crypto Archives

Guide to Cryptocurrencies in a Roth IRA | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on April 20, 2022 | by [email protected]

New investors are often curious about the benefits of a Roth IRA vs. a traditional IRA. The most significant difference between the two is how each is taxed.

Investors may make pre-tax contributions to a traditional IRA, and then the money is taxed when it is withdrawn. With a Roth IRA, the money contributed may not be tax-deductible in the contribution year, but it might also not be taxed when it is withdrawn at retirement age. For investors considering long-term cryptocurrency investments, the potential tax benefits make the Roth IRA an attractive option.

So why might investors consider a self-directed Roth IRA?

Overall, Roth IRAs potentially remove or mitigate the risk of a future increase in retirement income taxes. Additionally, assuming that the account grows over time, a Roth IRA holds the possibility of paying fewer taxes on the resulting amount when an investor enters retirement.

Cryptocurrencies in a Roth IRA

To achieve portfolio diversity, you may invest in alternative assets, such as cryptocurrencies within both a Roth or traditional IRA. An option for investors seeking to add digital currency to an IRA would be to consider seeking out an IRA custodian offering alternative investments.

Having a separate account for alternative asset investing may help to diversify a retirement portfolio as a whole. Diversifyingaway from traditional assets, like stocks and bonds, can be important for investors who are looking to prepare for future market adjustments. Investors can use self-directed Roth IRA accounts for many alternative assets, including cryptocurrencies, real estate, and much more.

Investors may choose to roll over portions of existing or entire accounts to an IRA custodian in order to fund a self-directed Roth IRA for cryptocurrency investing. Meanwhile, those without an existing Roth IRA account may also open a self-directed IRA for cryptocurrency with the same custodian and make contributions.

Investing a Roth IRA in Cryptocurrencies

Like any other type of investing, it’s typical for investors to begin by educating themselves about the assortment of cryptocurrency options available. One thing to note would be finding a platform with offerings that cater to the interests of the investor. Bitcoin IRA offers investors more than 60 types of cryptocurrencies to choose from. The more choices available, the easier it is for investors to diversify their portfolio with crypto holdings.

Another route for eager investors to consider could be to divide funds between three of the more popular cryptocurrencies to diversify their entire retirement portfolio. That said, some investors may prefer to deeply research (crypto) projects based on their fundamentals by reading whitepapers, online articles and using social media to learn how other investors rank their prospects.

There is no right or wrong way to go about investing, but it is best to have a strategy that works for you.

Opening a Cryptocurrency Roth IRA

Bitcoin IRA¹ offers investors a tax-advantaged² way to invest in various cryptocurrency assets directly in their self-directed IRAs. Investors can take advantage of the simple process of opening an account. The 24/7 platform can be accessed from mobile devices, allowing for easy trading and management of your Roth IRA.

²Some taxes may apply. We recommend you consult your tax, legal, and investment advisor.

Questions on getting started with cryptocurrency investing in your Bitcoin IRA account? Our specialists are here to help! Call us at 877-936-7175 or email us today.

Bitcoin IRA | Bitcoin vs Social Security

Why Investors Bank on Bitcoin Instead of Social Security | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on April 13, 2022 | by [email protected]

Whether you are 30 years away from retirement or three, planning for your senior years was something that the U.S. government thought it could help with.

The Social Security (insurance program) was brought forth by the Social Security Act of 1935 as a general welfare effort to help provide economic security to retired workers and their families. It was in 1940 when Americans began to receive these benefits and the social security system provided retirees with the fixed monthly income that we know of today.

Since then, multiple administrations have engaged in talks about altering or removing the system altogether. Because the future of the social security system is not written in stone, many American workers have taken matters about their retirement income into their own hands by investing in self-directed IRA accounts, managing their own stocks, as well as by contributing to 401(k) and alternative retirement plans.

Investors who were managing their portfolio of stocks and bonds between 2009 and 2019 found that, for the most part, most assets increased in value. Once the economy hit a period of higher inflation, some investors of all ages began considering other asset classes as alternative investments, like cryptocurrency.

Who is Investing in Cryptocurrency

Younger investors (within the Gen Z category) have started seeing long-term benefits when investing in cryptocurrency, expecting to hold it in their portfolio for five or more years. For millennials, 46% surveyed by 2021 Engine Insights report that they believe they can become millionaires by investing in crypto.

