1,002 profit and invest it in XRP.
By using this strategy, you can leverage your gains to make higher returns and diversify your portfolio.
In order to get the most out of your current profits, you should look for times when price goes parabolic. This type of price action is unsustainable, so it's best to cash out some of these gains, before price drops again.
Remember to lock in your profits, so you can keep your money readily available to take the next trade.
…and look for the Baseball Cap. 🙂
Who this Strategy is For
Reinvesting your profits is a great strategy for investors who only want to make a very limited investment in cryptocurrencies. If you are skeptical that cryptocurrencies will actually survive, then only expanding your portfolio when you see results, is a great way to grow your initial investment.
Downsides to this Strategy
You might miss out on great investments if you have to wait for your current portfolio to show you a profit. In addition, you are taking money away from currencies that are actually showing a profit.
The next investment may not be as good, so don't spread yourself too thin!
Cryptocurrencies Analysis Examples
Alright, enough theory…let's take a look at some specific examples. Here's our analysis of a handful of the most popular coins out there.
This is not a complete list, but my intent is to give you an idea of some of the characteristics that you should research in cryptocurrencies. Keep in mind that this analysis was valid at the time this article was first written, but things may change by the time you read this.
Use this analysis as template for doing your own research. It should not be considered timely analysis.
Ether Analysis
(Yes, I personally own Ether)
At the time that this guide was first written, we consider Ether the most “stable” altcoin investment. Of course, this is totally relative and completely our opinion.
The entire cryptocurrency market is very volatile and Ether can still have it's ups and downs. But overall, we like the prospects of Ether.
Fundamental Analysis
Ether is the currency that is used on the Ethereum Network. The network hosts applications for crowdfunding to completely democratic autonomous organizations.
This function alone sets Ethereum apart from many of the cryptocurrency projects out there.
Transaction time with Ether is fast and the amount of Ether produced every year will remain the same. So the value of the network will have to increase over time, in order for the currency to appreciate.
One thing that could cause the value of Ether to drop is if there are a lot of shady ICOs that launch on the network. Since it's easy to build a token on top of the Ethereum blockchain, it can be tempting for companies to raise money by creating a coin that has no real value.
The Ethereum team is solid, but they do have total control of what happens to the project. Other cryptocurrencies require a democratic vote from users to determine future actions.
This total control could be a good thing or a bad thing. It just depends on how you see it.
Technical Analysis

There is heavy resistance at the $400 level and major support at $150. Everything in between is not so obvious. There is a support level forming at $280, but I wouldn't consider it a great level to buy.
Either a drop down to near $150 or a breakout and retest of $400 would probably be the best buys, given the current information available on the chart.
Monero Analysis
(No, I don't personally own Monero)
Monero is a private financial transaction currency that has recently seen a huge spike in price.
But don't go chasing the train.
Again, wait for the dip. 🙂
Fundamental Analysis
Although Bitcoin transactions were originally thought to be private, detailed analysis of the blockchain can trace some transactions.
Totally private transactions can give a currency a much desired characteristic, fungibility. This simply means that one coin is has the exact same value as every other coin.
Huh?
Doesn't all money have the same value?
Not if people know where that money came from.
What if the government found out that you deposited a $100 bill into your bank account that were from a drug deal? Well, on top of being investigated for your involvement in the crime, the money would be confiscated.
…essentially making the bills worth zero.
So the $100 bill in your account is worth much less than any other $100 bill in circulation.
But if all transactions were private and nobody knew where that $100 came from, then it is still worth $100. Exactly the same as any other bill.
On the surface, private transactions seem like a great idea.
Until you think about the primary use case.
What group of people would benefit the most from private transactions? People doing illegal shit, of course.
Dark web, Silk Road, Alpha Bay, type stuff.
So if governments are going to target cryptocurrencies to ban, which ones would they go after? Our guess would be the private transaction currencies.
That's just our opinion, of course.
It might not come to that.
But we see that as the biggest risk to investing in these currencies. Other private currencies include:
Among these private coins however, Monero does have an advantage. The developers have provided a way for users to give a third party a way to view a transaction, without giving away the private key.
