How To Buy Ethereum (ETH) – Forbes Advisor UK

Bitcoin is the best cryptocurrency based on the value of the coins in circulation, but Ethereum is not lazy. With a market capitalization of over £ 240 billion, the cryptocurrency is the second leading form of cryptocurrency and is supported by business leaders such as US billionaire entrepreneurs and television personality Mark Cuban.

Moreover, it was a profitable investment choice. If you invest £ 1,000 in Ethereum in August 2015, your investment in six years will be over £ 1.6 million.

Here’s how to start buying Ethereum, the official name of the token, more commonly called Ethereum, due to its relevance to the Ethereum platform.

Buy Ethereum

Investing in Ethereum may be easier than you think. Here’s how to get started in just five steps:

1. Determine the level of risk

You can’t get around it-buying Ethereum is gambling. All investments carry risks, but cryptocurrencies are particularly vulnerable to price fluctuations. Think about the impact of hundreds of characters on cryptocurrency pricing. For example, when Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted last year that his company would no longer accept Bitcoin as a payment, the value of the coin fell by 15%.

Ether has done some remarkable work in the past, but sometimes in a surprisingly short amount of time, with some serious crashes. In particular, it fell by more than 50% from a high of around £ 3,000 per coin in May 2021 to less than £ 1,300 a month later. This is a fairly extreme volatility.

Therefore, it is important to consider risk tolerance as well as the diversity and stability of the remaining investment portfolio before purchasing Ethereum. Experts are advised not to invest in crypto more than they can afford to lose.

2. Select crypto exchange

Buying Ether is more complicated than buying stocks or collective investment funds through a securities account. Cryptocurrencies are not traded on major exchanges like London and New York, and many brokerage firms do not offer crypto investments.

To purchase crypto, you must first create an account on the crypto exchange. In fact, it’s like an intermediary platform you might know better: crypto exchange is a cryptocurrency and fiat money (eg pounds or dollars) that buyers and sellers can use for Ethereum, Bitcoin, Dogecoin and more. Allows you to replace.

If you haven’t thought about cryptocurrency yet, take a look at the list of the best cryptocurrency exchanges to find the one that works best for you. The trading platform of some exchanges can be complicated, but most exchanges offer a simple buying interface for beginners, but may cost more than the main trading platform.

Some of the important points: When choosing an exchange, make sure you are offering a crypto wallet to store your investment. The majority do, but if you don’t, you’ll need to get your own.

And if you’re a true beginner, you can always use platforms like Robinhood and Cash App. This greatly simplifies the process of buying cryptocurrencies, but at a cost. You cannot withdraw your Ethereum investment into a third-party wallet or use it to pay for online purchases.

With one of these simplified platforms, crypto can only be traded within the platform you purchased. Therefore, you need to withdraw cash from that platform, then repurchase it with a crypto exchange and keep it in another wallet.

3. Fund your account

Before you can buy Ethereum through crypto exchange, you need to fund your account. In most cases, you will deposit money from a bank account such as a checking deposit. You can also usually use a debit card or deposit money from your payment provider.

When choosing a funding method, check the cryptocurrency exchange rates as they can vary. For example, on platforms, debit card transfers may cost a few percent.

One caveat: On some platforms, you can use your credit card to buy cryptocurrencies. That may seem attractive, but credit card companies generally consider cryptocurrency purchases to be cashing. Depending on your card, you may need to pay higher interest rates and cashing fees in addition to the cryptocurrency exchange fees.

4. Buy Ethereum

Investors purchasing stocks, collective / pool funds, or exchange-traded funds are limited by business hours. For example, the London Stock Exchange trades from 8 am to 4:30 pm and is closed on weekends and bank holidays.

The behavior of cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum is very different. Because it is a decentralized currency, you can buy and sell 24 hours a day.

To buy Ethereum, enter its ticker symbol – ETH – in the Exchange’s Buy field and enter the amount you want to buy. If you don’t want to buy the entire Ethereum token, or if you don’t have enough money to put full coins in your account, you can buy a fraction. For example, if Ethereum is priced at £ 2,000 and you invest £ 100, you will buy 5% of Ethereum coins.

5. Save Ethereum

After the Ethereum purchase is processed, you need to save the cryptocurrency. Some platforms save it for you, but some people choose to save their own investment to reduce their chances of losing their ciphers due to hacking.

This is understandable, but it’s also important to note that most major exchanges guarantee client ownership and often store most of their assets offline to prevent large-scale theft. In addition, historically hacked exchanges have reimbursed losses.

However, if you want the peace of mind that surrounds crypto, you can choose to move to one of two third-party wallets:

• Hot wallet: The hot wallet is connected to the internet and can be accessed from your computer or smartphone. They are convenient and are usually offered by cryptocurrency exchange platforms at no additional cost, but if you want to turn off cryptocurrency from the exchange, you can also use your own. However, because you are still connected to the Internet, you are at increased risk of security breaches.
• Cold wallet: Cold wallets, on the other hand, are external devices that are completely disconnected from the Internet. Depending on the type you choose, it usually costs between £ 30 and £ 150, but there are even more expensive versions. Cold wallets are less convenient than hot wallets (you have to manually connect to the internet every time you access the crypto), but they are more secure and make sense if you own a large amount of Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies. It’s good.

Sale of Ethereum

To sell Ethereum, simply return to the cryptocurrency exchange and enter the amount you want to sell.

However, if you sell a significant amount of crypto, it is advisable to consult a tax expert. Despite its decentralized nature, profits from the sale of crypto are potentially subject to capital gains tax.

Need to buy Ethereum?

Ethereum is very popular and investors now have over 116 billion coins in their hands. But just because it’s one of the most well-known cryptocurrencies doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Before buying a volatile investment like Ether, you need to complete the investigation and make sure you are in good financial condition. Ideally, you should have a large “rainy day” fund, be exposed to minimal debt, and have good pension arrangements. Even if you can check all these boxes, it is important to diversify your portfolio, so only a portion of your investment should be invested in Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies.