While you may want to say a big ole “Buh BYE 2018!!” I’m here to say, “Not so fast.” I know you may be mad at the crypto market for not delivering what you thought it would in 2018. And you might even be super tired of waiting for that “bottom” all crypto analysts keep promising. But I’m here to say that even in the most bearish crypto markets, there’s still money to be made.

A Look Back at Crypto in 2018

Cryptos gained a lot of mainstream hype in 2017 when Bitcoin’s value increased 1,318 percent. This surge was nothing compared to the gains of some other digital assets. For example, Ripple (XRP) went up (hold your breath) a whopping 36,018 percent. These returns are more than what a stock investor could make in a lifetime. The whole thing generated enough interest to create a true frenzy.

However, the bubble burst at the beginning of 2018. It left many late investors, who bought cryptocurrencies at a very high price, at a loss. That was enough for some newbie investors to label the whole industry a scam and either give up on investing altogether. Others went back to traditional financial assets like stocks. Regardless, the cryptocurrency market continued evolving. It became more stable and caught the attention and support of many major financial institutions globally and in the United States. As more people get their hands on cryptocurrencies, more sellers feel comfortable accepting them as a payment method. That’s how the whole industry can flourish.

Cryptocurrency Investing 2019: A Different Approach

The crypto market is incredibly volatile. Probably even more volatile than the foreign exchange (forex) market. That’s the traditional currency market where you can make money trading fiat currencies against each other. I’ve written a couple of books on the forex markets, including the Invest Diva’s Guide to Making Money in Forex and Ichimoku Secrets teaching traders exactly how they can make money in shorter time frames.

Cryptocurrency Investing 2019 - Could Bitcoin Drop Lower

The unique thing about cryptocurrency investing and trading is that crypto is a cross between an asset (like stocks) and a currency (like the U.S. dollar.) Analyzing the fundamentals behind a cryptocurrency is very different from analyzing any other financial asset. While most crypto enthusiasts treat crypto more like an asset and are eager to Buy the Freaking Dip (BFD), they’re missing out on the currency aspect of crypto trading.

The traditional ways of measuring value don’t always work in the crypto industry, mainly because in many cases the crypto data isn’t stored in a central hub somewhere. In fact, most cryptocurrencies and their underlying blockchain are decentralized, which means no central authority is in charge. Instead, the power is distributed among the members of any given blockchain or crypto community.