So if you believe that a private transaction currency has a future, then Monero might be the best bet. But we personally feel that potential government regulation is too big of a risk to take.
Technical Analysis

The big figure of $100 seems like it will be a good support level to buy, but it is too soon to tell. If price can base around that level, like it did at around $30, it might be a good place to get in.
IOTA Analysis
(Yes, I personally own IOTA)
IOTA is still largely unproven. It's use case is still probably about 5 years from being practical.
But it does have one big thing going for it, the database it uses to store transactions. Every other coin out there uses some version of blockchain technology or are built on top of the blockchain of another cryptocurrency.
IOTA uses an entirely different database structure.
Instead of using a blockchain, they use something called The Tangle. This type of database is different in that it is able to verify transactions faster, it can facilitate nano transactions and it can do zero-cost transactions.
Fundamental Analysis
The use case for IOTA is payment transactions between Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Developers of this currency want to enable IoT devices to make micropayments to each other, as well as to traditional bank accounts.
An example of where this might be useful in the future is pizza delivery. Suppose that you are sitting in your car at the park, with some friends.
Everyone is hungry, but nobody feels like leaving the park, since it is such a beautiful day. If Amazon has their way, drone delivery will work for packages and it will also work for ordering pizza to remote locations.
So you use your phone to place an order and in 30 minutes your piping hot pizza arrives. The great part is that you only get charged when the drone verifies delivery to the right person.
This scenario sounds great, right?!
But there are some big technology challenges associated with making this happen. First of all, transactions with Bitcoin can take 30 minutes, or more.
This is because multiple participants on the network have to verify the transaction. Would a drone be able to hover for 30 minutes before delivering the pizza?
Of course not. The pizza would get cold and the drone would probably run out of batteries.
A drone also would not be able to store the entire Bitcoin blockchain. The storage device would be too heavy.
This goes for any other IoT device.
On top of all this, there might not be an internet connection available.
IOTA technology could solve this. The drone could communicate with nearby IoT devices to verify an IOTA transaction. The verification process would be fast and very cheap to process.
To learn more, visit the IOTA website.
Technical Analysis

After a huge run up, price has cooled down and we are starting to see a level of support form at about $0.50. Since this currency has only been around for a little while, it's tough to say where the best buy level will be.
But if price consolidates at this level, it could signal a good basing pattern that we would need for another Baseball Cap pattern.
Bitcoin Analysis
(I own BTC, but only when I have to exchange it for other coins)
What about Bitcoin?
Almost everyone has heard of Bitcoin.
…and the price is still going up. At least when this article was first written.
But the big question is: Will Bitcoin be a good future investment?
Nobody knows for sure. However, if you are looking for a high return on your money, this probably isn't the currency for you.
Sure, price will probably go up a lot more from here. But on a percentage basis, the potential return gets lower by the day.
Even if Bitcoin gets to $10,000, like some people predict, that would “only” be a 107% gain (based on today's price). Meanwhile, coins like Ether have the potential to go up 3 to 5 times the current price.
Smaller coins can go up much more.
That is why I'm currently not an investor in Bitcoin. We believe that there is much more opportunity elsewhere.
Fundamental Analysis
Bitcoin has two big things going for it…
One is first-mover advantage.
Since Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to gain widespread popularity, it has been used for many cryptocurrency payment solutions. Everything from international remittance to online gambling sites.
While there have been complaints of slow transaction times, the fact that so many people are using it, means that it will not go away any time soon.
The other advantage is a very limited supply of coins.
There will only be 21 million coins ever made. Simple supply and demand tells you that limited supply means it will only get more valuable, as time goes by. Of course, this is assuming that there is still a demand for it.
Technical Analysis

BTC/USD is currently showing a steady trend and there doesn't seem to be a reason to believe that price will drop anytime soon. There is a strong support level at about $2,000 and minor support levels at $3,800 and $4,380.
Conclusion
The cryptocurrency landscape can change quickly, so be sure to do your homework before investing money in a cryptocurrency. However, we hope that this guide has helped you understand what to look for in a long-term investment.
Remember, never risk money that you cannot afford to lose. It can be easy to get caught up in the cryptocurrency hype.
…and there is a lot more hype to come!