And, while Gen Z’ers and millennials are out-buying other generations in crypto investments, Gen X is out-spending by almost $1,000 per year.

While the risks of investing in cryptocurrency include competition, cyberattacks and changing regulations, the potential long-term benefits have, so far, shown promising potential growth for investors.

Using Cryptocurrency in a Retirement Program

By taking advantage of self-directed accounts, some investors may opt into a program that allows them to buy, sell or trade cryptocurrency.

Utilizing a self-directed IRA for your cryptocurrency investment strategy may offer some tax advantages, such as helping you to avoid capital gains taxes by deferring taxes on your crypto investments held in your IRA. For instance, when the price of a cryptocurrency increases by large percentages in a short period, you may be less likely to pay a tax rate of more than 20% on the gains you’ve earned.

Among other benefits of holding and trading cryptocurrency in an IRA account is that it has the predisposition to hedge against inflation, like gold. This is due to the finite or limited supply of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in addition to the fact that crypto isn’t tied to one country’s economy.

When you’re ready to give cryptocurrency investing within your IRA a shot, the key is finding a custodian that offers you alternative investments in addition to that of traditional asset classes that are accessible directly within your IRA.

Adding Bitcoin Investments to your IRA Portfolio

Innovative investment platforms, like Bitcoin IRA, offer users alternative investments as a solution to augment their potential, future social security income.

Bitcoin IRA makes the process simple for one to open a new IRA account and roll over funds from an existing one. Bitcoin IRA helps you to open a tax-advantaged* IRA account that allows you to invest in alternative assets, like cryptocurrencies. The platform can also be accessed on mobile devices, allowing for 24/7 trading and easy access to your IRA dashboard.

*Some taxes may apply. We recommend you consult your tax, legal, and investment advisor.

Questions on getting started with cryptocurrency investing in your Bitcoin IRA account? Our specialists are here to help! Call us at 877-936-7175 or email us today.

Recommended article: Crypto: To Invest or Not to Invest

Using Crypto to Diversify for Retirement | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on March 23, 2022 | by [email protected]

Diversifying a retirement portfolio is essential for investors at any age and stage of their investment journey. It’s typical for younger investors tend to take on more risk, while those closer to retirement age are more likely to pare back risks to ensure capital preservation.

Managing that risk includes evaluating retirement account investment structures. One traditional option is to hold 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds, but when bond rates are at historic lows, some investment managers may suggest that the ratio be closer to 70/30. This allocation leaves openings for alternative investments as one of the best ways to diversify for retirement.

New Ways to Diversify for Retirement

So, where should you start looking for that extra bang that will help you reach your goals by the time you are ready to retire?

Consider alternative investments beyond stocks and bonds that often include real estate, precious metals, and private equity. In addition to these alternative options are cryptocurrencies, which are also quickly gaining ground as investors seek more asset classes to diversify investments for retirement.

As an asset class, cryptocurrencies offer investors new transaction options. They also provide levels of transaction transparency that might be unachievable with cash and other current digital methods. These qualities make cryptocurrencies viable for mass adoption by governments, central banks, and institutions, as well as private investors.

In all, cryptocurrencies are a great way to diversify an IRA portfolio because the IRS views them as asse ts. To add these to your portfolio, it’s best to find an investing platform that supports crypto investments in your IRA.

How to Diversify for Retirement with Crypto

When beginning to diversify your investments with crypto, an option one can take is to start with the due diligence and fundamental analysis that you would do with any other investment product.

One of the easiest ways to perform basic research on cryptocurrencies is by reading through the whitepaper distributed at each coin’s initial offering. You should be able to find this information—and more—about each individual cryptocurrency on its project website. Read through each paper to see whether it has a viable use case and which problem(s) are solved by that specific cryptocurrency.

Also, consider how the trading volume has changed over time. You may want to look for cryptos that have historically increased interest and trading volume. To really dig into the details, you can search online forums to view conversations about what current investors think about the coin.

Another way to analyze crypto charts is by technical analysis. To do this, start by opening a chart in your trading platform and applying your favorite indicators to help you decide your best opportunity to start trading.

Where to Diversify Your Retirement with Crypto

Not all self-directed IRA platforms are designed to help you diversify your retirement portfolio with cryptocurrencies. If you’d like to add crypto to your IRA portfolio, be sure to find an investing platform, like Bitcoin IRA that can serve you and your needs as you diversify with alternative investments.

