Bitcoin’s Influence on Investments

More investment options are now available for crypto, and advocacy on sound financial literacy and risk management is essential.

Introduction

On January 10, 2024, the world witnessed a milestone of one of the most exciting fintech innovations of our time – the approval of the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs. This approval symbolizes the maturation of blockchain technology and a strong demand from global investors. In just a few days, the Bitcoin ETFs broke a record of ETF inflow, surpassing the Silver ETF in the U.S. as the top 2 in terms of volume.

The Need for Further Growth

There is no doubt that global investors now have a much easier and more compliant way to access crypto. This is certainly good for the crypto industry, but further growth is needed to convince broader retail investors in the traditional finance space. Retail investors’ trading volume is less than half of that of institutional investors, according to Coinbase. In other words, the current trading volume by retail has decreased from 80 percent to around 40 percent since 2018. This is potentially concerning if the crypto industry aims to influence the culture and perspective of the legacy financial system.

Investor Perspective: Louis’ Experience

In a recent conversation with a fellow investor, Louis, a former tech consultant at a leading boutique consulting firm in Europe, he expressed his continuing interest in crypto investing. “I’m attracted to the advantages of decentralization and its implications for various applications and industries such as payment and a form of global currency, in the case of Bitcoin, that is not influenced by the government’s decision,” he said.

“But the lack of regulatory clarity, accounting standards, or valuation models makes it hard to choose the best crypto among thousands of options,” he continued. Much of the crypto industry has grappled with scandals over the past few years, with big names falling out. This drama has dampened investor confidence in this asset class and turned many to AI, which has seen a stellar rise in the past year.

The Role of Bitcoin ETFs

Similar to ETFs in traditional finance, Bitcoin ETFs offer retail investors a secure and hassle-free investment experience. Unlike buying directly from crypto exchanges, which can be confusing as one has to worry about the security and compliance of their service provider, Bitcoin ETFs provide a regulated investment option. For example, FTX, a popular crypto exchange, has faced issues with lost funds, leaving investors concerned. Bitcoin ETFs, on the other hand, provide assurance that the investment is conducted by licensed service providers and offer confidence in redemption or funds withdrawals.

The Importance of Investor Education

To make informed decisions, both the private and public sectors need to do more to offer quality investor education on the risks of crypto investing. The Chair of the SEC Gary Gensler warned of the risks of crypto investment before approving all 11 spot ETFs. “Investments in crypto assets also can be exceptionally risky & are often volatile. A number of major platforms and crypto assets have become insolvent and/or lost value. Investments in crypto assets continue to be subject to significant risk,” he said.

Crypto companies, especially big exchanges, can play a crucial role in offering helpful toolkits for investors with different levels of experience. While blockchain technology offers abundant data and transparency in terms of on-chain activities, the lack of standardized valuation models or analytic tools for day-to-day investors can be frustrating when making significant investments. By providing these resources, crypto companies can empower investors to make confident decisions and filter for the best options.

Conclusion

The approval of Bitcoin ETFs represents a fresh start for crypto investing, offering compliance, security, and most importantly, confidence. As more crypto ETFs emerge, there will be a stronger focus on investor education and protection. We are only at the beginning of mass adoption, and with the right measures in place, the crypto industry has the potential to reshape the investment landscape.

Yiwei Wang is an avid blockchain enthusiast with a focus on the intersection of crypto, economics, and public policy. He was previously the Global PR Lead at Babel Finance and he began his career at Ogilvy in Beijing. He is currently the Head of Global PR at Metalpha.

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