The BitcoinIRA mobile app is optimized with powerful features to empower your retirement savings, trading, and HODLing needs. Read on for the top features and capability of the BitcoinIRA mobile app.
Tax-Advantaged Crypto Investing Inside Your IRA
The BitcoinIRA mobile app provides convenient access to individual retirement accounts that offer unique tax advantages. These advantages can be amplified when you consider the historical outsized appreciation of cryptocurrencies. Easy, on-the-go access to your holdings, always at your fingertips, means you can monitor your portfolio and (potentially expedited) progress toward retirement anytime.
Buy, Sell, and Swap With 24/7 Self-Trading
Unlike traditional finance and legacy investment vehicles, crypto never sleeps. That also goes for the BitcoinIRA app, which helps you invest in new coins, sell off portions of your holdings, or trade crypto-to-crypto day or night. Anytime access to digital assets is key for those seeking to take maximum advantage of the market.
Easily and Securely Place Trades
Bitcoin IRA’s #1 priority is the security* of your digital assets. Through an exclusive partnership with BitGo, most client assets are protected by robust security features, including multi-signature digital wallets and qualified custody. This ensures peace of mind for crypto investors on both desktop and the BitcoinIRA mobile app.
Personalize Your Trading Experience (Watchlists, Light/Dark Mode, and More)
Watchlists let you zero-in on the assets you hold, track, and care about, while display customizations such as light and dark mode optimize your experience day or night. Watch what you own or want like a hawk, and ignore the rest.
Powerful Tools Like Price Alerts, Advanced Charts, and Multi-Coin Trades
Experienced users or traders can harness the power of advanced chart information and price alerts to make precision moves and multi-coin trades. Of course, long-term holding is the key to any successful retirement plan, and the performance of cryptocurrency renders the classic strategy even more powerful. Still, through bull and bear cycles or otherwise, it’s important to stay alert and informed, and the BitcoinIRA mobile app can help.
Secure Access Through Face ID and Biometrics
Face and fingerprint biometric security (or a good old-fashioned PIN if you prefer) keep your digital assets secured on your device, peace of mind at maximum, and stress at minimum. View your portfolio balance, holdings, and other information at any time simply by accessing the BitcoinIRA mobile app.
Protected Trading With 2-Factor Authentication and $250M of Insurance*
Two-factor authentication keeps your account credentials safe using industry-leading security, while $250M of insurance and asset-protection stand behind partner BitGo’s cold storage digital asset custody for most coins. This means your crypto investment is safe-and-sound, rivaling (and even outdoing) the protection banks and traditional offerings make available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I download the BitcoinIRA mobile app?
Search the app store on your device for “Bitcoin IRA” to find the mobile app. You can also directly view or download our Android and iOS apps.
Can I place a trade from the BitcoinIRA mobile app?
Yes, you can trade over 60+ cryptos while on-the-go from the app.
Chris Kline on Investing With Cryptocurrencies for Retirement
Bitcoin IRA COO and Co-Founder Chris Kline was featured on Thinking Crypto for his executive insights on investing with cryptocurrencies for retirement, the effects of a bear market on crypto, and the future of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). He spoke about regulation, taxes, insurance, and security for digital assets, as well as his entrepreneurial experience.
His journey with Bitcoin IRA started in 2015 in a boardroom with his partners. While discussing assets that can diversify IRAs, including alternative investments, private equity, real estate, LLCs, and precious metals, Bitcoin was proposed. The concept of trading cryptocurrencies for retirement piqued Kline’s interest, and his team spent the next year building the first solution for retirement in crypto savings.
Then, BTC/USD had not been over about $1,200, making Bitcoin IRA trailblazers in the space. They paved the way to put traditional finance together with crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi). From the start, the company believed in the power of community and attributes much of its success to its ability to foster and grow partner and client relationships.
Benefits of a Crypto IRA
Bitcoin IRA allows Americans to invest their retirement portfolios in digital assets that have the same tax shelters as other retirement accounts. Kline noted that clients can open Roth, traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE accounts. The company built a turnkey solution that includes digital wallets from BitGo security as well as competitive insurance coverage.
A cryptocurrency IRA allows investors to diversify their portfolios and take advantage of the large gains crypto may offer while sheltering their money from taxes1. One misconception people have about cryptocurrencies is that they all fall under one asset class in the traditional sense, when that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are an array of cryptocurrency products that are created for a multitude of reasons, and some are even backed by physical commodities. For example, Pax Gold (PAXG) allows investors to diversify using physical gold without the hassle or additional fees associated with transportation and storage.
