In today’s investment landscape, investing in cryptocurrencies is a no-brainer. Even some of the most conservative experts are starting to admit that it would be unwise to pass up the opportunities available today. But when investing some of your retirement funds in cryptocurrencies, which ones are right for your strategy?
While there may be a dizzying array of choices out there, the good news is you’ll only need to focus on a handful of them because not all are eligible for IRAs. In this article, we’re going to go over what we think are the best choices for investing your retirement funds into cryptocurrencies.
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
It should come as no surprise that our top recommendation is the original cryptocurrency—Bitcoin. Since 2008, Bitcoin has proven itself to be completely secure, reliable, and has demonstrated consistent steady upward price growth. It’s widely regarded as a hedge against inflation. It also doesn’t move in step with the stock market.
With its sky-high price per coin, some are thinking they can’t afford to invest in it. The good news is that Bitcoin can be purchased in very small fractional amounts, so your minimum investment can likely be smaller than you might have thought. Another concern is that it’s too late to invest in Bitcoin. This is something people have been saying since the price first started to increase. A few years ago a single Bitcoin was worth around $3000. Imagine then how people felt knowing that Bitcoin used to be a few pennies each. The same advice is true now as it was then—the best time to invest in Bitcoin was yesterday, the next best time is today.
2. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum is an exciting and powerful cryptocurrency platform with nearly endless potential. While Bitcoin is digital money, Ethereum is more like a globally distributed computing platform.
Ether, Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency, is designed to be programmable money that can be used in electronic smart contracts and online payments. It is the backbone to many thousands of other cryptocurrency tokens that rely on the Ethereum network. This reliance on the Ethereum network means that Ether will always be in demand.
Additionally, Ethereum is currently in the midst of upgrading its system to be one that doesn’t run on expensive and energy-intensive computational mining. Instead, it will be moving into a system called proof-of-stake, which allows Ether owners to earn regular rewards that function a lot like earning interest.
Ethereum has an enormous developer base that is creating countless exciting projects. That alone makes this coin a must-have for any long-term investor.
3. Litecoin (LTC)
Bitcoin is digital gold, and many are viewing it as a way of storing value over the long term and more. But when it comes to actually using the currency to buy things, many crypto owners are opting to use lighter, lower-cost, and faster coins. One of the longest-lasting leaders in this group is Litecoin.
Consistently ranked within the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap on sites like coincap.io, Litecoin is a reliable, secure, and respected cryptocurrency. In times when Bitcoin and Ethereum transaction fees get too expensive due to heightened demand, many individuals opt to exchange their Bitcoin for Litecoin. That’s because it is so much cheaper and faster to send, even during periods of high demand. It is a good entry point to cryptocurrency investing since it’s much more affordable for those working with smaller amounts.
4. Ethereum Classic (ETC)
Years ago, the original Ethereum split into two separate projects, Ethereum, and Ethereum Classic. Today the Ethereum Classic project is an exciting alternative to Ethereum and is focused on low-cost, high-speed transactions with all the same robust computing power and app development capability as its bigger brother. Developers that can write code for Ethereum can easily do so on Ethereum Classic. Its lower price point per unit and vastly lower transaction fees make it exciting for projects related to the Internet of Things, autonomous microtransactions, and more. The coin has also received a hefty investment from Grayscale, one of the biggest cryptocurrency investment firms on the market. Ethereum Classic is also available for placement into self-directed Cryptocurrency IRAs.
5. Dash (DASH)
In the wake of the Venezuelan financial crisis, Dash made a name for itself as a popular, fast, and affordable alternative to untrustworthy national currencies suffering from inflation or liquidity shortages. It became such a popular choice for day-to-day use that many shops and restaurants accept Dash through mobile apps as a form of payment. Today Dash offers some of the fastest transaction speeds, privacy features, and a hybrid proof-of-work and master node network.
6. Chainlink (LINK)
There is a strong chance that smart contracts will be leading the way in how business is done in the near future. But in order to function correctly, smart contracts need access to reliable and verifiable outside information. Getting access to outside information on networks like Ethereum is done through what’s called an oracle. The Ethereum-powered Chainlink is a decentralized network of oracles that can provide reliable information to smart contracts on any blockchain – even projects that don’t support smart contracts yet but might in the future like Bitcoin and Litecoin. Recently, Chainlink has regularly found itself in the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap, demonstrating the crypto community’s growing enthusiasm for this project and its digital asset, LINK.
Chainlink’s promise for the future makes it a great long-term investment. Younger projects such as Chainlink tend to focus on being more than just digital money, and usually offer unique features. Investing in these assets is not without risk, however.
Choosing the Best Cryptocurrencies for Your Retirement Account
If you’re having trouble deciding which cryptocurrencies you want to own in your IRA, it’s a good idea to stick with the basics. Make your first investment in Bitcoin and perhaps Ethereum. Contact a cryptocurrency specialist at Coin IRA to learn more about emerging cryptocurrencies and the benefits of starting a Cryptocurrency IRA.