Bitcoin IRA* is an industry-leading Crypto IRA platform that offers a variety of cryptocurrency investment choices (60+ coins) to account holders. With a substantial base of over 100,000 users, our easy-to-use platform can be accessed both online and via our mobile app (available for iOS and Android). Bitcoin IRA is a solution designed for investors who are ready to take control of their retirement and build the best diversified portfolio to suit their needs Visit Bitcoin IRA to get started so you can diversify your investment portfolio with cryptocurrency today.

*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.

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Crypto Investing Myths Debunked

Bitcoin IRA | Growing Your Nest Egg with Cryptocurrency Investing

Growing Your Nest Egg with Crypto | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on March 18, 2022 | by [email protected]

With the stock market in a stage that many refer to as a bubble, it can be tough to identify the best ways to diversify your portfolio so that you can grow your nest egg (also known as your retirement account or retirement savings).

When considering to diversify a portfolio with cryptocurrencies, investors may wonder about these types of assets and how they can impact or possibly even benefit an IRA. The good news is that because the IRS views cryptocurrencies as property, crypto investments are available as assets for an IRA, which means that you can easily use crypto to grow your nest egg. The important thing is to find a reliable self-directed IRA custodian that offers cryptocurrency investing. If you’re looking to diversify your IRA portfolio with alternative assets, like cryptocurrencies, this article is for you. Learn more on how to do this below.

How to Invest in Cryptocurrencies

When growing your nest egg, your investment choices may often revolve around the amount of risk you are willing to take. Investors may mitigate risk to maintain a financial plan in several ways, including portfolio diversification. For example, in your current IRA platform, you may be able to purchase Bitcoin or Ether futures. Still, with the wide variety of offerings on the market, you may want to maximize your opportunity to diversify your cryptocurrency holdings between different types of assets.

In some cases, certain cryptocurrencies were developed to solve specific problems. For example, Bitcoin can help people who don’t have access to banks while Litecoin was created to make crypto transactions faster than they were with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) is the first established and most well-known cryptocurrency. It engineered the use of blockchain technology that has been adopted as the backbone of new industries. Many other offerings, including Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, use similar but lighter-weight technology, to accomplish similar things as Bitcoin.

Digital coins vary from one another, as they aim to accomplish different objectives. For instance, Internet Computer was designed to improve the internet architecture, and Filecoin seeks to provide a secure web-based data storage solution. So, when investing in cryptocurrencies, it’s wise to research the coins you’re looking to invest in and learn each coin’s objective toward improving specific systems currently in place or current gaps in their space.

You can conduct your technical analysis by reviewing this coin research alongside historical price charts to view how different cryptocurrencies have performed in the past. Then, once you have decided which projects you want to support, investing in cryptocurrency seems likely to be your next step. If you’re ready to get started, find a digital IRA platform that is right for you, open a wallet for your digital currencies and choose the cryptocurrencies you’d like to buy.

It’s important to note that cryptocurrency does not have to be an all-in investment product. Know that you can also purchase portions of coins versus a whole coin. For example, one Bitcoin is trading at around $40,000, but you can buy any amount of your desired crypto that works best for you and your portfolio.

Find an Investment Platform

There are numerous ways to invest in cryptocurrencies. In addition to a regular exchange, many investors are seeking out the potential tax advantages associated with crypto investing in an IRA or even a 401(k). While there are various custodians available, not all of them are structured for users to open IRA accounts to buy or sell crypto. So, if crypto is something you’d be interested in exploring, be sure to look for a custodian that offers this option when preparing to invest your IRA in cryptocurrencies.

For example, Bitcoin IRA offers investors options to open a new retirement account or transfer funds from an existing retirement account, like an IRA, to invest in cryptocurrencies. In addition, our platform can be conveniently accessed via a mobile app as well as through a web experience. In fact, our platform allows you to buy, sell or swap crypto directly in your IRA anytime, wherever it suits you, 24/7. Plus, Bitcoin IRA offers users access to over 60 different types of cryptocurrencies.

Growing Your Nest Egg with Cryptocurrencies

To grow your nest egg by investing your IRA in cryptocurrencies, first, choose and research a credible and secure platform with features that best serve you. Then, educate yourself about the different types of cryptocurrencies available to you and determine which fit best into your risk assessment mix. Next, it’s time to begin investing and once you do, it’s suggested that you assess the performance of your investments as you would any other account.