If you have any cryptocurrency investing questions, leave them below…
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Thank you so much for this very informative article. It is all a bit overwhelming! I follow a site on FB (are you on fb)? I see people talk about NEO – in fact one guy put his portfolio up and he didn’t have ANY bitcoin! Really pleased I found this blog though – it’s starting to all make sense. Thanks!
Hi Kim,
Happy you found it useful. Yes, you can find us on FB here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifestyletraders/
Hope your investing is going well!
Dear Hugh
Thank you very much for the most informative guide regarding the investment in cryptocurrency,
I’m a beginner in this field and i would like to make my first investment, so after doing my 3 weeks research i have make a strategy for a small investment amount 1000 USD, please i would like to see your opinion
1-300$ btc
2-200$ Cardano
3-100$ tron
4-100$ Monero
5-200$Verge
6-100$ simple token or dogecoin
Please i’m waiting to hear from you
Thank you very much in advance
best regards
Hi Georges,
First of all, you should trust your research, don’t listen to others.
If you would like my opinion, I’m not a fan of any of those coins. For example, law enforcement already tags Monero transactions as high risk: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-02/criminal-underworld-is-dropping-bitcoin-for-another-currency
For more details and research, check out CoinCrew.
Good Luck!
Hugh, thanks for the great info here. I have been looking into Steller(XLM) and it seems promising. What is your opinion of this crypto?
Hi Cory,
Not a fan. They don’t seem to have a solid growth plan and I’m not super confident in their team. Of course, I could be wrong.
There’s the hodl or hold no matter what strategy. No one wants to be the guy that sold his bitcoin for a pizza ten years ago.
HODL is dumb. You can’t get too emotional about your positions. There is a good time to buy and a good time to sell, just like anything else. Look at any other bubble in history.
Hi Hugh, thanks for the very informative article.
i just have one confusion since i am new to the personal wallet stuff. i just created a wallet on MYETHERWALLET , but now i am wondering what happens when i send crypto other than ripples to it? or bitcoins? will it still save it.
(sorry for the noob question 🙂 )
Hi Mashwanee,
No problem. It’s only for Ether or ERC20 tokens. If you send anything else to it, you will lose your coins. Consider getting a Ledger Nano S for holding Bitcoin and Ripple.
infact, I see this article as much more helpful to me as a new bees in the crypto market
Please Sir, I will be please to be hearing from you on more of this
Thanks
Happy it helped.
what should we read into max supply of coins and current in circulation?
It’s supply and demand.
It’s like when you buy a car. If there are a lot of the car available for sale (circulating supply), the price will be relatively low. If there are only a few of that car available, and it’s in demand, the price will go up. However, if the car manufacturer plans to make more of that car this year, that will also keep the price down (max supply).
For example, Bitcoin has a maximum supply of 21 million coins. Since the current circulating supply is about 16 million coins, we are getting relatively close to reaching the max limit of available coins. So if Bitcoin stays in demand, the price has a higher probability of going up.
In contrast, Ripple has a max supply of 100 billion and there are currently only 39 billion in circulation. In addition, there are 55 billion XRP in escrow. When those coins get released from escrow, there is a chance that the increased supply could lower the price. This is one of the reasons why the price has stayed so low, compared to other top coins.
Hi Hugh,
Thanks for the articles!
How do analyse the news of new coins like Ripple?
It is all over the news the goverment is behind it to collect our btc and ltc etc..
That it is a fake coin etc..
Interested in your opinion about analysing such news.
Much appreciated!
Claudia
Hi Claudia,
You’re welcome.
There is no shortcut, you just have to do your research and weight both sides of the arguments. Figure out who the smart people are and find out if you should be listening to them or not. What is their track record? Are the actual technology investors or are they just journalists trying to create a hype story that gets read?
Ripple is one of the currencies that we analyze inside CoinCrew, so if you are interested, join us in the paid members area.
Cheers,
Hugh
Monero will lead the market since it’s taking big steps as BTC did. People should start investing on it if they want to see really nice returns after a really small amount of time. I suggest embedding a code to your website, mining locally or joining pools so far. Thanks for the read
In my opinion, the biggest risk with private coins like Monero and Zcash is government crackdown. If too many illegal activities are found to be transacted with these coins, then the government could step in. There are a lot of benefits, but to me, the risks don’t justify it.
