Beginner’s Guide to Investing in Bitcoin
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Given that there is room for profit, there is also risk. An emerging market always carries potential for speculation. Its price can be volatile and can change due to external factors. Such as new government regulations that affect this type of currency or, more significantly, a security breach at its marketplace. This was seen in 2013, when Silk Road was shut down and the FBI seized close to 30,000 bitcoins.
The event caused the value of Bitcoin to plummet drastically and only return to its previous state a year later. The amount of money you are investing in Bitcoin is also something to take into consideration. Just like investing in the stock market, you shouldn’t invest money that you need and can’t afford to lose. With Bitcoin still being relatively new, deciding its actual value and the safety of the money you have invested can be hard. It’s still a learning process, far different from investing into a bank.
It’s a low-risk, low-return option. These factors can be quite daunting to some, but it is still only natural for any investment into something that you are not accustomed to.
Bitcoin itself is a digital currency that has been around for about 9 years. Its market cap has exceeded $10,000,000,000. A simple way to profit from buying a digital currency is to make sure you buy it when it’s undervalued and sell it when it’s overvalued. This happens by elevating the supply and demand of digital currency. With Bitcoin, it’s a little different.
The successful way to increase the amount of Bitcoin profit is by making sure the value of Bitcoin has risen since you first bought it. An example is that you buy 1 bitcoin for $100 USD, and a few weeks later the value of 1 bitcoin has gone up to $150 USD, meaning that if you want to cash out your bitcoin, you will have a $50 USD profit. Always take note that this is a very straightforward example, and trading can involve many tactics to make sure you get a larger profit with just a small investment.
Given the history of how Bitcoin has grown within the last 9 years and its current exposure through media, it’s predicted that the price of Bitcoin will increase in the next few years due to the increasing demand of the digital currency. With various outlooks predicting that Bitcoin is the future of money and is another investment option to precious metals,. This makes investing in Bitcoin a safe option to invest a potential large sum of money to try and get a greater return.
So you’ve got some money set aside, and you think Bitcoin is the right place to invest it? You are not alone. At the time of writing this introduction, the price of Bitcoin had gone over $1000 USD. Within this price, the demand, price, and knowledge about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are increasing. If you want to know what $1000 can get you and why you should invest in Bitcoin, please read through.
1.1 What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created in January 2009. It follows the ideas set out in a whitepaper by the mysterious and pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. The identity of the person or persons who created the technology is still a mystery. Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and is operated by a decentralized authority, unlike government-issued currencies.
There are no physical bitcoins; only balances are kept on a public ledger that everyone has transparent access to, and all Bitcoin transactions are verified by a massive amount of computing power. Bitcoins are not issued or backed by any banks or governments, nor are individual bitcoins valuable as a commodity. Despite not being legal tender, Bitcoin charts high on popularity and has triggered the launch of other virtual currencies collectively referred to as altcoins.
Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency that is stored in a virtual wallet. It can be a digital one or physical hardware storage. A virtual wallet can be stored on the cloud or with the owner, and a hardware wallet is a physical device that stores the cryptocurrency and can be hidden. Both types of wallets have a private and a public address. The public address is the one visible to others and can be given to others as a means of sending currency. The private address is the key to the virtual wallet and is only to be used to authorize Bitcoin transmissions.
Bitcoin is a payment system introduced as open-source software in 2009 by developer Satoshi Nakamoto. The payments in the system are recorded in a public ledger using its own unit of account, which is also called Bitcoin. Bitcoin functions as a single, yet global, and free financial system.
1.2 Why invest in Bitcoin?
There are several reasons why investors are choosing bitcoin. For some, it is the ease with which the whole transaction can be done. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, and you are in business. You can input any amount of bitcoin that you like and then immediately transfer it to any other person around the world at a very low cost. This is an aspect that many forex brokers use to sell the idea of trading fiat currencies.
Bitcoin just takes this idea a step further. For others, the decision to invest in bitcoin stems from the fact that they are already unhappy with how the global economy is functioning. They feel that quantitative easing will ultimately lead to a big crash, and the only way to avoid wealth destruction is to move their money into something that is disconnected from the system.
