Tag: forex vs. crypto trading

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Crypto Forex

Forex vs. Cryptocurrency Trading: Explained In Detail

There are a few different markets available for trading, there is the Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices and then there are Cryptocurrencies. The most popular for retail traders is by far Forex trading, but with the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies, many brokers are now picking them up as additional tradable assets, and they are quickly […]

There are a few different markets available for trading, there is the Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices and then there are Cryptocurrencies. The most popular for retail traders is by far Forex trading, but with the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies, many brokers are now picking them up as additional tradable assets, and they are quickly […]

There are a few different markets available for trading, there is the Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices and then there are Cryptocurrencies. The most popular for retail traders is by far Forex trading, but with the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies, many brokers are now picking them up as additional tradable assets, and they are quickly becoming quite popular to trade, especially as they are tradable over the weekends while the main forex markets are closed.

So the decision now is which of these assets is right for you and which ones should you trade. We are going to be looking at some of the advantages and disadvantages of both of the asset types so that you can work out which one would be better suited for you as a trader. Before we get into that, let’s take a look at what Forex trading is and also what Cryptocurrency trading is.

What are the forex markets?

Forex is simply the exchange of different currencies around the world. It is the world’s largest trading market with a trading volume of over $5 trillion which is a lot of zeros, in fact, it looks like this $5,000,000,000,000, so a pretty large number. The markets contain a lot of different things, it includes financial institutes, banks, business and retail traders trading from home, it is a constant exchange of currencies between different people and organisations at different prices.

In order to trade in the forex markets you need a lot of money, thankfully a lot of brokers have now stepped in to make it accessible and easy to trade for retail traders. Normally, a person would put up a currency for a price and then someone else would come along and take the trade, but now that brokers have stepped in, they act as a kind of middleman, making it easier to place smaller trades. The markets are open 24 hours a day which again makes it very accessible, they crossover the weekends and on some holidays but otherwise they are open all year round.

The forex markets can move a lot and very quickly, different currency pairs have different characteristics and as time goes on, they all change in terms of their liquidity and volatility, it is this volatility that makes it such a promising endeavor when it comes to making profits, profiting on the movements up and down, forex trading is becoming more and more popular as the years go on due to its accessibility.

What are the cryptocurrency markets?

The ability to trade cryptocurrencies is very new, in fact, so are cryptocurrencies as a whole with the first coming out around 15 years ago, the ability to trade them about 10 years ago, so it is a very new market and this is something that a  lot of people are wary about, but at the same time a lot of people are excited about.

The markets are constantly growing and also growing in popularity as more and more coins and tokens come out and also more brokers take up cryptocurrencies as one of their assets. The market is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and pretty much never closes throughout the entire year, so they can be traded at any time which is a real pull for many traders. The cryptocurrency markets are extremely volatile, they are not regulated at all so they can be manipulated by those that hold a lot of the coins, the markets are far less affected by news events and world events, however, they can be affected by news within the cryptocurrency world.

There are of course a number of different similarities between trading forex and trading cryptocurrencies, the first and most prominent thing is one of the ways that we actually trade. The majority of trading of forex and cryptocurrencies are done through brokers, furthermore, a lot of them are done through the same brokers, brokers offering cryptocurrency trading will often also offer forex trading, they use the same trading platform and so the methods of actually putting on a trader are almost identical. There are of course dedicated cryptocurrency exchanges, but for actual trading, they can be done on the same platforms.

Both forex currencies and cryptocurrencies are offered as pairs, for example, EURUSD is the Euro and US Dollar, BTCUSD is Bitcoin and the US Dollar, in order to trade you are basically trading the exchange rate between the two, which is done in a very similar way. Both the forex markets and the cryptocurrency markets are made up of institutions, businesses, and individuals, so in that regard, they are very similar to each other.

What are the differences? 

Having said that, there are of course some differences between them, one of those differences is the fact that cryptocurrencies can also be traded on dedicated exchanges, within these exchanges they have their own ecosystem, so you are only trading between the people on that exchange rather than globally as you would with forex. Another difference is the liquidity, forex is massively liquid with trillions going through it each day, when it comes to cryptocurrencies, there is a lot less liquidity, due to this there can be a lot more violent movies or larger tends than you would get with forex, this is why it can be so hugely profitable and yet so dangerous to trade at the same time.