Bitcoin IRA is an industry-leading Crypto IRA Platform that allows you to invest in tax-sheltered IRA* accounts in assets like cryptocurrencies; check them out today.

*Some taxes may apply. We recommend you consult your tax, legal, and investment advisor.

Questions on getting started with cryptocurrency investing in your Bitcoin IRA account? Our specialists are here to help! Call us at 877-947-4125 or email us today.

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Bitcoin IRA | Crypto: To Invest or Not to Invest

Crypto: To Invest or Not to Invest | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on March 11, 2022 | by [email protected]

Cryptocurrency investing has become a hot topic over the last five years, and because of how its popularity has risen, long-term investors could worry that cryptocurrency investing may seem like the wild west of finance. One thing we can say is that it’s starting to appear that crypto is here to stay.

What Makes Cryptocurrencies a Good Investment?

First and foremost, cryptocurrencies are starting to gain recognition and acceptance from more people, businesses, and institutions. In addition, central banks (worldwide) are also working on digital coins of their own. So, the digitization of everything money-related is on the horizon.

Consider this: investing in cryptocurrencies is a great way to diversify your currentfiat-based portfolio—especially your retirement portfolio—as you become an early adopter ofcrypto trading, relative to the rest of the world.

The recent attention drawn to cryptocurrencies has piqued the interest of regulators, and there are legal off-the-blockchain products available in which to invest. For example, there are CME hosts bitcoin futures products, and there are also many cryptocurrency ETFs for investment as well. In addition to these investment platforms, people are also looking into their retirement accounts, including their IRA and 401(k) accounts, for cryptocurrency investing due to potential associated tax advantages.

Pros of cryptocurrency investing:

It can help you diversify your retirement portfolio
Crypto is becoming more widely accepted
Potential for high scale with long-term investments

Are Cryptocurrencies Risky?

The most widely talked about risk associated with well-known cryptocurrency names is its volatility. While the broader market is experiencing a good amount of unpredictability at the moment, cryptocurrencies tend to have wider price swings (on a daily basis) than some of the more popular stocks and ETFs.

Additional concerns of cryptocurrency investing tend to vary upon each individual investor. It’s important to note that not every coin will yield 1000% returns, as many are coming to realize. Like the threat of any stock, cryptocurrencies may experience hype before becoming vaporized when a significant player sells at the top, regardless of the project’s validity behind the coin.

So, simply opening a wallet and buying coins at random may not be a viable strategy. That said, smart investors wouldn’t necessarily do that with stocks, real estate or other types of investments either.

Risks of investing in cryptocurrencies:

Cryptocurrencies, on average, tend to be driven by speculation
Going into cryptocurrency investing with outlandish expectations may not always result in outlandish gains
Many invest in projects without doing their due diligence nor the proper research

Is Cryptocurrency a Good Investment?

Yes, it can be if the right strategy and due diligence are employed. It’s highly recommended for cryptocurrency investors to take the time and make the effort to educate themselves and do their research. This way, they can be better equipped to make thoroughly thought-out investment decisions to diversify their portfolio. Doing this gives them the potential to fare well with cryptocurrency investing.

As always, the use of risk parameters that are appropriate for your portfolio while taking advantage of these technologically innovative high-growth assets is highly recommended. BitcoinIRA offers a range of self-directed IRA options along with easy solutions for converting your fiat into crypto, all with just a few clicks via their mobile app or on their website.

Questions on getting started with cryptocurrency investing in your Bitcoin IRA account? Our specialists are here to help! Call us at 877-947-4125 or email us today.

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Bitcoin IRA | Using Crypto to Diversify for Retirement

Crypto Investing Myths Debunked | Bitcoin IRA

Posted on March 2, 2022 | by [email protected]

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cryptocurrency, Investing Myths Debunked

What started as an underground asset class for the computer savvy has turned into a household name. Interest in cryptocurrencies has exploded, and with it, some myths and misconceptions about the space.

If you have ventured beyond Yahoo News or the Wall Street Journal to learn how to invest in cryptocurrency, information within the universe can appear off-the-wall and disingenuous—making it look like a poor investment choice. But, with gains in the 1000% percentile, it’s hard to ignore completely. So here are some of the top cryptocurrency myths debunked.