Other investors have become attracted to bitcoin as the price has gone from $200 to $1200 in the space of a year. They see the volatility and potential for massive short-term gains as an opportunity too good to miss. Finally, there are those who see bitcoin as a future means of wealth preservation. The total number of bitcoins that will ever be available is capped at 21 million.
This means that it is a deflationary currency and that, over time, as the user base grows, the value of each bitcoin should increase. This is a scenario that is attractive to those holding fiat currencies that are continuously being inflated.
1.3 Risks and challenges of investing in Bitcoin
Bitcoin may be a lucrative investment; however, its value can be highly volatile. This was illustrated in late 2013, when the price for 1 Bitcoin surged from around $100 to $1000 in just over a month. Due to this surge in value, would-be investors purchased Bitcoin not with the intention of using it as a currency to purchase goods and services, but speculating that they could sell it at a higher price in comparison to purchasing fiat currency.
The aforementioned price surge is one example, where the price rose 10-fold in a relatively short period, and there are countless instances of when the price has dropped significantly, resulting in heavy capital losses. With traditional currency, this variation of value isn’t an issue, as the price tends to always be increasing. This value mutability of Bitcoin has resulted in it being seen by some as a long-term investment and by others as a chance to make a quick profit. Investopedia highlights this by stating, “The one danger that most participants fear is the massive volatility.
It is the very reason most people are afraid of investing in Bitcoins in the first place.” More often than not, the amount of money to be made or lost through Bitcoin is overestimated, and it could be seen as being equivalent to gambling. Volatility can be subject to different market conditions and can intensify in times of macroeconomic uncertainty.
With the price of Bitcoin increasing since inception and having a capped total sum, deflation could theoretically cause an increase in the value of Bitcoin, resulting in economic changes to the rate of spending compared to holding money over time. This increase in the value of the coins that have been spent could potentially lead to a reduced level of investment and an increase in hoarding of the coins, which pose problems for certain microeconomic models.
2. Getting Started with Bitcoin Investment
Another form of wallet is a web wallet. A web wallet allows you to keep your bitcoins online, where you can access them from anywhere but are run by a third party and can be exposed to hacking attacks. Therefore, it’s best to stick to a software wallet if you are just starting out. Whichever wallet you choose, ensure that you back up your wallet if your hard drive becomes corrupted with viruses and malware so that you do not lose your bitcoins.
There are various forms of wallets available. For beginners, it’s best to use a software wallet which is secure and easy to use. You can obtain these from various sources. Two popular ones would be blockchain.info and Xapo. These wallets operate on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone and can also be made to store bitcoins offline using a QR code on a printout. Some software wallets offer to secure your bitcoins by time-consuming methods too, for example, a wallet that needs 2 hours to decrypt before sending any bitcoins.
Setting up a bitcoin wallet is often the first step in getting involved with bitcoin. A bitcoin wallet is more or less the bitcoin equivalent of a bank account. It is a place where you store your bitcoins. It is designed so that you are the only one who has access to your bitcoins and is encrypted so that you can use it on your mobile device.
2.1 Setting up a Bitcoin wallet
The very first step to investing in Bitcoin is to create a Bitcoin wallet. A Bitcoin wallet is the first step to using Bitcoin. Essentially, Bitcoins are not transferred or stored anywhere. What we store in the wallet are secret codes. These secret codes are stored in a place known as a Bitcoin wallet. Without the wallet, Bitcoin cannot be used. bitcoin wallet is equivalent to a bank account; it is used to store bitcoins and facilitate the sending and receiving of bitcoins. There are different types of wallets. You have complete control of your wallet if you use software to create it.
If you choose an online wallet, it will be a lot easier, but you will not have full control over your wallet. We do not recommend the use of an online wallet because of the security loopholes. Once you have chosen the wallet that you will use, you will need to store your wallet codes in a safe place. These codes act as the password to the wallet; without these codes, the wallet will be lost, and so will your bitcoins. Finally, the last step is to backup your wallet. Data loss is quite common in the world today. People have lost data on their computers and files, so it is inevitable that data loss will occur in the future of Bitcoin use. A backup will allow a user to recover the wallet and regain access to the stored bitcoins.
2.2 Choosing a Bitcoin exchange
A Bitcoin exchange is a digital marketplace for users to buy and sell bitcoins using different currencies. Bitcoin can be exchanged for other alternative cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies. Most exchanges have advanced trading features that allow limit orders and margin trading.