The other main difference is the fact that cryptocurrencies are decentralised while the currencies in forex are all based on the governments and countries that use them. News events from the UK can have a massive effect on the GBP currency, while real-world events can of course affect the cryptocurrency markets, the effects that they have will be much smaller in size.

So those are some of the similarities and differences between forex trading and cryptocurrency trading, which one is right for you will be a decision that you will need to make. Consider The risks that come with them, far higher volatility on cryptocurrencies, more choice on forex trading, and the fact that you can often trade both on the same account depending on your broker, so you can do a bit of both, but just be sure that you are prepared and that you have some risk management in place should you consider doing this.

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Crypto Forex Basics

Forex or Crypto Trading: Which is More Profitable?

Forex and Cryptocurrency markets are very popular. With both traders trade looking to profit from this, but in itself which market is the most profitable? While cryptocurrency is growing, it is quite volatile, even more than the Forex market which makes many wonder which option is the most profitable.

Forex and Cryptocurrency markets are very popular. With both traders trade looking to profit from this, but in itself which market is the most profitable? While cryptocurrency is growing, it is quite volatile, even more than the Forex market which makes many wonder which option is the most profitable.

Forex and Cryptocurrency markets are very popular. With both traders trade looking to profit from this, but in itself which market is the most profitable? While cryptocurrency is growing, it is quite volatile, even more than the Forex market which makes many wonder which option is the most profitable.

Both markets have a high level of volatility, although the cryptocurrency market is much more volatile than any other and in this aspect, you can control more risks in the Forex market having greater chances to maximize profits. Trading in any form means a risk of capital loss but there is always the potential for a trader can earn money. Price changes in cryptos are very wide, and although you can earn money, you can also lose quickly by making risks more controllable on Forex by having less volatility.

The Forex market, as we know, is decentralized just like the cryptocurrency market, but what impact does this have? The currencies and assets of the Forex market are regulated and in the cryptocurrency market, cryptocurrencies are not regulated and are decentralised. Both the market and the assets present within it are totally decentralised.

Because of this, the variation in the price of assets in the cryptocurrency market is allowed to be much higher, which in turn leads to much higher volatility where prices rise and fall widely. While in the Forex market although the changes are present in the same way as the currencies regulated by the countries, their prices remain much more stable despite the volatility.

The purpose of this publication is to say that market is more profitable to operate in terms of the possibility of controlling the risk of loss of capital that as I said always is present. Now, if you ask me if you should trade cryptocurrencies, my answer is that if you do, start by using the most heavily capitalized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.

Operating in both markets can generate potential profits, but what if you compare the two? You can conclude that Forex is much better, but if you only talked about cryptocurrencies in this article, I would tell you to make use of them because they are very good assets.

Many people wonder what will be the best option to invest, as cryptocurrencies are quite popular and have good returns, but Forex trading is gaining increasing popularity among young investors.

It will always be advisable to make good investigations of the markets of interest. Although for the modern investor Forex and cryptocurrencies head the lists, because they have very good profitability and also offer much desired financial freedom. It should also be noted that many of the investors at the moment have a stake in both markets.

Advantages of Cryptocurrencies:

-They are widely quoted and recognized worldwide.

-They do not depend on any central bank and are not regulated by any country.

-It functions as a scarce asset, so the market gives it value.

-It allows anonymous transactions outside the system’s regulation.

-Cryptocurrencies are immune to inflation.

-It is a payment system that does not depend on banks since it has a blockchain chain system that allows you to transfer money without the need for banking.

-It is a digital ledger that cannot be manipulated. 

Disadvantages of Cryptocurrencies:

-They are highly volatile: it has presented an annualized volatility in the last year of 80%, which makes it enter the classification of high-risk assets

-Changes and Attempts at Regulation: for many, it is a bomb that can explode at any time, and although they have tried to regularize it has only remained in comments and statements. To this end, countries like China prohibit cryptocurrency transactions.