Hi, I am reading your articles about the cryptocurrency and it helped me a lot to understand about the topic. One thing though, at the end the investments everybody makes in cryptocurrency has to be translated into real life (in physical money) but without so many options to have that converters, then it seems everything seems just to be gambling as of now situation. Can you give some counter arguments about that.
Hi, yeah you are pretty spot on…there is a lot of speculation. It’s not all gambling, but there are a lot of inexperienced traders out there. This is especially true with most of the alt coins out there. That’s why it’s important to do your research to find out if a coin has future potential. You should also read this article, which shows why I think so many of the alt coins out there are very overvalued.
Hi please I just invested in electroneum what do you think about it?
Looks like another coin that is trying to be better than Bitcoin, but without a solid plan. Not widely available, so not a good sign. We have started a thread inside our paid membership area CoinCrew.
Thanks Hugh, for the extremely informative article. Please help me understand how a physical wallet would work if I put my alt coins on it and set it aside for 5 years without ever updating it. During that time, the blockchain could have morphed into a vastly more complex ledger with technological upgrades or it might have been altered several times due to hacks and crashes etc. Would it still recongnize my 5 year old transaction? Secondly what if my coins from the blockchain get stolen by a hacker? When I use my private key from my cold stored physical wallet to sell the same coins, will the software recognize my authentic transaction and override the distortion?
Hi Saad,
1. Yes, it would still recognize your transaction because a blockchain is a sequence of transactions. Even if the blockchain splits or forks, both forks will share the same common history.
2. If your coins get stolen by a hacker, they are gone. Just like if someone stole cash from under your mattress. That’s why it’s so important to keep your private keys safe. The blockchain will only protect you if a hacker tries to change the blockchain on the servers on the network. At that point, the other copies of the blockchain will overwrite the hacked version.
Think of it like your online banking login. If you give someone your username, password and personal information, it’s pretty easy to steal the money in your account. But if they try to hack the bank database on the bank’s servers, it will be considerably harder. In the case of a blockchain database, it’s almost impossible.
Cheers,
Hugh
I am new to this. My 15 year old son talked me into buying litecoin in a coinbase account. He wants me to buy ripple but I can’t wrap my arms around this wallet concept. He is using toast wallet. I would probably feel more comfortable to buy ripple if I was able to buy on ripple.
Any insight would be great.
Thanks so much.
Lisa
I meant to say I’d feel more comfortable to buy ripple on coinbase, not ripple..
Hi Lisa,
Yeah, I hear ya…Coinbase does make it very easy to buy cryptocurrencies. OK, let me see if I can clear up wallets for you.
Forgive me if I’m reviewing anything that you already know…
A wallet basically stores two important pieces of information: your password (or private key, for sending) and your receiving address (or public key). Every wallet needs these two things to send and receive Ripple.
You give out the public key so people can send money to that address. It’s like your email address with PayPal or your mailing address for a check.
But you never enter the private key anywhere until you are ready to spend from the wallet.
With Coinbase, they handle all of that stuff behind the scenes for you. But since Coinbase doesn’t have Ripple, then you have to take control of that process.
Apps on mobile devices and laptop/desktop computers store your private keys, but are susceptible to hacking since they are online all the time. So once you buy Ripple online, then it’s best to move it into an offline device (or cold storage) like a Ledger Nano S.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Hugh
Hello,
Thank you for your article and the time you put into it.
I would like to as you two things.
Have you had a chance to take a look at Verge (XVG) and what is your opinion about it and do you see any potential in Verge?
Also, there are many exchanges out there but if you could mention a few you like and why I would really appreciate that? Do you prefer buying a crypto with credit cards or exchanging them with another crypto and why?
Thanks
Thanks Denis.
I haven’t researched Verge yet, but we will inside CoinCrew. There are a lot of exchanges out there, but the biggest ones are mentioned in the article above. You have to buy some cryptocurrency with a CC or a bank account to exchange them for the smaller currencies. At least for now.