Some of the exchanges will be more like banks, holding deposits in the user’s local currency and Bitcoin, with the trade in this case being crypto. Below is a brief overview of some of the exchanges for you to start with, but please remember this is not investment advice. You should do your own research to see which one best suits you. While there are a large number of exchanges to choose from, we recommend some in our Bitcoin for Beginners post.
These recommendations are based on the number of coins you hold. If you only hold small amounts of coins and are not looking to spend too much on fees, you can choose Binance or Bittrex, which would be our first recommendation. If you are looking to trade only the more common coins (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin) and are not interested in lesser-known alt coins, you should choose Coinbase.
2.3 Understanding Bitcoin market trends
It is important to monitor bitcoin news websites and stay in the loop about these events. Having active social media accounts with people who are in the bitcoin community is a handy way to get little tips and quick news about market trends. An understanding of the many events which may impact the price of bitcoins can help you decide if you are going to buy or sell based on your own speculation of whether an event will have a positive or negative impact on price.
Fundamental economic factors such as increases in the amount of goods bitcoin is able to buy (such as newegg.com or Expedia) can cause an increase in demand, driving up the price. Other factors, such as changes in the supply of bitcoins, can have an impact on the price. An example of this would be the recent block halving, in which the rate at which new bitcoins are generated was cut in half. This is projected to result in a lower rate of inflation and higher prices due to lower supply.
During 2014, there were several events that impacted the price of bitcoins. Negative events such as the collapse of Mt. Gox undermined confidence in the currency, causing the price to fall. At that time, there were also positive developments, such as the US Marshals auction of 30,000 bitcoins confiscated from the Silk Road, which may have had a negative impact on the price as this is an event of a government agency selling a financial asset seized from a criminal.
High-level government talks regarding regulation of bitcoins and other virtual currencies can have a positive or negative impact on the price. An example of this would be the announcement of the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust ETF (Nasdaq: COIN) to list on the BATS exchange, as this is a step toward legitimizing bitcoins as a financial asset. This announcement caused the price of bitcoins to rise.
If you are going to invest in bitcoins, it is important that you understand there are many dynamics and trends that impact bitcoin’s price. You must stay up-to-date on the latest market trends and have a solid understanding of price fluctuations. This will help prepare you for making informed investment decisions. Although bitcoin’s value is highly volatile, it has the potential to yield very high returns. This makes it very appealing to both long-term investors and day traders. The price of bitcoins can be affected by many different factors.
2.4 Creating a Bitcoin investment strategy
It is highly recommended that the reader and investor do further research from here in order to have the most comprehensive understanding of Bitcoin and how it might affect their specific situation.
Because the price of Bitcoin is highly volatile and an event can happen at any moment that would have an adverse effect on an investment, it is recommended to have a strategy that is flexible. With diligence and research, the aforementioned strategies can provide a solid and safe way for the investor to build a long-term investment in Bitcoin.
The Bitcoin investment strategy outlined in the article at the onset essentially encompasses a long-term strategy which involves the buying and holding of Bitcoin. For a more aggressive approach, there is always the option of trading the cryptocurrency on the markets.
Following these methods, the investor is required to learn how to acquire Bitcoin. After purchasing the cryptocurrency through one of the methods detailed in the previous section, the investor will have to store the Bitcoin. This method involves a technical analysis of market price and trends. The last step would be to keep a close eye on how the investment affects the market price of Bitcoin. This strategy has already been covered thoroughly in the article “How to Invest in Bitcoin”.
3. Investing in Bitcoin
This will also be the first step on your journey in investing in Bitcoin. In order to invest, you will need to first purchase some Bitcoin. Investing in Bitcoin is not a difficult process. In fact, you can purchase Bitcoin easily using your debit/credit card. While Bitcoin has gained in credibility, there are still many places selling it that are less than trustworthy.
It is suggested that you use well-established and proven exchanges to do so. No matter where or how you decide to buy, you will need to do some price tracking. Never buy more Bitcoin than you can afford to lose. As Bitcoin is a very high-risk asset, you should very much only invest what you know you can afford to lose. Information regarding price tracking can be found in Section 3.3. Given the volatility of Bitcoin prices, you may wish to set a particular price at which to buy.
