Editor’s Note: $10,000? $20,000? $100,000?
It seems as though the sky could be the limit for bitcoin.
And we’d be doing Wealthy Retirement readers a disservice if we didn’t at least discuss why one expert thinks you should incorporate cryptocurrencies into your retirement plan.
So we turned to First Stage Investor co-founder Adam Sharp for guidance in today’s essay.
Next week, Wealthy Retirement‘s Marc Lichtenfeld will chime in on how he feels about the cryptocurrency craze.
– Rachel Gearhart, Senior Managing Editor
The risk of owning cryptocurrency is pretty simple.
You could lose money… but that’s a risk that comes with ANY investment.
Every sane cryptocurrency investor understands this going in.
But what about the risks of NOT owning cryptocurrencies?
Those are very real too…
What if bitcoin ownership goes from less than 1% to 10%? What about
35%?
What if current debt-based monetary systems are doomed in the long term?
What if central banks lose their monopoly on legal tender? (It already happened in Japan.)
What if our savings continue to be debased by reckless monetary policy?
What if cryptocurrency prices only peak and stabilize after decades, when the majority of people are invested?
What if bitcoin owners shift some profits into other cryptocurrencies that have improved on the original idea?
What if we could choose from many different types of money?
What if we don’t need banks?
Finally, what if we’re in the early stages of a financial revolution?
These questions should reinforce the magnitude of what we’re talking about here.
If you don’t own any, you risk missing out on what could be one of the greatest wealth generation events ever.
Cryptocurrency a No-Brainer for Retirement Planning?
I believe cryptocurrency should be part of every investor’s retirement portfolio. It doesn’t have to start out as a big chunk of your holdings. But for the reasons I explained above, I believe the risks of not owning it are high.
Cryptocurrency is technologically superior to traditional monetary systems. It is independent, is decentralized and has crazy momentum going for it.
We’re adding millions of new owners per month. This is exactly how the beginning of “going mainstream” would look.
Institutional interest is rising, and many firms are now dipping their toes in. Coinbase just announced a custodial service for hedge funds and other financial groups looking to diversify into cryptocurrencies. It thinks there could be $10 billion in institutional money on the sidelines. I suspect it’s higher than that.
There will only ever be 21 million bitcoins. Most other coins have a hard cap as well.
So why wouldn’t everyone invest a bit today, just in case this mainstream scenario happens? I believe that’s what we’re starting to see play out right now.
And keep in mind that if cryptocurrency succeeds (which I believe it will), it will reward owners proportionally to how early they got in. Hence the recent buying frenzy…
So why not buy a little and hold it for a decade or so? It could make all the difference in the quality of your financial future.
To be clear, I’m not saying cryptocurrency going mainstream is a slam-dunk. There are real risks. I’m simply saying that the potential rewards far outweigh the risks.
Good investing,
Adam