Hi Hugh,
Thanks for your reply. I wanted to ask you how do you comment on the fact that it seems that most of the top 100 crypto currencies seem to rise and fall at the same time? If bitcoin falls, almost all in top 100 falls with it, same thing if BTC goes up all other coins rise with it.
Yes, just like sectors in stocks. Right now, the public is fairly uneducated and the technology is new. So they will move together.
But in the future, that probably won’t be the case. That’s why it’s important to understand the sectors now.
Hello
Which site do you recommend to buy IOTA ?
I was getting it from Bitfinex before they cut off US customers. I’m still researching a good place to get it. Will post inside CoinCrew when I find out.
Dear Hugh
Thanks for your great advice.
Would you please show us your regular post on cryptocurrenccy .because im new in it and i want to be expert in it.
Regards
Reza
Will do Reza.
Wonderful analysis for starters and old timers in cryptocurrency business. I just like your frankness, even from your reply to questions. Please, do you have any idea of E-dinar crypto currency? Do they have any prospect?
Hi,
Thanks, I don’t have any opinion about the E-Dinar, since I have not researched it yet. If I find anything, I’ll publish it.
Great work in explaining everything in details for a novice investor like me…. KUDOS!!!
Happy it helped!
Thanks for the great post! When you talk about the Baseball Cap, what would you consider the minimum span of time to be looking at when analyzing for this pattern? I can see some of these over a weeks span, is that too short of a time?
Hi Colton,
Thanks! Yeah, over a week is too short. That’s more of a pullback than a base. Ideally, you are looking for at least a couple of months. If price holds in a range for that long, then there balanced buying and selling. The buyers are absorbing the selling from people who bought at the top and are bailing out.
Of course, there are no guarantees that the base will hold. But at least it gives you a clue that the sellers are done selling and the market is ready for fresh buyers.
Cheers,
Hugh
Hi,
I am trying to sign up for CoinCrew but when I click on register it is asking me to pick one of the other option. I don’t get an option to select CoinCrew.
Thanks,
Nav
Hi Nav,
Sorry for any confusion. This is the link for CoinCrew: https://www.tradingheroes.com/courses/coincrew
Hi Hugh,
I click on that link and add it to the cart. But when I want to check out then it keep asking me select one of the other product. I can’t check out the Coincrew it self.
Thanks
Nav
OK try it now, it should be fixed.
Hi Hugh!
I’m trying to sign-up for CoinCrew. But payment fails. That’s because maybe I don’t have 3D credit/debit card.
Can you please guide me what is it actually?
Ps: I never used credit/debit card online before.
Thanks in advance!
Hi,
I’m not sure what the issue is. I’ll investigate, thanks for the heads up. If you want to pay in Ethereum or Ripple, contact me directly: info@tradingheroes.com
Thank you very much, this article is very informative for beginners and how you explain everything in simple English is highly appreciated.
You’re welcome Noni, I’m happy that it helped.
Hello Hugh!!
can u explain more the foundation behind your baseball cap please?
Thanks in advance 🙂
M
Hi!
Did you watch the video? It should explain everything. If you did watch the video and still have questions, then what specific questions do you have?
Thanks,
Hugh
Thanks! Just watched the video and get quite good understanding of it. Much appreciated.
Just out of random, will it be wise to say applying the same pattern to share trading?
Hi,
This is only for cryptocurrencies and only for a limited time. I have not researched penny stocks, so I cannot give you an informed opinion.
You have mentioned 2 of the big 3 in quite a lot of detail. Can you also give your thoughts on LiteCoin which is the 3rd of the 3 please?
In a nutshell, I think that once Bitcoin gets too expensive and overcrowded, Litecoin would be the next logical store-of-value coin that people might start using. Same basic code, with faster transaction speed. Just my opinion, do your own research and form your own conclusions.
Well, you were very right on IOTA! Hahaha, Thank you very much for your article, a lot of useful information for a beginner like me. Will let you know how it goes as I intend to start buying a few cheap cryptocurrencies each month.
You’re welcome Luis, yeah let me know how it goes. Remember, cheap doesn’t always mean that it’s a good opportunity. Sometimes you have to pay up 🙂
Do your own research and form your own conclusions.