Cryptocurrencies are a Scam – FALSE

Financial fraud dates back to the creation of money. Here is a fun fact, in 193 A.D., the Praetorian Guard auctioned off the Roman Empire (which they didn’t own), to Julianus for 250 gold pieces for each member of the army (equivalent to approximately more than $1 billion today). Julianus was never recognized as emperor and the new sitting emperor executed the guards.

First of all, crypto (when invested using a credible platform) is generally not a scam—despite the many naysayers across various social media channels. While cryptocurrency investing doesn’t have the heavy regulations of other investment types, it is believed that federal regulations for crypto are in the works. Like any other investment, it is always recommended for investors to do their due diligence and research to protect themselves from bad players and other dishonest entities.

Obtaining meaningful research from the cryptocurrency universe can be challenging at first, but it is not impossible. It’s recommended to keep things simple by starting with credible sources, such as relevant online publications from notable names within the segment, including Bitcoin Magazine, Crypto Briefing, and Blockchain Magazine. Another way to prevent a bad or fraudulent situation is to invest through a trusted platform, such as BitcoinIRA, which offers over 60 types of cryptos via both a web experience and convenient mobile app.

Too Much Anonymity – Mostly FALSE

Over the years, cryptocurrencies have been touted as a way for people to launder money because of their anonymity. However, this is false for most cryptocurrencies, including $BTC and $ETH. Simply put, cryptocurrencies are built on a linked public ledger. For example, the information in block B contains some information from block A, and information from block B is inserted into block C as it is formed—creating the digital blockchain.

If any information in any block is disturbed, the chain is no longer in agreement with the information present, and the chain becomes invalid. Of course, there is much more to this, but the linked ledger makes it impossible to alter the sequence of transaction information to hide one’s activities. The means that authorities can more easily track and identify fraud through blockchain.

Meanwhile, IT programmers are working on stealth addresses and new ledger protocols to achieve better anonymity for many reasons. Some credible reasons include trade secrets and personal information protection. So, it is possible to achieve some level of anonymity with cryptocurrencies, but most available coins do not operate this way.

Cryptocurrency Investing and Trading is Easy – FALSE

Cryptocurrency investing is like any other market; people buy when they think prices will increase. When any asset class is in a bull market, buying low and selling high is no longer an art. The problem with bull markets is that they come to an end.

For example, the stock and housing markets have been in a long-term uptrend since the Great Financial crisis bottom in 2009. Since then, people have generally taken the BTD (buy the dip) approach and been successful. But when the winds change, this strategy will no longer work for any market.

Since the US Federal Reserve announced in late 2021 that they would bepulling back financial accommodations interest-rate sensitive products have moved in sympathy to the news—with the technology sector being hit the hardest.

While the Fed has very little to do with cryptocurrencies, the idea is the same. For instance$ETH prices are showing an optimistic pattern now that large corporations are interested in selling NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and their metaverse applications.

So, cryptocurrency prices are also susceptible to political news and moves in international equity markets. Suppose you are the type to invest in new ICOs. In that case, it’s recommended to gain a better understanding of the protocol used, what significant news events could potentially affect pricing, the underlying project, how well it is being marketed, and which problems it may solve for probable future success.

Understanding Crypto

Overall, like many asset classes, cryptocurrency investing has its strengths and weaknesses, which is why it’s wise to do your due diligence and research before making any investment decisions. That way, regardless of what is being said on various public forums, your viable investment opportunities may not be swayed by opinions of sources that may lack credibility or expertise. Additionally, it’s generally a good idea to understand the mechanics behind how your money is being put to work. So, take the time to learn how to invest in cryptocurrencies and invest through trusted platforms, like Bitcoin IRA.

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Bitcoin IRA™ Now Offers Advanced Biometric Security For Its 24/7 Self-Trading IRA Platform

Posted on September 5, 2019 | by [email protected]

The new technology enhances client identity verification before performing self-trades on its platform.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Bitcoin IRA, the world’s first, largest and most secure digital asset IRA technology company that allows clients to purchase cryptocurrencies for their retirement accounts, today announced Advanced Biometric Security (ABS) is now available on its 24/7 self-trading retirement platform.

The ABS biometric security process uses machine learning, face-based biometrics and verification to confirm the identity of the person performing self-trades on the Bitcoin IRA platform. The ABS feature goes beyond traditional authentication methods to deliver a significantly higher level of assurance and establish a trusted digital identity.