-Robbery: although it is a bit difficult it is not impossible. Hackers have been engaged in developing different methods by which they have succeeded in taking over the assets of others.

-It demands high commissions for its exchange for traditional currencies and they are not yet accepted at all levels.

Advantages of Forex

-You can trade in any currency in the world.

-It offers a greater number of profitable options to invest.

-It is focused on trading (short-term trades) allowing you to see benefits in less time.

-It works with brokers that are regulated by the countries in which they were founded, which increases the reliability of the system.

-It is a highly liquid market and can operate with leverage. 

Disadvantages of Forex

-To see big profits requires the investment of a greater capital or in its absence of a greater number of small and effective operations.

-Forex as such is unregulated and no one or nothing watches over the trades that are made there.

-Leverage can be negative in some cases as it can lead to significant losses.

So… Cryptocurrencies or Forex?

This decision is very subjective, so let’s see what it’s like to invest in each of these markets.

First of all, time plays an important role when you buy these two investments. Forex transactions are short-term, you usually don’t wait more than a few days to close your positions. It’s pretty fast compared to cryptocurrencies, as you want to trade every opportunity you get because of small profit margins.

The more you trade, the more profits you will get, which means you must be an active and experienced Forex trader to know exactly when to place your trades and when to withdraw. With cryptocurrencies, it’s a completely different story.

To begin with, the market is highly volatile, meaning that prices can skyrocket or plummet significantly in just one day, even hours. Applying the same tactics as with Forex trading would be too risky because there is a lot of money at stake, especially if we are talking about Bitcoin.

This is because, in terms of investment, cryptocurrencies should not be regarded as currencies at all, but as precious goods of some kind. Therefore, when you invest in cryptocurrencies, you are actually making long-term investments, because the results are not quick: you will have to wait several months until they start to pay off.

As a result, cryptocurrencies are not for everyone, as they require an infinite amount of patience and self-control to prevent you from performing a panic-stricken transaction when the time is not optimal for you to sell. In addition, with more than 1500 cryptocurrencies today, predicting which one is the goose of the golden eggs and which one is not an almost impossible task.

On the other hand, Forex transactions are much more concrete, as they are almost always the four main pairs and have only a few coins crossed here and there. Forex is a more stable market than cryptocurrency, with the latter being a portfolio diversifier first. Of course, it does not take away the merit of virtual currencies, as they are still a very young market and have much to give, maybe in a few years have enough stability to be seen by traders with greater importance.

For now, Forex will continue to be the favorite for traders on a day-to-day basis, while cryptocurrencies will be seen as long-term investments for those people who can withstand the high volatility of these, and who seek to move away from traditional institutions, as well as banks and states.

Categories
Cryptocurrencies

Forex or Crypto, Which Way 2021?

It is not strange for beginner investors to conflate forex and crypto trading. Although they are similar in some ways, these two industries have significant differences. 

It is not strange for beginner investors to conflate forex and crypto trading. Although they are similar in some ways, these two industries have significant differences. 

It is not strange for beginner investors to conflate forex and crypto trading. Although they are similar in some ways, these two industries have significant differences. 

As the new year approaches, new and seasoned investors alike need information on how the different markets are likely to turn out as we expect each market to behave uniquely. Some cryptocurrencies tend to boom in the last quarter of the year, as we’re currently seeing with Bitcoin. On the other hand, currency exchange pairs tend to be more affected by geopolitical and economic happenings. 

While this article does not intend to claim that one is better than the other, we will highlight the key similarities, differences, benefits, and risks of both forex and crypto, with a focus on recent market trends. Hopefully, you will determine which investment will be suitable for you in the coming year.

What is the Forex Market?

The forex market is a decentralized market where foreign currencies are exchanged. Being decentralized means, there is no single global authority that controls the trade. However, the central banks in each country have a major influence on what prices their local currency fetches against foreign currency. This is how they balance imports and exports to keep their economies happy.