Four aspects significantly differentiate Bitcoin IRA from other platforms offering crypto IRAs: coin selection, customer-focused operations, insurance, and security. Kline himself has tested out investing in each of the more than 60 coins currently available on the platform. He holds every single one, with the most significant stakes in BTC, ETH, and PAXG, as a long-term gold investment against currencies.
Adding More Crypto Coins
As BitCoin IRA grew, the company added more and more coins that traders can choose to include in their retirement portfolios. Each new coin is vetted through a series of checklists, ensuring the assets are both secure and liquid.
Kline shared that Bitcoin IRA is constantly evolving as a customer-focused tech platform, striving to bring fresh new features and coin offerings. In addition, the team is working on NFT integration by pushing regulators to reconsider the tax category NFTs fall under, so investors can hold them in their crypto IRAs.
Asset Security with BitGo
Most importantly, Bitcoin IRA takes asset security2 very seriously, Kline emphasized. He explained that his team worked with partners at BitGo to put client accounts behind rigorous security, including multisignature custodial situation wallets3. They also built out administrative controls to bring in and move assets.
Moreover, a meticulous process and cold storage strategy have allowed the company to gain insurance underwriting from financial behemoths like Lloyd’s of London for up to $250 million4 per wallet.
The Future of Bitcoin IRA and Cryptocurrencies
The company has been moving fast over the last few years. They built the first crypto retirement trading platform, the first mobile app, and are adding coins as quickly as possible. The roadmap for the rest of the year aims to position the firm for whenever the next crypto wave comes by focusing on an improved user experience, customer service, and partnerships.
The Crypto Revolution
Kline is excited to watch the crypto revolution unfold. While cryptocurrencies and the other markets fluctuate during inflationary periods, he predicts that crypto adoption will ultimately increase, as will regulation of the industry. As more countries adopt crypto, he sees it as democratizing the global economy.
Additionally, Kline foresees a revolution in web security on the horizon that could result in greater online privacy protections. He’s passionate about growth in the crypto retirement space and looks forward to building more opportunities for traders.
For more cryptocurrency insights, view Thinking Crypto’s recent interview with Bitcoin IRA’s COO and co-founder Chris Kline (linked above) and head over to the Bitcoin IRA website to learn about opening a crypto IRA today!
1Some taxes may apply. We recommend you consult your tax, legal, and investment advisor.
2Security may vary based on asset chosen and custody solution available.
3Wallet providers may vary based on asset chosen and custody solution available.
4Insurance rates may vary based on asset chosen and custody solution available.
Alternative IRA Services, LLC dba Bitcoin IRA is a platform that connects consumers to qualified custodians, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency exchanges. The company is not a custodian, is not a digital wallet and is not an exchange. Self-directed purchases processed through Bitcoin IRA have not been endorsed by the IRS or any government or regulatory agency. Bitcoin IRA is not an adviser. Information contained on this website is for educational purposes only. We encourage you to consult an adviser or professional to determine whether Bitcoin IRA makes sense for you. Cryptocurrencies are very speculative and involve a high degree of risk. By using the website, you understand the information being presented is provided for informational purposes only and agree to comply with our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
If you’re just getting involved in the crypto space, you’ll want to educate yourself via some of the industry’s greatest minds. We’ve compiled a list of the top 8 YouTubers and podcasts focused on cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, and blockchain to assist you in understanding and investing in Bitcoin.
The Moon
The Moon is a Bitcoin-focused channel that breaks down trading and tech for traders new and the experienced alike. He emphasizes both technical and fundamental analysis but also shows viewers how to trade on different exchanges. If you want to invest in Ethereum or find other cryptos to invest in, The Moon focuses on it all. He even breaks down his trades, providing a template of which new Bitcoin investors can learn from.
Another mainstream crypto face, Andreas Antonopoulos, has written books and attended talk shows related to Bitcoin. His channel features multiple playlists on the basics of crypto, wallets, and mining. If something is worth talking about, Mr. Antonopoulos has a beginner-friendly video to break it down. Antonopoulos prides himself on being unbiased, and he loves going into the human psychology behind crypto investments.