Heeyhoo Mr Kimura,
very interesting articel! I enjoyed reading it a lot. Do you have an idea of YOYOW too? I think the concept is very interesting, but I’m still not informed enough about the market so i would like to hear your opinion! Do you already own it?
A short analysis would be appreciated.
Best regards =)
I’m personally not big on the whole social rewards space. Reddcoin and Steem are similar. It’s not something that anyone does on a large scale now, so why should a blockchain solution change that? I think it’s a gimmick, just like Dogecoin.
Just my opinion, do your own research and form your own conclusion 🙂
I am very new to “crypto currency” thing, just two weeks old ? and my interest was purely academic.But now I am beginning to think it as an investment option. I believe your article should be marked as a “MUST READ BEFORE INVESTING”…You know just as disclaimer ??. Immensely helpful to me. Many many thanks to you SIR. I would also like to know more about “XRP” as investment tool. Your opinion is very valuable. Thank You again.
Thanks. XRP has been requested a lot, so I will do an analysis on it.
Great article. Thanks.
You’re welcome, glad you found it useful.
Thanks dude, ive been all over the net looking for info on crypto charts, ive only been in about 2 weeks. your the only one out there that hasn’t dropped a $1000 dollar shoe for sharing your info.
That will come back to ya 10 fold
Thanks, Mark
You’re welcome Mark, happy you found it useful.
HI. Thank you for an amazing read! been looking at cryptocurrency a while without really understanding, now I think I do after reading this.
I’m totally new to this, but will give it a punt. Can afford to lose a hundred quid on an experiment/following a new interest.
But safe wallets still confuse me.
eg does a paper one need re-printing after every transaction? if not then arent funds still in a ‘clood’ somewhere and vulnerable? this goes for hardware wallets and those cool steel wallet things that save a phrase.
cheers
Andy
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for stopping by, glad you found the article helpful.
Good question…
Yes, with paper wallets, you need to spend all the money in the wallet because once you expose your private key to the wallet, there is the potential risk that someone has intercepted that key in transit, on the internet, or on your local network/computer. That is the main reason why you need to print a new wallet and put the remaining balance into it every time you spend from a paper wallet.
Hardware and software wallets handle the process of keeping your private keys safe, that’s why a lot of people opt for hardware wallets for cold storage. It’s also much easier to spend from them, compared to paper wallets.
You are also right in that your “wallet” is not actually on your device or on the paper, it is an existing address on the blockchain. I tell people to think of it in terms of your traditional online bank account.
With an online bank account, you have:
– Website address to access your account (bankofamerica.com or whatever)
– Login/password
– Bank database where all information is stored
With cryptocurrencies, you have similar end results, but different ways of achieving those results.
So here is how the traditional bank terms line up with the cryptocurrency terms:
– Website address = public key. The public key is essentially the address of your wallet on the blockchain. The wallet addresses already exist on the blockchain. There are so many addresses available that it is almost impossible to claim the same address at the same time. You are simply claiming one for yourself, when you setup a wallet. It’s like registering a domain name. Any .com URL theoretically already exists because it is just a combination of letters. You just have to register it.
– Login/password = private key. You use software like MyEtherWallet.com to give you a private key to the wallet address that you are claiming. This private key is also almost impossible to figure out. It’s certainly harder to crack than most people’s online banking passwords.
– Bank database = blockchain. Instead of storing your account information on the servers of one bank, which is essentially a single point of failure, your account information is stored across all devices that maintain the full version of the blockchain. This includes miners, full-version wallets and more. This gives you all of the security benefits mentioned in the article above.
Things like Cryptosteel simply give you a way to store passwords from third party software solutions. So something like a Ledger hardware wallet gives you extra layers protection on top of just your private key. One of these layers is their own passphrase system, which can be stored on Cryptosteel. You need the passphrase to access your Ledger, which in turn, accesses your wallet’s private keys.
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions.
Cheers,
Hugh
kindly guide me about future potential of IOTA and First Coin (FRST)
Hi,
I don’t know anything about First Coin, I haven’t done any research on it yet. I personally like IOTA because they aren’t using the same blockchain technology that everyone else is using. The Tangle is totally different. Their low cost transactions and the ability to do micro transactions are certainly a big plus. I feel that there will eventually be something like Interledger, where you can seamlessly transact between any crypto or fiat currency.