Advanced Biometric Security feature is available today to all individuals completing an application online and it will be expanded to self-trading later in September.

This new feature follows the company’s announcement in June of its partnership with BitGo Trust Company. As part of the announcement, Bitcoin IRA, with custody provided by BitGo Trust Company, now provides its clients 30% lower custody fees. BitGo Trust Company carries $100 million custody insurance, military-grade security with SOC 2 Type 2 certification and bank-grade Class III vaults.

Chris Kline, COO of Bitcoin IRA said:

“Security is of paramount importance to self-directed cryptocurrency investors. In addition to our world-class custody security offering with BitGo Trust our new feature elevates the standard in the industry by going beyond traditional security methods.”

Individuals looking to add cryptocurrencies to their retirement accounts can visit bitcoinira.com. Existing clients can add Advanced Biometric Security by visiting app.bitcoinira.com/verification.

ABOUT BITCOIN IRA
Bitcoin IRA, available at bitcoinira.com, is the world’s first, largest and most secure digital asset IRA technology company that allows clients to purchase and sell cryptocurrencies and other digital assets for their retirement accounts.

The company provides the technology for self-directed retirement accounts which allows clients to set up a qualified digital asset IRA account, transfer funds from an existing IRA custodian, execute cryptocurrency trades in real-time 24/7 through a leading OTC liquidity partner and then move the funds into an industry-leading multi-signature digital wallet from BitGo, Inc.

Since 2016, Bitcoin IRA has processed over $350 million in investments, gained over 4,000 clients and received more than 450 5-star client reviews. The company has been featured extensively in the media, with coverage in Forbes magazine, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications.

Bitcoin IRA is a financial services technology provider and as such is not a financial adviser, cryptocurrency exchange, custodian, wallet provider, initial coin offering (ICO), or money transmitter. Bitcoin IRA is privately funded and based in Los Angeles.

Learn more about Bitcoin IRA at bitcoinira.com or call 877-936-7175.

IRA and 401(k) Contribution Limits Are Increasing in 2019 – Here’s How to Take Maximum Advantage

Posted on March 25, 2019 | by [email protected]

In great news for those saving for retirement and looking to grow their investments, Americans will be able to contribute more to both their IRA and 401(k) in 2019.

The Internal Revenue Service announced that the 401(k) limit was up $500 from $18,500 in 2018 to $19,000 in 2019.

This increase applies to the 401(k) plans as well as 403(b) plans, most 457 plans and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan.

If you’re over 50, that’s even better news, as the the catch-up contribution limit for employees 50 and older is $6,000, which is the same as last year, but it does mean that this year those employees can put as much as $25,000 ($19,000+$6,000) in their 401(k) plan this year.

When it comes to IRAs, the Internal Revenue Service is lifting that contribution limit as well. Individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, see their ﬁrst bump in six years, to $6,000 up from $5,500 in 2018. Again, investors older than 50 can save as much as $7,000 in an IRA by utilizing the catch-up contribution limit, which, this year, remains at $1,000.

IRAs and Compound Interest

Obviously, via the magic of compound interest, younger workers are poised to beneﬁt even more if they max out their contributions.

The impact of the new IRA contribution limit is even bigger for someone who is younger. For someone at the age of 35 with $100,000 in their IRA so far, the extra decade of $6,000 annual contributions until age 65 results in a portfolio worth more than $2,700,000. Under the old contribution limit, the same investor would have been missing out on an extra $82,000 in their account.

Most Americans Miss Out on Retirement Benefits of 401(k)s

While the raised limits are great news, many Americans are expected to skip taking advantage of it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that only about 54 million American workers put any money at all into a 401(k) plan in 2015. Compared to the 150 workers on ﬁle that year, those numbers aren’t great.

Financial ﬁrm Vanguard said that only ten percent of participants dropped the max into their 401(k) contributions in 2016, which itself was a drop from 12% in 2013.

Bitcoin IRA Allows Account Holders to Transfer or Open Retirement Accounts

While not all Americans have an employer-sponsored retirement account, the ones that do often don’t contribute to it, either because they don’t know that they should – or because they can’t aﬀord to do so.

Whatever your particular situation is, you can learn about the beneﬁts of directing your retirement funds into Bitcoin IRA, as well as applying to start a new account, or transferring your existing account.

