Share and Follow
(NewsNation) — One in five Americans owns cryptocurrency, according to the National Cryptocurrency Association, yet a report has found a majority of the population doesn’t buy into its reliability.
As some lawsuits against crypto companies have emerged and Congress has passed regulatory legislation, about 63% of Americans say they have little to no confidence in cryptocurrency’s investing and trading reliability and safety, according to a Pew Research Center poll from October.
How safe is it to invest in crypto?
As with any form of investing, there are both risks and benefits. Experts urge beginners to learn about the process and determine whether the risks are worth it.
Risks
- Extremely volatile price fluctuations
- Government regulatory uncertainties
- Potential of scams (some platforms are more secure than others)
Benefits
- Unrestricted, decentralized access to funds, unlike a central bank
- 24-hour accessibility
- Lower transaction fees
- Blockchain technology for trackable transactions
- High return potential
On Wall Street this week, companies involved in the cryptocurrency industry rose as the price of bitcoin continued to steam ahead, with investors willing to take on more risk. Coinbase Global, the crypto exchange, climbed 3.1% as bitcoin topped $107,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.