The current year is the year of Bitcoin’s fourth #halving . It is expected to occur in the month of April. It forms the basis of #Bitcoin ’s monetary policy and supports its increasing scarcity by cutting Bitcoin’s supply growth rate in half approximately every four years.
At one point the supply growth rate of Bitcoin exceeded 10%, but it has been cut to about 1.75%. In the halving month, i.e. anticipated in the month of April, this year it will fall to just 0.85%. The BTC halving will continue until all the 21 million coins are mined, sometime in the year 2140. Currently, around 19.6 million BTC coins are circulated in the cryptocurrency market.
There have been lawsuits against the exchange and investigations into its relationship with Binance. Another major disadvantage is the inability to execute transactions in U.S. dollars on the platform.
While Binance has faced regulatory scrutiny and accusations of non-compliance, it remains the largest cryptocurrency exchange with millions of users worldwide. The platform continues to enhance its security measures and provide a range of tools for users to protect their assets.
There are technically no age restrictions for trading or mining in cryptocurrencies – although established sites such as Coinbase and Paypal require users to be at least 18.
Shaykh Shawki Allam “In my opinion, the trading of cryptocurrency is haram. This is because it is not approved by legitimate bodies as an acceptable medium of exchange. Such currencies are used in contraband trading and money laundering,” he said.
Trading futures in cryptocurrency is generally considered haram in Islamic finance. This is due to its speculative nature, likened to gambling, and the involvement of uncertainty and risk, which contradict Islamic principles emphasizing risk-sharing and avoiding speculation.
Compared to other asset classes such as stocks and government bonds, investing in cryptocurrency can be considered very risky. While cryptocurrencies are generally seen as legal across Europe, many aspects of cryptocurrency remain unregulated—or may be subject to shifting regulations.
As cryptocurrencies experience volatility, whether cryptos is a good investment depends on how much risk you can bear. If even small swings in prices keep you up at night, higher volatility investments may not be the suitable investment for you.
But deciding if Bitcoin has a place in your portfolio requires looking beyond today's headlines. Bitcoin is a risky investment with high volatility, and should only be considered if you have a high risk tolerance, are in a strong financial position already and can afford to lose any money you invest in it.
While long-term price predictions are more difficult to make, we believe Ethereum could be sustaining prices close to $10k in 2030, where we forecast the average Ethereum price to be $9,800.
However, some estimates can be made based on blockchain data and surveys of Bitcoin holders. According to data from Bitinfocharts, as of March 2023, there are approximately 827,000 addresses that hold 1 bitcoin or more, representing around 4.5% of all addresses on the Bitcoin network.
“If the ethereum network becomes more scalable, ETH could be a good investment alternative to bitcoin. However, reaching $50,000 during the next bull market cycle is possible … but unlikely,” Stadelmann said.
Is it really a possibility? Ether "looks like the cryptocurrency with the highest real use potential," argues a new Goldman Sachs analysis, which predicts that ETH's value could eventually overtake BTC's. Ethereum's advantages include the ability to run applications like DeFi protocols.
While similar in principle, the Triple Halving on Ethereum occurs on a much larger scale. It achieves this by diminishing the rewards miners receive each time they successfully validate a transaction block. Like Bitcoin halving, Ethereum miners are granted tokens when new coins are minted.
Halving takes place every four years. The halving policy was written into Bitcoin's mining algorithm to counteract inflation by maintaining scarcity. In theory, the reduction in the pace of Bitcoin issuance means that the price will increase if demand remains the same.
“ETF approvals and the upcoming halving could make 2024 a record year for cryptocurrencies,” says Ben Weiss, co-founder of crypto ATM provider CoinFlip. “As such, I wouldn't be surprised if bitcoin breaks six figures.”
The Bitcoin halving is considered a good economic model as it creates disinflationary pressure on the digital currency, helping it to increase in value over time (provided demand for Bitcoin continues to grow).
Crypto is also not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), meaning you should only buy crypto with an amount you're willing to lose.
Is cryptocurrency a safe investment? Compared to other asset classes such as stocks and government bonds, investing in cryptocurrency can be considered very risky.