Five High Profile Crypto Adoptions in 2019

Posted on March 18, 2019 | by [email protected]

While most of the cryptoverse in 2018 has been dominated by the bear market, some industry experts are optimistic looking ahead to 2019.

And there’s plenty of reason to be. There are a number of high proﬁle crypto adoptions in various stages, from planning to in progress to done deals. Each one of these moves digital currency a bit closer to wider, mainstream adoption.

Here’s a look at ﬁve ways cryptocurrency is ﬁnding its place in 2019 and beyond.

Binance Announces Users Can Pay For Crypto with Credit and Debit Cards

The largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binance, recently announced a move that makes it easier for anyone to buy cryptocurrencies.

In late January, the exchange announced Thursday that it partnered with Simplex, a payments processing ﬁrm, to allow Visa and Mastercard holders to purchase bitcoin, ether, litecoin, and XRP. Those currencies can, in turn, be traded for more than 151 other tokens on the exchange.

“Building ﬁat gateways is what we need now to grow the ecosystem, increase adoption and introduce crypto to more users,” Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said in a statement. “The crypto industry is still in its early stages and most of the world’s money is still in ﬁat.”

The adoption isn’t comprehensive just yet, however. Six U.S. states are not yet supported, among them New York, Georgia, New Mexico, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Washington.

Overstock Goes All In on Blockchain

It’s safe to say that Partick Byrne, founder of Overstock, is bullish on cryptocurrency.

Byrne, Both Overstock and Byrne, have deep ties to crypto and blockchain technology. In 2014, the retailer was among the ﬁrst to accept Bitcoin. Ever since, the CEO and founder has been vocal about the potential of crypto and blockchain.

Even more recently, Bryne has stated that he believes that decentralised, stateless cash will be part of the larger future of humanity.

Referencing Overstock’s eﬀorts to integrate the underpinning tech into its platform, Bryne stated “We think we’ve got cold fusion on the blockchain side.”

If that’s not a ringing endorsement, we don’t know what is.

Fortnite Begins to Accept Crypto

There are few things more popular than the online, “battle royale” style game Fortnite. There are more than 125 million users worldwide. The vast majority of them are under 18, and it’s been said – only half jokingly – that the user base knows more about crypto currency than most adults.

In the ﬁrst week of of 2019, that was evident when the game brieﬂy accepted the cryptocurrency Monero. According to Holiday 2018 consumer reports, youngsters were keen on using a cryptocurrency as a payment option – instead of cash – on Fortnite merchandise store.

The game relies on micro transactions for revenue, and putting that Monero logo in front of all those young eyes in the Fortune online store surely made an impression. Fortnite’s CEO removed the option after a few days, claiming that it had been added by mistake.

Still, the cat was out of the bag. “That’s some pretty awesome adoption,” a user said in the Monero sub-Reddit. “It’s a fantastic exposure of millions of people who might ask “What’s that groovy M? And why is it better than regular payment?”

Bitcoin Accepting Venues Explode in Number

The infrastructure necessary to accept Bitcoin isn’t going anywhere, and in fact is only getting stronger.

According to coinmap.org, the number of venues that accept Bitcoin and other currencies increased by 25%, to 14,137 in 2018. Alongside that, Bitcoin ATM installations absolutely bursted through the stratosphere, increasing by 98%, to grand total of 4,108 in 2018, according to coinatmradar.com.

A good number of those several thousand locations that accept crypto include increasingly big names like sandwich giant Subway, as well as an airline that can, quite literally, take crypto to the moon, Virgin Galactic.

Facebook Develops New Coin for WhatsApp Transactions

In addition, the Ethereum Constantinople hard fork will also occur on February 27. Hard forks can be controversial depending on their circumstances. All one needs to do is look at the recent bitcoin cash fork that occurred in November 2018 to understand, and volatility can often increase following the establishment of a new chain, thereby leaving room for ether prices to move up in early or mid-March.

The biggest item worth noting is that February 27 is when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to finally make its decision regarding a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) submitted by the joint venture VanEck SolidX. These companies have been working to get a bitcoin ETF approved since March 2017, though most early attempts have proved fruitless.

A Long Journey Concluded?

Facebook acquired messaging app WhatsApp in a high proﬁle trade. The social media company paid $19 billion dollars in exchange for the app and it’s whopping 1.5 billion users. It’s inside that ecosystem that Facebook plans to develop a coin for money transfers using the app.