Hosted twice a week by crypto influencer Peter McCormack, the What Bitcoin Did podcast interviews experts of all different industries, discussing Bitcoin from a historical perspective as well as a financial one. His guests – some of which feature on this list – explain decentralization, censorship, altcoins, Bitcoin’s economic impact, and much more. The program was featured on major cryptocurrency organizations, including Kraken, BlockFi, Casa, and Exodus.
The show is beginner-friendly but appeals to experts just as much.
Recorded every morning religiously, Ivan on Tech is a Swedish YouTuber uploading daily videos on cryptos to invest in. If you’re wondering whether or not to invest in Bitcoin or invest in Ethereum, his content has it all. Each video is easy to watch as Ivan discusses trading patterns, the fear and greed index, and reads listener mail. Ivan is great at engaging his community and getting them involved in the project, building him a significant following over time.
If you’re interested in frequent cryptocurrency videos on news, market analysis, education, and opinions, then Altcoin Daily is the channel for you. They believe in the free-market approach when it comes to cryptocurrencies, the idea that people should be able to use crypto as they wish. Some of their most popular videos revolve around cryptocurrency news updates and technical trading patterns.
Crypto Casey details cryptocurrency news in her weekly recaps. Featuring high production values and a wealth of knowledge, her videos are the best way to catch up on the crypto news. She also has a beginner’s guide for viewers new to the space. For investors looking to invest in cryptos besides Bitcoin, or find out more regarding blockchain technology, Crypto Casey discusses these concepts in detail alongside the weekly recaps.
The Unchained Podcast differs from others on this list in one significant factor: its host, Laura Shin, doesn’t hold crypto. While that might be off-putting at first, her lack of investment doesn’t make her less of an expert. Shin was the “first mainstream journalist to cover crypto full-time.”
Shin has a background at Forbes and still contributes there from time to time. She also runs another crypto-focused podcast and is releasing a book on the topic. Possible best of all, her podcast features Vitalik Buterin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum.
Referred to as “Pomp,” Anthony Pompliano is one of the mainstream faces of crypto. He’s often talking Bitcoin on national news, telling the world to invest in Bitcoin. He’s also known to break down blockchain technology like smart contracts as well. As a successful entrepreneur himself, Pomp also provides traditional investment advice, intersecting it with crypto. Examples include investing in a Bitcoin IRA and how to manage money during a recession. His opinions were featured in many publications, including CNBC, CNN, and, of course, his podcast.
On December 11, Bitcoin IRA COO Chris Kline spoke to i24 NEWS about Bitcoin futures, the explosion of Litecoin, the enduring power of cryptocurrencies, and where Bitcoin IRA fits in. Here are some of the highlights.
Bitcoin Futures
Bitcoin futures, or agreements between users to buy and sell cryptocurrency once it reaches a predetermined price at a future date, have officially hit the market. What does this mean for Bitcoin?
“Bitcoin futures are a pivotal point through this process because they bring more regulation, which is going to bring more mainstream adoption,” Kline said. But he reminded viewers that participating in Bitcoin futures contracts is not the same as owning actual Bitcoin. “When you’re in a Futures contract you’re not in Bitcoin directly. You’re in more of a proxy representation,” Kline said. Furthermore, engaging in Futures trading it is not without risks: if the market tumbles, owning Futures would negate the hedge ability of the investment. And given the massive upward swing in Bitcoin’s trajectory in just 2017 alone, now is the time to be investing in the digital currency itself. Is Bitcoin in a Bubble?
According to Kline, it depends on how you look at it. “There are people out there who are strictly in this for speculative gain, said Kline, before adding: “But then there are other groups out there that see this as a shift in monetary policy. They see that Bitcoin is not just a speculative asset and that it may start to augment or segment components of the fiatmonetary policy we have today.” Given the increasing adoption of Bitcoinnationwide, as well as acclaim for the blockchain technology that powers it, signs point to more people embracing cryptocurrency as a groundbreaking innovation that is here to stay.
Spotlight on Litecoin As we head into 2018, Kline suggests taking a closer look at Litecoin. Often described as the “silver to Bitcoin gold,” Litecoin soared 50% on December 11 alone, and over 4000% so far in 2017. Litecoin has many favorable attributes: There are four times as many Litecoin in supply compared to Bitcoin, transaction time is faster, and the mining costs are a lot lower because it’s a more simplistic, efficient process. “Bitcoin is more of a store value, or Gold 2.0, while Litecoin is more of that exchange cryptocurrency that everyone is looking for,” Kline said.
