Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency, which can be traded for other currencies or used as a form of payment. It is not regulated or guaranteed, and its value can fluctuate rapidly. Because of this, it should be considered a higher-risk, high-reward investment compared to stocks or bonds.
Investing in cryptocurrency is safe so long as you follow best practices for protecting your wallets and investments. It is also important to remember that crypto markets are volatile and that you should always buy for the long term.
There are a number of scams that can ruin your crypto investment, and even make you lose your money completely. Those scams typically involve impersonating businesses, governments or job seekers who will text, email, or call you to ask you to send them crypto as payment or as a means of getting hired.
Scammers promise big payouts with no risk or promises to pay you back within a short time. They often use testimonials from satisfied investors or celebrity endorsements to convince you to join a program.
These are all frauds, and if you click on a link in a message, answer a call or open a pop-up, you’ll be taken to a fake website that will collect your information. These scams can be especially common on mobile devices where a bad actor may have your phone number and can reset the logins for your crypto accounts using 2-factor authentication.
Security breaches: Hackers can steal your private keys, which are password phrases that encrypt your coins, and then sell them for cash or other currency. The key to crypto safety is to keep your coins in a secure wallet that you control and never share your private keys with anyone else.
SIM swaps: Criminals can steal your personal data and change your phone number, which gives them access to your crypto wallets. This is a major security concern because thieves can reset your crypto wallets and withdraw all your coins.
Stealing: In addition to hacks, cybercriminals can also steal your coins via a pump-and-dump scam, where they hype a coin and sell it quickly at a price higher than it’s worth. These scams can wipe out all your holdings and are not covered by most exchange insurance policies.
Government regulations: There are many different countries that have varying laws on the legality of crypto, and they can vary widely. This can make it difficult to know how to protect your funds from potential government regulation.
Limited history: As with other types of investments, it’s hard to predict how a new cryptocurrency will perform in a major event such as a war or a crash like we saw in 2008. You can mitigate the risk of this by keeping your crypto investments as a small percentage of your total net worth (most experts recommend 1-5%).
The best way to protect your crypto is to choose a trustworthy wallet and store it offline. This can mean using a hardware wallet, such as a Ledger device, that stores your coins in a safe or a safety deposit box. This can be a good option for high-net-worth investors who are willing to put extra effort into the security of their assets.