Last update: 3 August 2020
4 min read

How to Trade Forex with Bitcoin in 2024

bitcoinUnlike other currencies on the Forex market, Bitcoins are not an actual world currency, in the sense of being produced by a central bank and issued in the form of coins and banknotes. Instead, it is a virtual currency; in fact, it is the world’s first cryptocurrency, and has no physical form, being held entirely electronically instead. While Forex traders have enjoyed participating in the traditional markets for years, the arrival of this new and exciting cryptocurrency has led to a deeper dimension in trading with a range of new possibilities, and interest around this new type of trading is starting to rise. Created as recently as 2008, with the open-source software being released in 2009, Bitcoin has rapidly risen in profile, and is now being offered as a trading instrument by many online Forex brokers.

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What are Bitcoins?

Unlike all other currencies, Bitcoins are digital, and are therefore held and created electronically with no one organisation or bank being in control of them. Bitcoins were created by a man using a nickname “Satoshi Nakamoto” (in May 2016 Craig Wright revealed himself as the creator of Bitcoins), a software developer, with the idea of creating a currency that would be completely independent of central authorities, but which could be electronically transferred instantly with only a low transaction fee applied. Bitcoins cannot be devalued, as only 21 million are permitted to ever be produced. However anyone with the right know-how can create Bitcoins, as they are mined using a distributed network of computing power. Transactions are also processed by this network. Each Bitcoin is divided into parts of 100 millionth of a Bitcoin, and these are called “Satoshis”. Although traditional currencies have their basis in precious metals like silver and gold, Bitcoin is different, having its basis in mathematics. Bitcoins are produced using a freely available open-source mathematical formula.

What are the Benefits and Risks of Trading Bitcoins?

Bitcoin trading is becoming more popular due to its many benefits. These include the following:

  • Decentralised currency – There is no central bank changing the valuation of Bitcoin, and therefore the rate of Bitcoins is completely free from any macroeconomic or geopolitical issues or influences.
  • Leverages – The majority of Forex brokers offering Bitcoin as an instrument offer a high leverage of up to 1:1,000, which allows experienced traders to gain greater profits.
  • Free transactions – As Bitcoin transactions are recorded digitally on a public network with no bank or clearing agency involvement, there is usually no transaction fee involved on Bitcoin trades, even when transferring sums globally.
  • Low deposit amounts and trading costs – It is possible to start trading Bitcoin with an amount as small as $25 with certain brokers, and trading costs are kept low to appeal to new clients.
  • High security – There is no need to reveal any personal or bank details when trading in Bitcoin, which allows investors to remain anonymous while maintaining the security of their funds.
  • No global restrictions – When a trader chooses to trade in Bitcoin they can use any broker based anywhere in the world, which is not the case with regular currencies.

There are, however, increased risks associated with Forex trading in Bitcoin:

  • Volatility – Historically, there has always been high volatility in Bitcoin prices, and as there is no regulation, brokers can use this to their own advantage at the expense of clients. As prices can swing wildly by up to a dollar or more per day, there is also an increased chance of extreme losses for inexperienced traders.
  • Theft and software problems – Bitcoins are increasingly becoming the target of cyber-criminals, and any Bitcoin account is at risk of being hacked. There have also been cases where entire Bitcoin accounts have been lost due to computer hardware or software failures.
  • Leverage – While the high leverage available on Bitcoin trading is appealing to an experienced investor, it can be very risky for a newbie who may underestimate the potential losses.

What Affects the Price of Bitcoin?

As with any currency, there are several factors that impact on the value of Bitcoins. These include the following:

  • Supply and demand – As there is a limit of 21 million Bitcoins set over a century, and around half of that amount has been mined so far, there are cycles of great interest among the public in this currency, so when demand stays high, Bitcoin prices are dramatically increased.
  • Banking blockades – When one of the traditional banks decides to block a specific organisation or business, they are still able to receive and send payments in Bitcoins, thus increasing its value.
  • Traditional currency issues – If one of the traditional currencies is facing a crisis such as a banking crash, Bitcoin comes to the fore since it is not controlled by any single organisation or central bank.
  • Market manipulation
  • Regulation and government bans of Bitcoins – If a country decides to ban the use of this cryptocurrency, its value decreases.
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