Cryptocurrencies have experienced tremendous volatility since their inception, but this volatility can lead to profit opportunities if you want to trade these digital assets. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have risen sharply since their debut, but have fallen significantly from their highs along with other popular digital currencies. Experienced traders have been speculating in cryptocurrencies for years, but how do you get started if you’re new to the cryptocurrency market?

Here you will find out how to start investing in cryptocurrencies and what important risks you should be aware of.

5 Steps to Invest in Cryptocurrencies
First things first: If you want to invest in cryptocurrencies, all of your finances must be in order.That means an emergency fund, manageable debt and, ideally, a diversified investment portfolio. Your cryptocurrency investments can become another part of your portfolio, hopefully helping to increase your overall returns.

Keep these five other things in mind when you start investing in cryptocurrencies.

1. Understand what you are investing in
   As with any investment, understand exactly what you are investing in.When buying stocks, it is important to read the annual report and other documents filed with the SEC to analyze the companies in depth. Plan to do the same with every cryptocurrency as there are literally thousands of them, they all work differently and new ones are created every day. You must understand the investment case for each trade. In the case of many cryptocurrencies, they are not backed by anything at all, neither hard assets nor the cash flow of an underlying company. This is the case with Bitcoin, for example, where investors rely solely on someone paying more for the asset than they paid for it.In other words, unlike stocks, where a company can increase its profits and thus generate returns for you, many crypto assets rely on the market becoming more optimistic and bullish in order for you to make profits. The most popular coins include Ethereum, Dogecoin, Cardano and XRP. Therefore, before investing, find out about the possible advantages and disadvantages. If your financial investment is not backed by an asset or cash flow, it could end up being worthless. 2.Remember, the past is the past
   A mistake many new investors make is looking into the past and extrapolating it to the future. Yes, Bitcoin used to be worth pennies, but now it’s worth a lot more. The key question, however, is: “Will this growth continue in the future, even if it is not as rapid?” Investors look to the future, not to what an asset has done in the past. What will determine future returns?Traders who buy cryptocurrency today need tomorrow’s profits, not yesterday’s.
2. Beware of Volatility
   Cryptocurrency prices are as volatile as any other asset can be. You could quickly fall within seconds due to a rumor that turns out to be unfounded. This can be beneficial for experienced investors who can execute trades quickly or who have a solid understanding of market fundamentals, where the market is trending and where it might be heading. For new investors without these skills – or the powerful algorithms that drive these trades – it’s a minefield.Volatility is a game for Wall Street’s powerful traders, each trying to outperform other wealthy investors. A new investor can easily become overwhelmed by volatility. This is because the volatility shocks traders, especially beginners who get scared. In the meantime, other retailers can step in and buy cheaply. In short, volatility can help experienced traders “buy low and sell high,” while novice investors “buy high and sell low.””
3. Manage your risk
   When trading short-term assets, you need to manage your risk, and this can be especially the case with volatile assets such as cryptocurrencies. Therefore, as a new trader, you need to understand how best to manage risk and develop a process that helps minimize losses. And this process can vary from person to person: Risk management for a long-term investor might simply be to never sell, regardless of price. The long-term mindset allows the investor to maintain the position.However, risk management for a short-term trader might involve setting strict rules for when to sell, for example when an investment is down 10 percent. The trader then strictly adheres to the rule so that a relatively small decline does not later turn into a devastating loss.
   Newer traders should consider setting aside a certain amount of money for trading, at least initially, and then using only a portion of it. If a position goes against you, you will still have cash reserves to trade later. The bottom line is that you can’t trade if you don’t have money.So if you keep some money in reserve, you will always have funds to finance your business operations. Managing risk is important, but doing so will have an emotional cost. Selling a losing position hurts, but it can help you avoid even worse losses in the future.

Crypto futures: Futures are another way to wager on the price swings in Bitcoin, and futures allow you to use the power of leverage to generate massive returns (or losses). Futures are a fast-moving market and exacerbate the already volatile moves in crypto.
Crypto funds: A few crypto funds (such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust) also exist that allow you to wager on the price swings in Bitcoin, Ethereum as well as a few other altcoins. So they can be an easy way to buy crypto through a fund-like product.
Crypto exchange or broker stocks: Buying stock in a company that’s poised to profit on the rise of cryptocurrency regardless of the winner could be an interesting option, too. And that’s the potential in an exchange such as Coinbase or a broker such as Robinhood, which derives a huge chunk of its revenues from crypto trading.
Blockchain ETFs: A blockchain ETF allows you to invest in the companies that may profit from the emergence of blockchain technology. The top blockchain ETFs give you exposure to some of the key publicly traded companies in the space. But it’s important to note that these companies often do much more than crypto-related business, meaning your exposure to cryptocurrency is diluted, reducing your potential upside and downside.
Each of these methods varies in its riskiness and exposure to cryptocurrency, so you’ll want to understand exactly what you’re buying and whether it fits your needs.

5. Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.Finally, it is important not to invest the money you need in speculative assets. If you can’t afford to lose it all, you also can’t afford to invest it in risky assets like cryptocurrencies or other speculative assets. Whether it’s a down payment on a house or an upcoming major purchase, the money you’ll need in the coming years should be kept in safe accounts so it’s available when you need it. And if you are looking for a completely safe return, paying off the debt is the best option.You are guaranteed to receive (or save) the interest rate you pay on the debt. You can’t lose there. Finally, you should not ignore the security of the exchanges or brokers you use. You can own the assets legally, but someone still has to protect them and your security must be tight. If they believe that their cryptocurrency is not adequately protected, some traders choose to invest in a crypto wallet to keep their coins offline so that they are inaccessible to hackers or others.Other Ways to Invest in Cryptocurrencies
   While investing in cryptocurrencies directly may be the most popular way, traders have other ways to get into the cryptocurrency game, some more direct than others.