Initial details are scarce, but the word is that the currency will be in the class of stablecoins, and focus on targeting the remittance market in India, considered a sphere of inﬂuence for Ripple and their XRP coin, who boasted of holding a near ﬁfty percent market share earlier in the year.

In contrast to the investment-focused assets like Bitcoin and others, stablecoins provide a more consumer-friendly landscape for digital transactions. And it’s no doubt that with Facebook going all in on its own cryptocurrency, it’s a simple matter of time until other internet behemoths follow suit. Tweetcoins, anyone?

Hopefully, with more widespread adoption in 2019 and more investors in the mix overall, the bear goes back into hibernation.

Why Now May Be the Best Time to Invest in Crypto

Posted on March 11, 2019 | by [email protected]

Everywhere we look, crypto prices are falling. In an industry that once seemed unstoppable and hellbent on rapid growth, things have taken a quick – and nasty – turn…

Time to Pull Those Wallets Out

Which is probably why now is the perfect time to buy. It may seem like cryptocurrency has run its course and that its future is in permanent disarray, but there’s always another side to the coin, and those who invest now might experience some serious comfort down the line.

First things first: prices are the lowest they’ve been in nearly two years. Any stockbroker or investment expert will say that it’s important to buy when prices are low. Heavy drops in crypto prices mean assets are now more available.

Second, while prices may have fallen considerably over the last 14 months, developments in the crypto space continue to rapidly occur. Blockchain-based applications and related products continue to make their way into the financial market and beyond, suggesting demand amongst consumers hasn’t diminished. As more and more products enter the market, the bigger the industry could become.

Big Things Happening in Crypto

Eventually, institutional players and similar figures are likely to see that the blockchain and cryptocurrency space isn’t going anywhere. Thus, they’ll feel inclined to get involved, which will give this industry the legitimacy it needs. This legitimacy can only lead to growth, which could pave our way to a market once again dominated by bulls. Granted you bought in when prices were low, you could see your investments spike and your portfolio take on a more appealing status.

Among some of the major developments we’re witnessing in the crypto space is the introduction of Bakkt, a program established by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Starbucks and Microsoft. Bakkt is a platform designed to ease the process of accepting cryptocurrencies as payment for goods and services by retailers.

Are Trust and Demand Growing?

In addition, organizations like Fidelity Investments are establishing their own cryptocurrency custody divisions. Fidelity’s will be known as Fidelity Digital Asset Services, and it is allegedly set for release in March 2019. At 72 years old, Fidelity has primarily kept its hand out of the crypto space until now, offering customers largely traditional trading options such as stocks and bonds. This new branch will provide the firm’s clients with alternative ways of investing in cryptocurrency, suggesting a strong (and growing) interest in digital money amongst everyday traders.

An important factor to remember is Fidelity’s age. The idea that a long-established investment firm of Fidelity’s reputation and prowess could enter crypto is not just a sign of huge demand; it’s likely to start a trend. Fidelity’s involvement in crypto could lead other firms to potentially follow suit to satisfy their customers. As more and more companies take this route, cryptocurrencies will grow stronger, and with that strength may come higher prices.

Prime Events in Early 2019

This February is also set to be a huge month for crypto and could potentially lead to hardcore results for current investors. Per the “January 2019 Crypto Volatility Report” released by institutional broker-dealer SFOX, February 2019 is set to bring several new developments to the arena that could cause prices to explode.

Among those factors are the expirations of futures contracts. CBOE bitcoin futures will expire on February 13, while CME bitcoin futures will have their final trade date on February 22. From there, the process will begin again, but volatility tends to increase when these contracts expire, which means current prices have as much chance of jumping in the coming weeks as they do of falling further.

Another Fork in the Books

A Long Journey Concluded?

It wasn’t until summer of last year that the SEC began seeking both public and professional opinion regarding the benefits of a bitcoin ETF. The organization later announced it would make an official decision in August, though the process has been consistently delayed.

Granted the SEC does approve the ETF on schedule, legitimacy for the currency and its industry will be further solidified, and prices are more than likely to explode throughout the crypto space.

The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index also suggests that starting this month, cryptocurrencies could be headed for a major price rally based on the recent closing values of major assets like bitcoin and ether. With all this in mind, now may be the best time to put a little money into crypto and watch it expand into something fantastic.