Ultimate Opinion: Bitcoin Benefits and Limitations (BTC)

Although the concept of cryptocurrency goes back many years, Bitcoin was the first project that turned this dream into a reality. Bitcoin’s white paper, released in 2008, is considered the birth date of this famous crypto asset now known to almost everyone.

But alas, many people still wonder if Bitcoin is a project is worth backing or not. The chances are that if you are on this page, you may also be wondering.

In this Bitcoin review, we will look into the pros and cons of this cryptocurrency, the different options available to you to invest in this asset and the reasons that may push you to get Bitcoin. Finally, we will see if it is still profitable to buy BTC or if it may be better to consider investing in a different cryptocurrency.

How can I invest in Bitcoin securely?

To invest in Bitcoin, you have to go through what is called an exchange. This is a buying platform where you can buy BTC with fiat money (pounds, dollars, etc.). While there are other ways to get digital assets (see our purchase guide), this is the option we recommend for beginners.

It is important to get your BTC from a reliable exchange. If not, the risk of getting ripped off is far too great and you risk losing your investment. Even though risky platforms are slowly disappearing, there are still many dishonest actors to be wary of.

To help you, we’ve selected a small list of reliable exchanges where you can get bitcoin securely. If you are a beginner and do not have the ability to analyse for yourself the trustworthiness and reliability of different platforms, we recommend that you register only on one of the sites we mention above.

Why invest in BTC?

There are many reasons to invest in BTC. It is obviously not possible to list them all here, but we will give you the most important ones.

First of all, Bitcoin is a pioneer, establishing itself as a new asset class for all investors. Although this digital currency had at first the reputation of being used by criminals only, now this image has all but disappeared – even institutional actors are beginning to trust it.

For some people, Bitcoin is considered digital gold and represents the future, as its number is limited to 21 million and it is increasingly difficult to obtain it over time because of the diminishing mining rewards that are cut in half every four years. Moreover, unlike traditional gold, it is relatively easy to handle BTC and trade with it. Of course, it’s a little complicated when you’re just starting out, but once you master the intricacies, everything becomes quite simple to understand.

Bitcoin also helps diversify your investment portfolio and, at the same time, your risk. We never recommend that anyone put all their eggs in one basket and your investment in BTC should only be part of your portfolio.

There are many advantages to Bitcoin. Here is a list of the items that are generally most appreciated by investors:

• There is no intermediary in the transactions. You exchange your digital assets directly with another person.
• Transaction fees are minimal from a certain point of time. When you transfer to BTC, you have a small fixed fee. When you make a payment with a huge amount of money, the fees reported as a percentage are relatively small.
• It is the first cryptocurrency and therefore the one with the largest community. As a result, a large team is constantly updating the protocol to improve the operation of this crypto asset.
• Compared to bank transfers, Bitcoin value transfers are extremely fast. They can be done in just a few minutes.
• You can send your BTC to anyone in the world without any restrictions.
• Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies more generally, replace banks in countries where these institutions are not accessible to the majority of the population.
• The number of Bitcoins that can one day be in circulation is limited to 21 million. It is impossible to create more BTC. In the long term, the supply of BTC will not be able to be adapt to demand, which will drive a scarcity effect on the BTC, not to mention all the BTC that will be lost during errors in transactions.
• Bitcoin has never been hacked. The blockchain is a solid technology, whose security is proportional to the decentralisation of miners. Given the number of miners who deal with it, it’s no wonder that the Bitcoin blockchain could never be hacked.
• All stories related to BTC theft are linked to exchange sites or when users fell into a trap. The BTC protocol itself has never been successfully hacked.
• Your bitcoin belongs to you, and no one but you has control over them. However, it’s a  double-edged sword: no one can help you if you misplace them.

What are the drawbacks of Bitcoin?