Where Bitcoin IRA Fits In Bitcoin IRA is the only Bitcoin-based retirement investment portfolio that allows people to invest in invest in six different cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple and others) into their IRA.
With Bitcoin projected to reach $100,000 by 2020 and Litecoin projected to reach $3,500 by 2020, now is the time to invest in cryptocurrency. Call us today at 1-877-936-7175 to set up your account and capitalize on this groundbreaking investment opportunity.
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Bitcoin IRA has just completed a new animated video that helps explain all of the great benefits of owning a Bitcoin IRA. This video teaches you how a Bitcoin IRA works, it describes where your coins are stored and it highlights some of the unique security features.
Watch the video and find out why investing in a Bitcoin IRA will one of the best decisions you’ll make to grow your retirement fund.
Cryptocurrency is taking off as a retirement investment opportunity. It’s a great way to diversify your retirement portfolio and protect against having all your assets tied to the stock market.
With traditional money, officials can just print off more money whenever they want causing inflation. But, bitcoin has a cap for creation. Once it has been reached no more coins can be made and that means no inflation.
There are also tax benefits to investing in a cryptocurrency IRA. You’ll never pay taxes on capital gains. You can take advantage of these great benefits and get started investing with Bitcoin IRA.com to protect your investments from thieves and hackers. Bitcoin IRA has an exclusive relationship with BitGo, the leader in multi-signature encryption technology, no other company can match its security. BitGo generates three security keys keeping them in separate cold storage locations. That means your security keys aren’t kept on the internet and hackers have no way to access your keys. It’s the safest method of storage unlike other companies which may store your keys offshore or in a dangerous hot storage wallet online.
BitcoinIRA.com also requires government-issued identification and voice verification to transfer and purchase funds. No other crypto investment company offers this level of security. Most only offer one key and they require you to store it yourself. Not safe. If a security key in your possession gets lost or damaged your investment is gone forever. With Bitcoin IRA you’ll never lose your keys and investment.
BitcoinIRA.com is the only turnkey full-service company that walks you through the process of investing, makes sure it is IRS-compliant, protects your investment, and offers $1,000,000 insurance on all transactions. Don’t take our word for it. Here are just a few companies who have featured BitcoinIRA.com.
Ready to invest in Bitcoin for your retirement? BitcoinIRA.com is ready to help.
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Almost instantly after entrepreneurs and techonology buffs discovered the genious behind blockchain technology, they started trying to recreate and improve upon it. Hundreds of new cryptocurrencies are now on the market, but out of the crowd only a few stand out. XRP and the network it is exchanged upon, Ripple, are among those few. XRP is poised to change the world of digital exchanges.
Here are five things you need to know about XRP and Ripple:
XRP and Ripple are two different things
People often confuse Ripple and XRP as being one in the same. In fact, they are two different things. Ripple is an open payment network which connects banks, payment providers, digital asset exchanges and corporations via RippleNet. The network uses blockchain technology, like Bitcoin and other altcoins, but it has modified and improved blockchain to make it scalable and capable of facilitating massive transfers of assets across borders, all over the world.
XRP is a digital currency created by Ripple and transferred on the Ripple Network. It’s a cryptocurrency with a clear purpose – it is designed for financial institutions and payment providers. In short, it’s built for large scale use rather than the peer-to-peer single transfers made on a slow-moving, Bitcoin blockchain.
XRP isn’t trying to replace fiat currency
The aim of Bitcoin and most altcoins is to provide an alternative and eventually overtake traditional fiat currency. In contrast, XRP works with fiat currencies on more than 10 digital exchanges to transfer value across borders. The goal is to provide a faster transfer of funds with real-time traceability and lower operational and liquidity costs.
Today, it takes about 3-5 days to send money from one country to another through a bank, which usually involves high fees the risk of the payment being delayed. XRP can accomplish the same task in an average time of 4 seconds.
XRP isn’t mined like Bitcoin
Bitcoins are created through a process called “mining,” in which massive hubs of computers work to solve complex math problems and are rewarded with a Bitcoin for every solution provided. XRP is not a mined digital asset. Every unit of currency that exists has already been created by Ripple. Most of XRP is owned by Ripple itself with the rest held by companies and individuals.
