Bitcoin is built on a distributed digital record called a blockchain. As the name implies, blockchain is a linked body of data, made up of units called blocks that contain information about each and every transaction, including date and time, total value, buyer and seller, and a unique identifying code for each exchange. Entries are strung together in chronological order, creating a digital chain of blocks. โOnce a block is added to the blockchain, it becomes accessible to anyone who wishes to view it, acting as a public ledger of cryptocurrency transactions,โ says Stacey Harris, consultant for Pelicoin, a network of cryptocurrency ATMs. Blockchain is decentralized, which means itโs not controlled by any one organization. โItโs like a Google Doc that anyone can work on,โ says Buchi Okoro, CEO and co-founder of African cryptocurrency exchange Quidax. โNobody owns it, but anyone who has a link can contribute to it. And as different people update it, your copy also gets updated.โ
Should You Buy Bitcoin?
In general, many financial experts support their clientsโ desire to buy cryptocurrency, but they donโt recommend it unless clients express interest. โThe biggest concern for us is if someone wants to invest in crypto and the investment they choose doesnโt do well, and then all of a sudden they canโt send their kids to college,โ says Ian Harvey, a certified financial planner (CFP) in New York City. โThen it wasnโt worth the risk.โ The speculative nature of cryptocurrency leads some planners to recommend it for clientsโ โsideโ investments. โSome call it a Vegas account,โ says Scott Hammel, a CFP in Dallas. โLetโs keep this away from our real long-term perspective, make sure it doesnโt become too large a portion of your portfolio.โ In a very real sense, Bitcoin is like a single stock, and advisors wouldnโt recommend putting a sizable part of your portfolio into any one company. At most, planners suggest putting no more than 1% to 10% into Bitcoin if youโre passionate about it. โIf it was one stock, you would never allocate any significant portion of your portfolio to it,โ Hammel says.