In that scenario, you have to ask yourself which currencies will benefit the most?
It will probably the currencies with the lowest transaction cost, the ability to micro transactions, and ones that have the fastest transaction speed. So IOTA is certainly in the running in that respect.
However, I cannot stress this enough, do your own homework and come to your own conclusions. If you simply follow the opinions of others, you will not understand when to get in and when to get out. Things change so quickly in this industry, that you have to be on top of things.
If you need help on the research side, you can join CoinCrew, our private research service that is just starting up.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Hugh
This article is what I was just looking for. There is no simple answer and the right currency to purchase. It just depends. Keep up the good work. You have a new reader from now on.
Thanks, glad it helped.
Hi, thanks for your work and the great info you put out there. Love the technical analysis part.
What software/website are you using to get the charts?
Cheers
Thanks. I use TradingView for charts.
Hello Hugh. That is a very nice guide with some very good information.
Im a beginner and i start about a month with coinbase.
My strategy is for the long term 5-10 years and im really undecided. What should i do to store my coins all this time?
The hardware wallet (cold storage) seems to be without a doubt the best choice but why is more secure than Coinbase?
Just because we control it and the private key belong to us? Who says bad thinks cant happen owning our money on a cold storage?
I mean coinbase claim that they hold 98% of the funds on offline storage (“cold storage”) and even that they have the coinbase vault which give the costumers even more security on withdrawals.
But that is what they say, we’ll never know how safe they are until one day.
My point is that both present quite the same risk on something as hacking, fire, water, electronic failure,
natural catastrophe, etc… But everyone says that the cold storage is the best thing to do.
I think there is a reason why people dont store money in home. The majority put the money on the bank. (It feels safer).
Im not sure but i see coinbase as a bank with big server rooms, earthquake proof buildings, high level security, and with actually 98% of our funds redistributed on paper and hardware wallets around the world… (I may be wrong.)
The only think not so good for me is the high fees but i think that’s ok if you are not making a lot of buying or selling…
Well that is my opinion. I would like to hear what you think.
Anyway i think i might order the ledger nano s. sooner or later.
One final questions: It is possible to store our private key in two different places?
Like making a backup of my private key on coinbase to a hardware wallet on my possession? Its like redundancy without having 2x the value…
Thanks and have a nice day.
Cheers.
More info about coinbase security on this link: https://www.coinbase.com/security?locale=en
https://www.coinbase.com/security
Hi Joel,
Thanks…good questions.
The safest option is always going to be store your private keys in cold storage. You need to be in possession of your private keys because no matter how safe a company says they are keeping your money, you never really know.
If you are keeping a significant amount of money in cold storage you should probably get a safety deposit box at a bank…or two.
Yes, no storage method will ever be completely safe. So a certain amount of diversification is probably a good idea. But the mix that you choose depends on services you have available and how comfortable you are with each one.
You can backup your passphrase for your hardware wallet on something like Cryptosteel. That also creates a second vulnerability point, so you have to weigh the benefits and risks for yourself.
Also, since you are just getting started, never disclose how much crypto you have online, it makes you a target 🙂
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Hugh
What are the best cryptocurrency to get into for short term?
What have you researched so far?
This is very helpful. Thank you very much for your information
You’re welcome Mike.
There is a new ICO on the market called “CASHAA” and it purpose is to make it a better transaction blockchain like a “BANK” and I am wondering if Cardano is tied to the “CASHAA ICO.
That’s what a lot of the ICOs say. Do your research and see if they actually have a product that works, how good the team is and who is already using it. Be careful, most ICOs are scams.
How long you call as long term?
I have my investments in Ripple,Monero,Ether,Litecoin,OMG,Stellar and bitcoin
But all small shares.
I would call 5 years long term.
Hi
Can you please give us an fundamental analysis on Ripple?
and also about itself? What is it for?
Hi, I’ll work on it. Thanks for stoping by.
U only talked of long term plans in cryptocurrency what of short term plans in it.
I believe that the long-term outlook is the only way to way to make money in cryptocurrencies. There is too much uncertainty in the short-term.
Thanks.