XRP operates at a much greater scale and speed than Bitcoin
Bitcoin blockchain technology can only process 7 transactions/second. A single transaction may require a processing time of 10 minutes (even up to two hours). A traditional payment service, like a credit card, averages 2,000 transactions per second. Bitcoin’s scalability has long been a subject of debate and is what lead to the hardfork on August 1, 2017, which created Bitcoin Cash. The slow transaction time is one of the largest hurdles preventing Bitcoin from replacing traditional fiat currency.
The XRP blockchain ledger can process more than 1,000 transactions per second. It can scale to the same throughput as Visa and process in real-time.
XRP is the future of global asset exchanges
The speed, scalability, security and low costs of the Ripple Network and XRP all but guarantee that banks and financial institutions will eventually make the switch. It is the goal or Ripple to someday be the platform for day-to-day operations for these institutions. Ripple is solving the issues involved with cross-border payments and changing the way we make exchanges of assets. Its solution involves creating a common standard for payments and using XRP as the digital asset that will bring together currently disconnected ledgers and blockchains. Check out the current XRP prices.
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Alternative coins – also known as altcoins – is a term describing all cryptocurrencies created following the launch of Bitcoin in 2009. After seeing the value of a decentralized, peer-to-peer system, it was a natural progression that others would try to recreate, improve and capitalize on the algorithm and concept behind Bitcoin. Today, there have been hundreds of altcoins created. Many of these Bitcoin alternatives will (or have already) fail to take hold; however, there are a few altcoins that have emerged as major players in the market space.
The most significant and revolutionary aspect of Bitcoin was its blockchain technology. The altcoins that have succeeded are those who have taken the blockchain concept and applied it to more diverse and challenging use-case scenarios.
This article will take you through the top altcoins and the unique features and characteristics for investors in cryptocurrency to consider.
To understand the foundation on which every altcoin is based, let’s have a closer look at Bitcoin.
Basic characteristics of Bitcoin (BTC) and Cryptocurrencies
Decentralized digital currency: Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, which operates independently of a central bank and is not linked to a government fiat currency.
Limited supply: Traditional currency is subject to inflation. Government agencies control the supply and distribution of fiat currency and can simply create more at any time, thereby decreasing its value. Bitcoin has a cap of 21 million coins – there will never be any more created and it will never be devalued by inflation.
Ease of set up: Opening a bank account requires jumping through a number of hoops created by banks or government bureaucracy. In contrast, a Bitcoin account can be set up in seconds without unnecessary identification, personal information, or fees payable.
Anonymous: A Bitcoin account is largely anonymous. Users can hold multiple Bitcoin addresses that are not linked to name, address, or other personal information.
Transparent: All Bitcoin transaction are stored on the blockchain, a public ledger visible to anyone. The Bitcoin addresses and transactions made are visible, however no one knows the individual to whom they belong.
Extremely low: A traditional bank profits greatly from transaction fees and holding transactions before allowing them to go through. Conversely, Bitcoin has minimal transactional fees.
Fast transfers: In just minutes, transactions can go from an individual wallet to anywhere in the world. As soon as the Bitcoin network processes a payment, money is transferred immediately.
These characteristics of Bitcoin are what make it unique and attractive to investors who do not want to be subject to the fees, regulations, and inflation of traditional currency. Every altcoin created operates largely on these same principals and expands on the features and scalability of cryptocurrency. The most prominent altcoins that have taken hold in the market space are Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin (LTC).
Ethereum (ETH)
Vitalk Buterin outlined his plans for the Ethereum network in 2015. The basis for the network was that blockchain technology was capable of much more than transactions between two people. Ethereum features smart contract functionality, which is a custom blockchain designed to live in distributed networks.
The digital currency is called Ethereum (ETH) and as of 2017, it is considered the second most valuable form of digital currency. Ethereum features a powerful, high-level language, where developers can create and implement their own smart contracts on distributed autonomous networks. It is a standalone blockchain and Solidity revolutionized the world of blockchain and distributed letter technology, much the way Bitcoin did when it was created.
How Ethereum is different from Bitcoin?
At a first glimpse, Ethereum closely resembles Bitcoin; however, experts argue that its potential may be greater than Bitcoin, owing to its creation of “blocks” at a much faster rate. Ethereum advocates believe that Ether is more efficient for transactions and not for storing value.