This is known as a buy-limit order. This will protect you from buying more Bitcoin than you intended to, at a price higher than you are comfortable with. Finally, you may wish to consider whether to buy using a lump sum or utilizing steady buying and dollar cost averaging. Arguably the simplest method for buying Bitcoin is to do so in a lump sum. This will involve buying a large quantity of Bitcoin at once, possibly after waiting for a particularly low price. An alternative method is to use the technique of dollar cost averaging. This involves buying a fixed amount of Bitcoin at regular intervals, regardless of price.
This means you would buy more Bitcoin when the price is lower and less Bitcoin when the price is higher. Over time, this can allow you to attain a relatively low average purchase price. It can also remove some of the stress involved with price tracking, as it doesn’t matter what the price is at any given time. Step-by-step guides for buying Bitcoin using various methods can be found here.
3.1 Buying Bitcoin
Once the exchange receives verification of a user’s credentials, usually around a few days, the user can already purchase some Bitcoin. The purchased Bitcoin should then be transferred to their personal Bitcoin wallet, where they have control over the Bitcoin. Always remember to never leave a substantial amount of Bitcoin in the wallet provided by the exchange; these wallets are susceptible to offsite attacks. This process will be outlined in the next section on storing Bitcoin.
Step one in buying Bitcoin is to download a Bitcoin wallet from a reputable Bitcoin exchange. Keep in mind that, contrary to what is usually promoted, nothing in the cryptocurrency space is really free. Expect to pay a transaction fee as a certain percentage of the Bitcoin you buy, typically a few percent. Next, the user will need to register on the exchange. Most of the time, verification of identity is required by law. At this point, some extremely privacy-concerned individuals will likely find it as a turn-off.
Bitcoin purchases are discrete. Unless a user voluntarily publishes his Bitcoin transactions, his purchases are never associated with his personal identity, much like cash-only purchases, and cannot easily be traced back to him. In fact, the anonymous bitcoin address that is generated for user purchases changes with each transaction. This is not to say that bitcoin transactions are truly anonymous or entirely untraceable, but they are much less readily linked to personal identity than some traditional forms of payment.
3.2 Holding and storing Bitcoin securely
Once you have bought bitcoins, how do you keep them safe? Computers can be damaged by viruses or offline hacks, and hardware wallets are not a bad idea for those who can afford it. Nevertheless, storing backups of your keys on anything connected to the internet always puts them at risk.
If you were keeping gold in a safe at the bank, the FDIC would ensure that the bank would give you your gold back if it were stolen. The same can’t be said for bitcoins; make sure you take the time to learn how to keep your bitcoins protected and familiarize yourself with the capabilities of viruses and keyloggers. Keep in mind that no matter which wallet you use, losing your private keys will lead you to lose your money. Using a secure internet connection is recommended for the online wallet, as is installing security software and turning on two-factor authentication when possible.
Physically writing the keys down on paper is also commonplace. A step further is to laminate your piece of paper and store it in a safety deposit box. Plan your course of action for different types of disasters. If your house were to flood, how would you access your offline wallet the next day? If you are holding a large amount of bitcoins, you will need to create a circumstance for which your family can access them. Finally, you may wish to split your coins between multiple wallets. This way, you have a spare backup in case one wallet is compromised.
3.3 Selling Bitcoin
You may want to hold your investment until the best profit has been reached, yet you need to be prepared to sell if need be. Here are a few ways that you can sell your Bitcoin. Exchanges are the most common way that people sell Bitcoin. There are many exchanges on the internet which allow you to engage in person-to-person trades and many are packed with features that will help you get the most for your Bitcoin.
LocalBitcoins.com is an interesting web-based marketplace which allows you to perform person-to-person trades. The website simply provides a location for buyers and sellers to meet and has a feedback system, which can help you choose a trader who has done business before. If you’re an advanced user, you may want to sell your Bitcoins on a person-to-person basis using a platform such as IRC. This can open up opportunities and you may get more money for your Bitcoin than on an exchange. Be very wary of scammers using this method, however.
