How to Make Money With Crypto (And How to Lose it!)

How to make money with crypto? And how to lose it? How can I benefit from investing in crypto? That's the million-Bitcoin question!

Before investing in cryptocurrency, it is important to take some key steps.

First and foremost, it's crucial to learn about the different kinds of cryptocurrencies that are currently available as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Second, think about your personal protection precautions, like using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, as well as the protection measures of the cryptocurrency exchange or platform you intend to use.

Thirdly, because cryptocurrency prices can be unstable and subject to large fluctuations, you should take into account the general market conditions and trends.

In order to reduce your exposure to risk, it's crucial to begin with small investments and increase them gradually over time.*

NB Where you see the following symbol “*“, please note the standard risk warning at the bottom of the article.

Investing in Cryptocurrency

In recent years, cryptocurrency has grown in popularity as a form of investment. There are many ways to invest in cryptocurrencies, including buying and holding, lending, trading, staking, and earning interest.

To avoid significant losses, restrict your investment in crypto to no more than 10% of your net assets, which include savings, investments, real estate, and vehicles, minus any debt.

When contemplating high-return investments, make sure you can afford to lose all of your money. It's also important to assess whether certain investment possibilities are frauds, as they may appear too good to be true.

How can I buy or invest in cryptocurrency?

Selecting a cryptocurrency exchange or platform to buy from is the first step in investing in cryptocurrencies.

A variety of platforms are available, including CoinJar, Binance, and Kraken.

You must register for an account, verify your identity (complete an assessment and a 24 hour cooling off period), and link your bank account after selecting a platform.

After that, you can use your fiat money to purchase the cryptocurrency of your choice.*

How can I lend cryptocurrency?

To lend cryptocurrency, you will need to use a lending platform. You can lend your cryptocurrency to other users on the platform, and in return, you will receive interest. The interest rate varies depending on the platform and the cryptocurrency you are lending. An example is Aave, another is Compound. *

How can I trade cryptocurrency?

To trade cryptocurrency, you need to choose a cryptocurrency exchange that offers trading pairs for the cryptocurrency you want to trade. You can choose from a range of exchanges, including CoinJar.

Once you have chosen an exchange, you will need to create an account, verify your identity, pass an assessment to show your understanding of the risk, complete a 24 hour cooling off period and link your bank account.

After that, you can buy and sell cryptocurrency pairs on the exchange.*

How can I stake cryptocurrency?

Staking cryptocurrency involves holding your cryptocurrency in a wallet and helping to validate transactions on the blockchain network.

By staking your cryptocurrency, you can earn rewards in the form of additional cryptocurrency. *

How can I earn interest on cryptocurrency?

You can lend your cryptocurrency on lending platforms to receive interest on it. Aave is an example.

To earn rewards in the form of additional cryptocurrency, you can also stake your cryptocurrency on a staking platform.

Some cryptocurrency wallets give interest on your holdings as well.

To fully understand the risks involved, it's crucial to conduct extensive research on both the cryptocurrency and the platform you intend to use before making an investment.*

Other popular ways to make money with cryptocurrency

What is HODL?

This term is a misspelling of "hold," and it's a strategy where cryptocurrency investors buy and hold their assets instead of selling them. This strategy aims to maximise investment returns in the long term instead of short-term gains through selling during a price increase.*

What are crypto affiliate programs?

Affiliate programs for cryptocurrencies are commissions given by exchanges or other companies in the sector to people or organisations that bring them new clients.

Affiliates receive a commission for each new client they refer by using their special referral link. The promotion of reputable companies can be a great way for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to earn some extra income.

What are dividends?

Dividends are payments made to shareholders by a company as compensation for holding their stock in conventional finance.

Similar to this, some cryptocurrency projects reward token owners with dividends for their contributions to the project's expansion. The distribution of dividends may take the form of new tokens or other cryptocurrencies.*

What are airdrops?

An airdrop is when a company or project gives away free coins or tokens to users. This is often done as a way to promote the project or to reward early adopters.

Airdrops can happen for various reasons and may have different requirements for participation.

Some airdrops may require users to hold a certain amount of a specific cryptocurrency, while others may only require users to join a social media group or complete a task like retweeting a post or filling out a survey.