As a consequence, the technology behind Ethereum supports computer applications, whereas bitcoin only supports the BTC currency on its network. Bitcoin makes trading BTC seamless, but Ethereum can also be used as a decentralized storage network – think of it like Dropbox with a twist. The potential of Ethereum is huge. Startups are already using the blockchain to build apps and raise money for start-ups with their ICOs.
Like Bitcoin, there are two coins in the Ethereum network: Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC).
In 2016, the DAO app built on the Ethereum blockchain, managed to collect about $150 million in a crowd sale. $50 million was stolen by hackers, triggering a riot among investors eager to build their companies on the Ethereum Classic blockchain. The money was never withdrawn by the hacker, because of the 25-day withdrawal conditions of Ethereum.
With the help of Ether miners, the Ethereum Classic organization set up a hard fork, changing the code and restoring the money to the original investors. However, not everyone agreed on the fork, which led to a split and the creation of Ethereum.
XRP / Ripple
XRP is digital currency and Ripple is the open payment network within which that currency is transferred. It is a distributed open-source protocol which espouses the goal of creating a financial transaction system free of the restrictions, fees, and processing delays associated with traditional banks. Bitcoin is best described as a decentralized P2P network independent of any financial institution or government. Ripple, on the other hand, is a protocol structured to help and support the global financial system.
Major financial institutions and leading banks are already using Ripple to make cross-bank and cross-border transactions seamlessly and boosting security levels in real time.
Ripple’s chief cryptographer, David Schwartz,explains:
“Payment systems today are where email was in the early ‘80s. Every provider built their own system for their customers and if people used different systems they couldn’t easily interact with each other. Ripple is designed to connect different payment systems together.”
Ripple and its connection to the global financial system
Major companies like Santander, UniCredit and UBS use the Ripple protocol as a settlement infrastructure technology. From the point of view of a bank, Ripple is a distributed protocol system that features several core advantages over cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
The global financial system’s inefficient and outdated IT infrastructure means verifying a single transaction can take weeks; fees associated with most transactions range from $30 to $50. Also, transactions initiated through the SWIFT network can get lost, not to mention that confirmation must be done manually.
Ripple uses blockchain technology to streamline the process. Its token concept is meant to help simplify global banking. As a consequence, several banks around the world support Ripple’s strategy and vision to improve the system.
Litecoin (LTC)
Litecoin is often described as the silver to Bitcoin’s gold. Launched in 2011 by a former Google employee, the motivation behind Litecoin was to speed up the process of blockchain transactions.
Bitcoin and Litecoin – the gold and silver of the crypto world
How different is Litecoin from Bitcoin? It all begins with block generation. As previously mentioned, generating a block with Bitcoin can take up to 10 minutes. Conversely, Litecoin can perform the same task in 2.5 minutes. Thanks to this faster block generation, Litecoin can handle a higher volume of transactions. For Bitcoin to match the speed and volume of Litecoin, significant changes would have to be made to the network.
The increased speed of block time also reduces the risk of double spending attacks – a theoretical scenario in which both Bitcoin and Litecoin have the same hashing power.
Another difference is the overall amount of produced coins. Bitcoin is capped at 21 million coins while Litecoin’s upper-bound is 84 million. More coins equals room for more investors.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Since inception, the world has been debating Bitcoin’s scalability. The debate has centered around the slow movement of blockchain technology, which can only process 7 transactions/second. A single transaction may require a processing time of 10 minutes. As the network of users grows and more people trade bitcoins, the wait time increases. Bitcoin Cash was born out of a desire to make the cryptocurrency operate faster.
An overview
On August 1st this year, ahard fork initiativewas put in place by Bitcoin miners, which created Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
In July, about 80% of the Bitcoin community pledged to include a technology called segregated witness (SegWit2x). Its purpose was to shrink the data amount needed to verify each block, removing signature data required for processing transactions. Signature data accounts for 65% of the data needed to process each block. The size of the blocks was supposed to double from 1mb to 2mb by November, thus making Bitcoin more scalable.
Things took an unexpected turn on August 1st, when the hard fork was initiated. Bitcoin miners implemented an astounding increase of 8mb to Bitcoin’s block size, speeding up the transactional verification process and taking down the initial SegWit2x technology. The argument for this action was that SegWit did not address the cryptocurrency’s main concern of scalability, nor did it adhere to the initial roadmap outlined Satoshi Nakamoto.