3.4 Diversifying your Bitcoin investment
Bitcoin is known for price volatility. It has often been compared to how it feels to invest in penny stocks. When dealing with something so unpredictable, it helps to be able to manage your emotions, and part of that is by diversifying your bitcoin investment. Unlike when we diversify traditional asset class portfolios, the number of bitcoin transaction tools are still limited, so the best way to implement a strategy to diversify is by using exchanges. The goal here is not to overtrade your bitcoin.
Instead, this is the most simple and unintrusive way to protect and grow your bitcoin asset. Overtrading can lead to significant losses, so it is important you use your newly traded bitcoin as an investment and make sure you have a significant return on that so-called investment. An example of this could be to sell your bitcoin at a price you are comfortable losing it at and wait a period until that bitcoin is worth more USD, with the goal of buying back more bitcoin than what you sold.
Once you are trading on one or more exchanges, it is also a good idea to set weekly or monthly goals. This will help to alleviate stress by giving you something to measure your performance against. This can be actual performance or perhaps learning a specific amount of pips per trade.
3.5 Managing risks and staying updated
There is no doubt a significant level of risk involved when investing in Bitcoin. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that risk is the biggest barrier to cross when considering investing in cryptocurrencies. Volatility in price can cause a significant amount of confusion, especially if you are caught off guard by a sudden bear market when you were expecting bullish price trends. A bear market in Bitcoin is where the price is consistently going down, often fueled by significant bad press.
This bad press can often lead individuals with weak hands to panic sell because of a lack of understanding of market trends and, as a result, be overall worse off. The first step in managing risk is to stay informed and correctly understand market trends. Another problem due to a lack of understanding is the trend of people selling their bitcoin due to an isolated incident regarding a bitcoin hack. This has happened before with MtGox and, more recently, Bitfinex.
While it is true these events do have a severe impact on the price, the price often rebounds to a point higher than the hack. This is because people who understand market trends can capitalize on FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).
They will buy the bitcoin that is being sold at a lower price and then wait for the market to recover so they can sell the bitcoin back at a higher rate. This method is a way to increase your bitcoin holdings when done correctly, but due to the lack of education of the average bitcoin investor, it can lead to a lot of panic selling at an all-time low. So where do I learn about market trends and how can I use this information to get a competitive edge above other bitcoin investors? The Bitcoin community is a good place to start.
There are many people who have dedicated their time to understanding the dynamics of cryptocurrency and where it is headed. Information can be gathered from various forums, subreddits, and news sites, with the most popular resources often having high-quality, in-depth analysis. Another option is to do chart analysis. There are many guides available for free via a Google search on how to read cryptocurrency charts in order to understand market trends.
A common tool to use for this is TradingView, which allows users to share trade ideas and make complex charts. It is also free if you are only using the essential functions. However, the majority of people learning to understand market trends will simply dive into it headfirst by trading small amounts of bitcoin in a long or short position. This is not advisable for a beginner due to the high amount of risk unless they are following advice from an experienced trader.
4. Advanced Bitcoin Investment Strategies
The primary way in which people get their money into BTC is through investing. Price speculation isn’t needed for this method. Traditional investors have the option to buy a bulk of coins and then sit on them. The more risky alternative to this is that the price of Bitcoin will rise very high after holding the coins for several months or years. At this point, the investor would then sell off his coins at a much higher price than what he purchased.
In both short-term and long-term investment, the investor has the option to buy low and sell high, known as BTC trading. With this method, the investor would need to analyze the history and price of Bitcoin, as well as the fact that the fact that the market is extremely volatile. Some traders will follow charts and the market and then decide based on them. Others will decide the price predicted by news on Bitcoin. Finally, there is also a way to leverage your investments with BTC. This can be done through bitcoin binary options, which involve paying an appropriate amount of BTC if the option is correct, similar to gambling.
The other method of leveraging is to borrow BTC, then sell it at a high price. If the price of BTC drops, then the borrower can buy it back at a lower price and pay back the lender while keeping the rest. However, this method has very high risk, despite givingthe patient the choice to stop the procedure if the procedure doesn’t go as planned.
4.1 Trading Bitcoin
Trading is one of the methods of speculating on the value of Bitcoin without owning the underlying asset. The value of Bitcoin is determined by how much people are willing to pay for it. Conversely, the cheaper and quicker you can buy, the more you can sell for, as supply and demand dictate the price. Step 1 to trading is to have an understanding of the market.