It's like getting free money, but in the form of cryptocurrency instead of traditional currency.*

What are NFTs?

NFT stands for "non-fungible token," which essentially means it's a unique digital asset that can't be replaced with something else.

These tokens are stored on a blockchain, which is a digital ledger that tracks ownership and transactions.

NFTs can take various forms, including art, music, videos, and even tweets.

When someone buys an NFT, they own a unique, one-of-a-kind version of that digital asset.

This can be valuable because it gives the owner something exclusive that nobody else has. It's like owning a rare, collectible item in the digital world.

You could create NFTs, and try to sell them. Creating a new NFT is called “minting” a new NFT.

Or you could buy NFTs and then try to sell them for a higher price (called ‘flipping’ NFTs). People who bought NFTs in the early days then sold them as some NFTs became more famous have made large profitable returns!

Some people have even made money using famous NFTs and making them into products like T-Shirts.

But of course some others bought expensive NFTs and their price has bombed, leaving them out of pocket.*

What is Play-to-Earn (P2E) gaming?

This is a type of video game where players can earn cryptocurrency by playing the game. Here are the top games.

In these games, players can earn rewards in the form of cryptocurrency for completing tasks or achieving certain milestones.

These rewards can then be traded or used in other parts of the game.

The idea behind Play-to-Earn gaming is to incentivise players to spend more time playing the game, which can help the game become more popular and valuable. Players can earn real money by playing games that they already enjoy, which is a win-win situation.*

What are giveaways and faucets?

These are two ways to earn cryptocurrency by completing tasks or participating in promotions.

Giveaways are exactly what they sound like. Companies or projects give away free coins or tokens to users. These giveaways may require users to complete certain tasks, like following the project on social media or joining a mailing list.

Faucets, on the other hand, are a way to earn small amounts of cryptocurrency by completing small tasks, like solving puzzles or watching ads.

These rewards are usually small, but they can add up over time. Essentially, these are ways to earn cryptocurrency without having to buy it directly.*

Tips for minimising risks

The performance of crypto can be highly volatile, value can drop as quickly as it can rise. Past performance is not a guide to the future.*

First and foremost, before investing in any cryptocurrency, do your research. To stay on top of any potential risks or changes, you should also stay current with the latest industry news and trends.

Secondly, diversifying across different cryptocurrency assets is an effective way to minimise the impact of market volatility on your portfolio, as losses in one asset may be offset by gains in another.

Additionally, having a clear plan on when to sell your cryptocurrency assets is crucial to avoid making impulsive decisions in response to sudden price fluctuations.

The market is extremely volatile, and it's important to remember that, when investing in cryptocurrencies, things can change very quickly. Therefore, in order to reduce risks and maximise potential gains, portfolio diversification is crucial.

Helpful tools and resources

There are a number of tools and resources available to help you invest in cryptocurrencies. Popular websites like CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap offer up-to-date market data and analysis.

You can use technical analysis tools like Tradingview and Dextools to make well-informed investment choices. When it comes to NFTs, some popular tools are OpenSea, Rarible, and SuperRare.

Tax stuff

Understanding cryptocurrency tax can be a daunting task, but there are several tools available to assist you in this process. These tools help you calculate your tax liability based on your cryptocurrency transactions and provide reports that can be used to file your taxes.

We also recently wrote a detailed guide on understanding Crypto Tax in the UK, which you can find here.

Please remember this is not tax advice, if you do make a positive investment return while trading this token, you may have to report this to your tax authority, the term no-tax is referring to no transaction fees only. CoinJar encourages all customers to seek independent tax advice in relation to crypto investments.

Conclusion: Is crypto investing right for you?

There are several ways to invest in cryptocurrency, including buying and holding, lending, trading, staking, and earning interest.

Whether you want to get into crypto as a way to (hopefully!) earn passive income, earn money, hang onto crypto assets, earn crypto via rewards programmes, make money online, or just find interesting crypto projects, CoinJar is a good place to start.

Remember that making money is not a given, people have lost money in crypto, just like people have made money.

Cryptocurrency investments aren't guaranteed to give you a positive return on your money, but with sound research and good investment advice, and by using trustworthy crypto exchanges, you might just be able to ditch the credit cards and live the crypto royalty you were born to be.