All the same, Bitcoin does not only have advantages. There are also some drawbacks that need to be mentioned in order to be totally objective:

• Transactions cannot be cancelled. So be careful not to make mistakes during your transfers. Otherwise, you will lose your BTC forever.
• When the network is congested, transaction costs increase. In some cases, the amounts payable can be relatively high and it is no longer cost-effective to make small transfers. So, you have to wait or send a larger amount for it to become worth it again.
• The number of transactions per second is limited. In case of high traffic, processing your transactions can take a huge amount of time.
• The energy expenditure required to make the entire Bitcoin protocol work is absolutely enormous. Until BTC evolves into a more energy-efficient technology, the pollution generated by the use of Bitcoin will increase more and more with its adoption.
• If there is disagreement in the community, the project may split into several parts. This is an event called fork and has already taken place many times in the history of the BTC. The most famous fork remains the one made with Bitcoin Cash.
• It’s not easy to use Bitcoin when you’re just starting out. It takes some time to adapt and a person who is not familiar with new technology will have a hard time understanding how it works. However, the user experience has improved over the years, making the use of the BTC a little less complicated.
• Bitcoin is not usable for small transactions in everyday life. Due to fixed costs, you will never be able to buy your bread from your baker, for example. In addition, confirmation that you have sent your payment to a seller takes time, which may put off some merchants from using this payment method.
• Volatility is quite high. It is not uncommon for the BTC price to swing more than 10% over the course of a day or to see its value 10x in a few months. So, have nerves of steel and be prepared to take the shocks of these roller coasters.

Is it still profitable to invest in BTC?

Since the creation of the BTC, we have heard regularly from investors who say that it is too late to invest in Bitcoin because of its high price. A tale as old as time.

In its short history, Bitcoin has experienced several bubbles, which have each time burst, causing its price to crash before returning to a new high. However, bitcoin has consistently set higher lows, meaning its value has only increased over time.

However, it is increasingly unlikely that you will be able to have the same return on investment as someone who purchased Bitcoin for a few cents when it first became possible to trade this digital currency. It is impossible to get those returns as the size of the global economy is not large enough to allow for them.

However, due to its rarity, increasing adoption among the general public and by merchants, bitcoin getting misplaced or burned, its constant technological evolution, etc., it is clear that the value of Bitcoin should continue to appreciate over time.

If you want a huge return on investment, you can also look at the so-called altcoins, that is, all cryptocurrencies that aren’t BTC. With a lot of analysis, and a bit of luck, you may be able to find the gold nugget of tomorrow, which will see its value 100x or even 1,000x, something that now seems unlikely with Bitcoin.

What do we think about Bitcoin?

Now is the time to conclude and give you our opinion on Bitcoin. As you have seen from our article, you should always weigh the pros and cons before you think about investing in something. Generally, nothing is ever black or white, the reality lies between these two extremes.

In our opinion, Bitcoin is by far the safest crypto asset you can invest in. While its volatility may seem significant, it is nothing compared to what other, lower cap digital currencies may experience.

However, don’t expect to make huge returns on investment by investing in BTC. In our view, it is too late for that. However, we believe that this digital asset still has a lot of room for improvement and in the long run, an investment in BTC will be much more profitable than gold.

Also, be careful not to put all your eggs in one basket. An investment portfolio should be as diversified as possible and Bitcoin should be only a part of it. In addition, you may also consider buying other digital assets so you don’t just focus on BTC.

If you want to invest in Bitcoin, we advise you not to sign up on any random buying platform. There are still too many scams in the sector and we recommend you only register on one of the exchanges you can find at the beginning of the article. These are reliable platforms that we have tested and you should not encounter any problems using them.

Subscribe to our daily and weekly newsletter service to receive a digest of the latest news in the cryptosphere and never miss out on any of the Cointribune's highlights!

Nicolas

J'ai découvert le monde des cryptomonnaies en janvier 2018. Arrivé au pire moment pour investir, je n'ai depuis lors jamais cessé de me former et partage désormais mes connaissances afin de faciliter l'adoption des cryptos.