Cryptocurrency markets are changing drastically every single day. There are multiple reasons for its fluctuation, including the fact that there are over 1,000 kinds of crypto coins currently in existence. A field with that much variety yields a ton of activity. But, exactly how many cryptocurrencies are there?

An article published in March 2018 reported about 1,658 cryptocurrencies currently on the market. Earlier this year, there were 1,600 coin options, and just a few years ago there was only one cryptocurrency. Keep in mind, crypto specialists are developing new cryptocurrencies every day, allowing the total number to grow exponentially. Because cryptocurrencies can be created through an open source method, it’s surprisingly easy for anyone with a moderate knowledge of coding to create their own.

Moreover, CoinTelegraph reports that major cryptocurrency trading platforms add approximately 100,000 users a day. Top exchanges like Coinbase, Bitstamp, and Kraken have had trouble dealing with the surges in demand on their systems, and have adjusted processes accordingly.

It’s still a prime time to invest in cryptocurrency; however, waiting to get into the crypto market will leave you even farther behind in the game than you currently are.

Bitcoin is still touting the title of the best crypto coin out there. Not only is it the biggest cryptocurrency with a 40 percent share in the total market, but it’s the oldest and therefore the most dominant coin on the market. As long as Bitcoin continues to increase, like it did in 2017, it’s a relatively safe beginning investment.

Ethereum is the second most popular crypto coin on the market. At the start of 2018, Ethereum reached a price of $1,423 with a total market cap of $138 billion. Ethereum seems similar to its predecessor, Bitcoin; however, Ethereum is not just a digital currency. Instead, it’s a blockchain project that allows developers to create their own cryptocurrencies using the Ethereum platform.

Ripple, also known as XRP, grew 36,000 percent in 2017. While it would’ve been nice to have invested in Ripple in early 2017, it’s still a top-performing cryptocurrency and a great option for beginning investors. Ripple is much less expensive than Bitcoin and Ethereum, but still holds the third spot in terms of market cap because of its payment system.

Regardless of which route you intend to go, it’s always smart to have a clear understanding of your investment goals and a plan for how you want to achieve them. Whether you’re interested in a long-term investment strategy or a short-term cryptocurrency investment, a well-planned strategy will keep you moving toward your ultimate objective.

Coinigy is one of the most popular and trusted platforms for trading cryptocurrency. It allows users who have an account to trade on more than 45 of the most popular exchanges. The site can monitor your accounts 24/7, so you don’t have to spend your free time monitoring cryptocurrency markets.

Trading Technologies Crypto (TT) is one of the most popular tools for trading cryptocurrency. TT is a particularly powerful program with tons of insights, so it’s often used by professional investors who want a deeper look into their currency and the markets. With TT, you can access Coinbase Prime and trade currencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.

Another of the most popular platforms for cryptocurrency trading is HaasOnline. This is an automated crypto trading platform that allows you to automate your trading on all of the major exchanges. By doing so, you can free up time and energy to devote to other things while still making investment moves. HaasOnline offers all users a customized dashboard, so you can make your own command center that shows you all of the information you want and need.

Gekko is an open source platform that people can use to trade Bitcoin. One of the best parts about Gekko is that it’s free, and it also supports two different bitcoin exchanges. You can use Gekko on all of the major operating systems available, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

Like we mentioned earlier, Bitcoin is somewhat of a “gold standard” in the industry. Subsequently, altcoins tend to follow the rise and fall of Bitcoin quite closely. So, by investing in Bitcoin and keeping an eye on it, you can gauge the temperature of the entire market.

Similar to any other stock, it’s key to diversify your cryptocurrency portfolio. Branching out into different cryptocurrencies will give your portfolio more balance and less risk. Plus, you never know when an altcoin will jump in value like Corgicoin did (36,000x in two years).

The crypto boom and the gold rush have some very dangerous parallels. If you’re looking to make a quick and easy buck, you’re in the wrong industry. Make some intentional goals and find an experienced crypto coach before you decide to dump your life savings into cryptocurrency.

It’s essential to understand what categories your coins fall under. Some coins are stronger than others and warrant medium to long-term holds, while weaker coins can be ideal for a quick turnaround. Be sure to organize your currencies accordingly.

When you’re in the beginning stages of cryptocurrency investing, it helps to understand the basics of buying and selling. Crypto exchanges are something that you should have a clear understanding of. Exchanges are where the trading of cryptocurrencies actually happens, and here are some more aspects that you should know about them:

There are many options for cryptocurrency exchanges, like Coinbase, LocalBitcoins, Binance, and CEX. As you’re looking for a crypto exchange to use, choose one that allows you to buy coins in addition to selling. You’ll be able to purchase crypto coins with a credit card or by linking your bank account.

After your card or bank account has been linked, you’ll be able to choose the type and amount of coins you want to purchase. You’ll then be able to purchase other cryptocurrencies using the ones you already have (for example, use your Bitcoin to buy Litecoin). If you want to get dollars back for your coins, you can sell them for money.

There are limits to how much you’re able to buy and sell within a certain time period, so there might be fees associated with trading. If you feel that it’s necessary to absorb the fees to make a timely trade, be certain that it’s a financially sound move.

Like anything, trading cryptocurrencies takes practice and dedication to succeed. Understanding the basics of an exchange is a great start to your journey in crypto. If you’re ready to take the next step in cryptocurrency investments, shoot us a message.

Regulation has been both a blessing and a curse in the world of cryptocurrency. While regulation has made crypto much safer for investors, the stipulations surrounding regulation can lead to fluctuations in the market. For example, if regulators in the E.U. or the USA get together to ban crypto exchanges while other companies stepped in to provide services within the crypto industry, it would have a large effect on cryptocurrencies across the board.

Take China, for example, which “banned” cryptos back in 2017. Despite moves taken by the country, crypto is essentially impossible to ban. The people and businesses interested in using it simply took their business elsewhere. While many people expected the market to collapse, it actually began to boom.

Before about 2014, there was a single crypto exchange that was responsible for more than 70 percent of all trading volume. It was called Mt. Gox and, at the beginning of 2014, it froze all trading, which resulted in an 80 percent crash through the entire crypto market.

While something like this could theoretically happen again today, the crypto market is so distributed now that virtually no exchange is responsible for more than 10 percent of all trading volume. This is as it should be. As long as trading stays this distributed, crypto crashes due to greedy exchanges will be much less likely.

Some exchanges allow people who trade on them to purchase cryptocurrency coins using credit cards. According to recent estimates, anywhere from 3-4 percent of purchases are made on credit cards and many of those can’t be paid back to buyers.

While this is one of the many factors that will inevitably drive the market higher, it’s unlikely that investors will leverage purchases within the market. Even if this did take place, it would be unreasonable to expect the action to have a strong impact on the market.

Tether is one cryptocurrency that acts as a “wildcard” within the whole system. Issued seemingly out of nowhere, the system behind Tether is very complex. Today, Tether is priced right around $1.6 billion and is connected to many other cryptocurrencies and exchanges. Because of this, any potential discovery that Tether’s valuation is inflated or exaggerated could cause a massive hit to the overall market.

Luckily, analysts place this risk as one with low probability and don’t see a realistic chance that it will have a major negative effect on the market anytime soon.

While the crypto market gets a great deal of flack for being unstable, it’s fairer than many people give it credit for. Although it’s true that the market flexes up and down, it generally holds gains and experiences fluctuations it ultimately recovers from. This is good news for investors. If you can handle a bit of uncertainty, there’s a great deal to be gained in the crypto market.