Anyone can participate in forex trade because it simply involves buying and selling currency, which most banks accept. Forex trading is usually done through FX brokers. Many online forex brokers such as IQ Broker offer convenient forex trading. With extensive research, some practice, a little courage, and luck, you can reap big trading forex. 

What about Crypto Trading?

Crypto trading involves buying and selling cryptocurrencies – much like with forex. This activity happens on crypto exchanges like Etoro, Coinbase, and Binance. Like forex trading, crypto trading is usually done through brokers or exchanges, giving it as much flexibility. Also, anyone can be part of over the $250 B that changes hands daily (as of November 2020) on different crypto exchanges. 

Forex and Crypto: Similarities

There’s so much similarity between forex and crypto trading that you’d be forgiven for conflating the two. Let’s look at some of the top similarities.

  • You need to be knowledgeable enough to engage in either. Otherwise, you’d be setting yourself up for losses.
  • Market forces, including investor sentiment and supply/demand, determine how both forex and crypto prices shift. 
  • One can close a trade in a relatively short time in either of the two.
  • Both involve buying and selling instruments, including currencies, crypto coins, tokens, futures, and other complex financial assets.
  • On the same note, both of these markets have different players. These include institutions and individual players, each looking to make some profits out of the market.

Technology, more so information technology, plays a crucial role in expanding these two markets. Although the forex market came in before the computers and the internet, forex is what it is today thanks to information technology. On the other hand, we could not be talking about Cryptocurrencies without the internet and computers.

Differences between Forex and Crypto Trading

Several differences distinguish forex markets from crypto markets. 

  • Forex markets usually operate during business days, typically Monday-Friday. On the other hand, the crypto market is on 24/7, 365 days a year. This gives crypto some edge when it comes to trading flexibility. 
  • Forex markets are inherently more stable, thanks to the involvement of central banks. Crypto markets, on the flip side, are notoriously volatile. Whether this is an advantage really depends on an investor’s point of view. 
  • Crypto markets tend to be riskier than forex markets, mainly due to their higher volatility. 
  • Forex trading is more regulated and protected, which means it can pose less trading risk. However, less risk means fewer returns.
  • With forex, you do not need a wallet or the technicalities that crypto trading comes with. All you need is an account to deposit funds and you are ready to go.

Which One Is Better?

Now, investors themself can best answer this question. Generally,  each market has unique characteristics that will appeal to some investors and not others. Still, the following factors can help you in determining which one would work better for you:

If you are more risk-averse, forex trading may be your go-to option. As we said earlier, crypto markets can be very turbulent. For instance, Bitcoin has been moving by even up to $2,000 USD a week, especially since October. No central bank would sit and watch such sudden price movements on their forex markets. So, if you thrill in dramatic movements in return for higher rewards, crypto sounds better.

The crypto market (led by Bitcoin) is currently on the bull run. The time is ripe for reaping huge from crypto. We’re not saying that crypto is now a get-rich-quick market. But all indications are that it is presently the most lucrative. On the flip side, many investors will lose big if the market goes on a free fall (an inevitability). Thus, short-term investors may find crypto more suitable in the coming months. 

If you’re looking to grow your investment over a long time, say beyond 2021, crypto trading may give you a better platform. While forex pairs usually oscillate between stiff margins, cryptocurrencies can rise exponentially over time. This growth depends on how well the crypto’s backing project is implemented. However, you can multiply your investment by investing in crypto with the potential to grow – something that’s not possible with forex.

Now that you have more clarity on the way ahead, what would be the next steps? If you prefer to venture into forex trading, you need to find the best brokers. Check out our reviews for some of the top brokers you can choose from. On the other hand, if you prefer the ‘wild west’ crypto market, you can choose to trade with brokers that support crypto or opt for crypto exchanges. 

Final Thoughts

Both forex and crypto trading offer investors opportunities for growing their investments. However, each market has its own characteristics. From a returns viewpoint, the main difference between the two is that forex offers moderate profits while crypto trading can have much higher returns. The bottom line is, forex trading favors investors who prefer less risk, while crypto is for more adventurous investors. Whichever investment you pick in 2021, ensure that the market’s risk and return profile are to your preference.