That’s how Bitcoin Cash was born. In simple terms, BCH is the fork between bitcoin blockchain and a scalable continuation of Bitcoin as a P2P digital currency.
Conclusion
Bitcoin is still king of the cryptocurrency mountain and toppling it from that position is extraordinarily unlikely. Despite the improvements that altcoins like Ethereum, XRP, and Litecoin have made, Bitcoin has widespread awareness and global adoption that other coins have yet to match.
However, altcoins provide a unique opportunity for investors to create a diverse cryptocurrency portfolio. At Bitcoin IRA, we offer the ability to roll over your funds and invest in Bitcoin and percentages of Ethereum, XRP, and Litecoin to mitigate risk and capitalize on growth potential. With our Bitcoin calculator, you can see the growth potential of your investment with Bitcoin IRA.
Get started.
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Today, CNBC featured Bitcoin IRA along with interviews from its Chief Operations Officer, Chris Kline, and some of its clients. The video reviews some Bitcoin IRA key advantages and showcases some stories from their clients.
Below is the unedited video and article in its entirety:
Investors have been bullish on bitcoin all this year because of its rapid appreciation, but now, mom and pop buyers are also looking for a way to benefit from its price surge, despite the big risks.
BitcoinIRA launched in May of 2016, offering investors the tax-advantage of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), plus the return of a high-risk, high-reward alternative asset class. It’s similar in nature to other IRAs, except that instead of being funded by gold, cash, and bonds, it’s backed by bitcoin.
And the company isn’t just dealing in bitcoin anymore. As of April, it now includes rival cryptocurrency ether, and it plans to add two more coins to its roster by the end of the summer.
Chief Operating Officer Chris Kline says business couldn’t be better. In its first year, he says BitcoinIRA was averaging around a million dollars of monthly inflows. In the last six months, they started doing that amount of business in a single day, he says. (CNBC did not independently verify the flows.)
The popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin, may be highly volatile, but that didn’t deter early adopter Roy Trimboli.
Roy calls himself ’11,’ since he’s the proud owner of the eleventh-ever BitcoinIRA. He says he’s been a conventional guy since 22, always maxing out his 401(k) and investing in blue chip mutual funds, but a year ago, he put 10 bitcoins into a BitcoinIRA. He says he’s now up about 300 percent.
“It’s a couple of generations worth of returns,” he says.
’11’ is now just one of over 700 individual account holders, including clients as young as 20-years-old.
But even with these kinds of returns, the fact remains, a speculative asset like bitcoin or ether comes with a certain degree of risk. Cryptocurrencies don’t sleep. They’re literally always moving, and if recent history is any indication, they’re prone to seismic price moves in a very short space of time.
Campbell Harvey, a finance professor at Duke University, says this kind of volatility is brutal. “We’re talking six times the volatility of the S&P 500 or five times the volatility of gold.” He says it has to do with the fact that this is new technology, “and it’s not easy to think about the fundamental value of a cryptocurrency.”
That brutal volatility he’s talking about is partly to do with the fact that these cryptocurrencies aren’t collateralized. They’re valuable, because people believe they’re valuable. That’s a big part of why Campbell says he’s really worried about the BitcoinIRA.
“I’m worried that people will put too much of their retirement in an asset like this. It’s a very small piece of the market right now and it’s extremely volatile. To put this into your savings, you need to be willing to lose everything. If you put your retirement savings into the stock market, there is almost no chance that you’re going to lose everything.”
Risk aside, a BitcoinIRA itself isn’t free. If you sink any less than $50,000 into your crypto nest egg, you’ll face a hefty 15 percent set-up fee. But clients like Damon Smedley remain undeterred. He invested $330,000 into his BitcoinIRA last November.
“You look at where I was one year ago, versus where I’m at today, and it’s quite a drastic difference,” Smedley said.
It’s not just the promise of a crazy return that’s intrigued savers, it’s also the fact that it’s a hedge against the inflationary tendencies of mainstream currencies. Central banks in countries around the world have been printing cash to prop up their struggling economies, but that goes hand in hand with inflation.
In the U.S., gold, stocks, and bonds have long been the traditional hedge against inflation and the rising dollar. But now, bitcoin and ethereum offer an alternative way to beat inflation, though it’s clearly not for the faint of heart.
One thing is for sure, despite its volatility, this new cryptocurrency asset class isn’t going anywhere
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