Try to make sense of what the price is doing. Is it in a clear upward or downward trend, and is it ranging within a support and resistance range? You can use price charts to see the potential price changes; these can be in the usual bar or line form or Japanese candlesticks, which provide more information.
The most popular is the MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence), which visually measures a trend by using two moving averages, a faster one and a slower one. If the MACD moves above the histogram, then it is considered bullish, and if the MACD moves below the histogram, it is bearish. Step 3 is to know your limits. How much are you willing to trade? If you have a small amount of money, it may be wise to use a Bitcoin wallet with a few pounds in for an online game of poker to try and double your money.
The two best-known methods of trading are ‘going long’ and ‘shorting’. ‘Going long’ is buying at a set price and selling later at a higher price, and has been If you buy low and sell high, you can accumulate more Bitcoin. ‘Shorting’ is betting on the price going down. This can be effective, for example, if you know somebody has a large number of bitcoins that he wishes to sell at the current market price. By borrowing Bitcoins and selling them at the market price, then buying them back for less, you can make a profit. Step 4 is to control your emotions. There are times when the price will do the opposite of what you were expecting.
A common but bad tactic is to panic and change your move, often at the point of the loss being too great to revert the last change. By accepting that no strategy is 100% effective and by considering the long term, you can prevent a small failure from becoming a catastrophe. Step 5 is to stay informed and test your strategy. Read Bitcoin-related news, use forums, and learn what successful traders are doing.
You can practice trading at a certain website that uses game money to test your buying and selling skills, which is beneficial to those who have little to no experience. By knowing your strengths and weaknesses and making changes to your strategy along the way, you can expect to trade with more success and confidence.
4.2 Investing in Bitcoin mining
Bitcoin mining represents an excellent, low-risk, high-reward investment opportunity. As the price of Bitcoin continues to rise, the potential rewards of mining increase. Semantically, the word “mining” makes it seem like the traditional meaning. However, mining Bitcoins is done by using a computer to solve complex math puzzles.
As a thank you for solving these, the solver is given a number of Bitcoins. This might seem like a lot of effort to simply receive some coins; however, that is where the ingenuity of mining really shines through. Early on in the Bitcoin life-cycle, it was possible to mine using a home PC. But as more and more coins were mined, the puzzles became more complex, requiring more effort and energy to solve. This, in itself, is a benefit, as even on a low-spec PC, you are creating value with minimal effort. Nowadays, miners use high-powered GPUs in order to give themselves the best chance of earning Bitcoins.
If they can earn more coins than the value of electricity used to power the computer, they are making a profit. However, with the high costs associated with building a mining rig and electricity costs, a better strategy may simply be to buy Bitcoin and store it.
The value gained through paying less in electricity and hardware is offset against the profit margin from having more coins to sell for when they are at their best price.
4.3 Participating in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are a relatively new concept. Many are skeptical of them, but also many are interested. An ICO is a new way to raise capital. Companies create and release a new cryptocurrency (token) with the intent it will be used on their proposed application, which in turn will be used to further develop the project by providing the company with an additional form of liquid capital. Essentially, an ICO is a crowdfunding campaign that revolves around the release of a new cryptocurrency.
During an ICO, a certain amount of cryptocurrency is sold “in the form of tokens” to early backers of a project in exchange for legal tender or other established cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. These tokens can have various uses and a duration of use dependent on the company’s agenda. If the project is successful and the application created by the company sees a high level of adoption, it’s expected there will be demand for the tokens in order to further utilize the application.
Demand for the tokens can create an appreciation in token value and a return on the initial token investment for early backers of the project. Step forth, the investors-winners of ICO funding are often well rewarded due to the low costs and relative ease with which they access capital in comparison to traditional alternatives such as venture capitalism.
This can often come at a loss for the company, with various legal issues arising in cases of illegitimate capital acquisition due to the lack of regulation and accountability for the existing cryptocurrency and ICO events. This has led to a lot of negativity surrounding ICOs, but it has not deterred many companies and investors from involving themselves in the emerging market. It’s a highly speculative and high-risk strategy, but it can pay off massively if you pick the right ICO event.