5 Places to Learn About Crypto Investing

While there is certainly an aspect of the ‘gold rush’ mentality to the current crypto buzz and surging market caps, it is undeniable that we have passed a legitimate turning point in the history of this revolutionary technology and asset class.

Strong institutional interest, investments of billions of dollars from major corporations like Tesla, and a growing number of companies accepting the bigger and more stable coins as payment have piqued the interest of many who were either on the fence or skeptical just a couple of years ago. If you are new to digital assets and crypto investing, below are 5 places to learn and build your knowledge before and while you wade in. 

/R/CryptoCurrency

There is a temptation to lump Reddit investors into the same nefarious group given the Game Stop and other subsequent market scandals over the past couple of months, but that would be unfair. Reddit remains an excellent source of information for learning about pretty much anything, including cryptocurrencies and crypto investing--with a very strong “buyer and reader beware” warning for anyone wading into the often lightly moderated online discussions.

The “CryptoCurrency” subreddit is the largest subreddit dedicated to general cryptocurrency investing on the site and features 1.9 million members and hundreds to thousands of users active at any given time. This is a great place for new or tentative investors to sit and soak up the conversation of seasoned vets and, at the very least, absorb some of the lingo, learn about what people are trading and better understand the various market dynamics. 

Coin Desk 

Coin Desk is a cryptocurrency news site specializing primarily in the coverage of Bitcoin, but other major coins as well. The 15-person team, headed by founder Shakil Khan, and located in New York City, publishes dozens of pieces of new content weekly, including commentary and analysis on trends, new technologies, new companies, and popular and rising figures in the world of Bitcoin and digital assets. 

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin is one of the original digital and print publications in the cryptocurrency space and has been available since 2012. The company is currently owned and operated by BTC inc. and is based in Nashville, Tennessee, although it started in South Korea. 

Bitcoin Magazine is still the go-to source for Bitcoin information for investors and those in the industry. When adding different publications and webzines to your reading list, a good way to curate and manage all the information is by using a news and content aggregator like Feedly. Feedly is a free web application that allows you to add virtually any online publication to your reading list and it collects the daily posts and updates from each one. 

White Papers 

If you really want to do a deep dive on a particular coin or technology, the best source of information, at least when it comes to learning about the underlying fundamentals that make the asset work and constitute its value proposition, is going to be its white paper. White papers can be long (over 100 pages) and their objective is to explain both how a coin works, the market needs that it serves and why it is an attractive digital asset for investors. These dense documents are released either prior to the release of the coin itself or in conjunction. It is difficult to say you truly understand the ins and outs of a particular digital asset until you have read the white paper. 

Conclusion 

Many people who were either unaware or uninterested in cryptocurrencies as a viable asset class and investment are now beginning to see the revolutionary potential. Decentralized, mutual ledger technology that does not require intermediaries, cannot be confiscated by local or international governments, and is, in theory, well-insulated against the vicissitudes of the market and sporadic monetary policy has a tremendous amount of potential.

A handful of visionaries and brave investors took a bet on all this well over a decade ago and won big. The next generation of retail crypto investors are now wanting to test the waters for themselves, eager not to miss out on what may be the major financial revolution of their lifetimes. If you are interested in learning, you can’t go wrong using any or all of the above sources.