Let’s get more women confident with crypto #CryptoConfidence 

AD| Did you know that around 15% of Bitcoin investors are female? There is a massive gender imbalance when it comes to blockchain cryptocurrency. These industries are booming with the potential to make some decent financial gain. I think it’s about time women got in on some of this wealth, don’t you?

Crypto wallet Zumo is launching the #CryptoConfidence campaign to help women become more confident about investing. They believe crypto should be accessible to everyone. This particular campaign focuses on encouraging women of all backgrounds to understand more about cryptocurrency and how they may also benefit from it.

In the past couple of years, I’ve seen more and more women, especially money bloggers, talk about their investments. The change is happening, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

What is cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that can be exchanged through computer networks. It doesn’t rely on a central government body such as a government or a bank to maintain, uphold it or verify transactions.

It only exists electronically, it’s not a physical coin like money. It is stored in digital wallets. The name crypto comes from the word ‘encryption’. This is because advanced coding is involved in storing and transmitting crypto and it is encrypted as a security measure.

You may have heard of the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, which was created in 2009. The value of Bitcoin exploded and reached over £41k in 2021! I’m sure I’m not the only person kicking myself for not investing earlier.

How does cryptocurrency work?

Blockchain is the technology that enables cryptocurrency to work. Blockchain is a digital ledger of all transactions across a peer-to-peer network. Using this technology, participants can confirm transactions without the need for a central clearing authority. 

It means that cryptocurrency can operate securely without needing a central authority and it also means there’s no need for transaction fees.

How to I get cryptocurrency?

You can mine cryptocurrency. Mining cryptocurrency is a way of generating new coins. You can find out more about mining crypto here. In simple terms – it’s a bit like solving complex math problems. Crypto is mined using a lot of computer equipment and software which uses a lot of energy. Although most of us probably are not going to mine crypto, it’s still worth understanding it.

Most people buy crypto using a Broker or Crypto Exchange. It’s a bit like buying stocks and shares. The value of crypto goes up and down and lot more frequently and dramatically than traditional stock markets. If it goes up, your investment has grown, if it goes down, your investment has lost money.

Why women don’t invest in crypto

There are a few reasons why women don’t invest in cryptocurrency, here are some of them.

Women are less likey to take risks than men

Women are less likely to take risks and have a lower tolerance for risk. They are also less likely to believe that cryptocurrency will be as profitable as traditional stock markets.

Cryptocurrency sounds complicated

It can take a while for new technology like this to become mainstream, it’s currently still in the early adopters curve. Crypto seems complicated to understand as there are lots of new terms and jargon associated with it. Women like to understand things more before getting involved with investing, whereas men are happier to take a gamble and ‘wing it’.

Crypto is volatile

If you’ve ever watched the crypto market, you may notice that the prices can fluctuate a lot. For example, in 2021, Bitcoin lost more than half its value in a few months and later gained 100 per cent. Yesterday, my own investment in crypto had grown by about 10%, today it’s now worth less than my investment.

They think it’s a scam

Many people think that crypto is a scam. It doesn’t feel secure, it’s volatile and it isn’t tangible. Crypto itself is not a scam, but sadly there are many scams out there associated with cryptocurrency and bitcoin.

If you are aware of the scams, you will be most likely to avoid them. The biggest tip for avoiding scams is to ignore anyone that reaches out to you and offers an investment opportunity or to help you make money with crypto. Buy crypto from secure and reputable websites only.

They feel like it’s too late to start benefiting

Early investors of Bitcoin have profited a lot from it, but now it goes up and down in value quickly, it can seem like it’s not as profitable as it used to be.

This article here explains why it’s not too late to start benefiting.

Jo’s Story

Jo Watt is a marketing manager. She worked for a blockchain software development business in 2019 and invested £3,500 in June 2020. Bitcoin was around £7,500 then. By April 2021, it had grown to over £43,000. In 9 months her investment had grown by £15,000. She withdrew £12,000 to pay for some home improvements but leaves some in for long term investment.

She also holds some Ethereum, to diversify her portfolio and this has seen a 1,690& increase. She’s invested in crypto for the long term and always makes sure only buys crypto with money she can afford to lose.

How to get confident with crypto

So now we know a bit more about crypto, let’s have a look at home we can become more confident with investing our money into it.

Do your research

Educate yourself about cryptocurrency and keep up to date with the latest news. This beginner’s guide to crypto is a great resource.

You can sign up for a newsletter such as Coinzy which gives you the latest news about cryptocurrency every day.

There are also many podcasts out there to learn about it. Here are a few suggestions to get started:

• The Crypto Conversation – Andy Pickering
• Crypto Campfire Podcast – Mitch and the Perfesser
• The Bad Crypto Podcast – Joel Comm & Travis Wright
• What Bitcoin Did – Peter McCormack

Start small

First of all, you should only invest what you can afford to lose as there is a risk of losing money. The more money you invest, the more money you can earn. But that doesn’t mean you have to put thousands of pounds into cryptocurrency. You can buy small amounts and monitor its value while you are learning more about them. Take your time and invest only what you are comfortable in.

Sometimes I only put £20 in at a time. But if you keep investing small amounts while your confidence grows, it all adds up in the end.

Know how to avoid crypto scams

Bitcoin scams can be found all over the internet, but they have been found most often on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

There are many different types of bitcoin scams, so it is important to know what to look out for. One type of bitcoin scam is a fake cryptocurrency exchange that claims to offer bitcoin trading services when in reality they steal your personal information and money with no intention of providing any service.

Another type is a fake mining website that offers mining contracts for bitcoins but does not actually provide any mining services at all. In this case, you would pay money upfront and never see any results from your investment.

If anyone contacts you via social media about crypto currency or Forex trading, it’s most likely a scam. It’s common for scammers to reach out on social media asking you to get involved in ‘investment opportunities’.

Often, scammers will hack or copy accounts of celebrities and public figures to try and get information out of you. Do not open any links they send to you, send them Bitcoin or any other information.

Check the URL before entering any information or logging into your crypto accounts as many phising sites exist to gain access to your login information. Make sure the URL is correct and the padlock symbol in the address bar is locked to indicate the website is secure.

Be aware of fake Bitcoin wallets and do your research before using them. You can read more information here about avoiding Bitcoin scams.

Being aware of the risks

As previously mentioned, the market is volatile and you can lose your money. Be realistic about this and only ever invest money that you don’t need as you could lose it.

You also need to remember that it generally takes a long time to see a return on your investments. When I think of investing in crypto, I do so for my future so I only ever put money in that I’m happy to keep tucked away for at least 10 years.

I have other investments for more short-term savings.

Diversifying your portfolio

You should diversify your portfolio by investing in different things. This doesn’t mean just within cryptocurrency, you may also wish to invest some money in stock and shares as they are much less volatile, but less profitable.

Building my portfolio

Over the past year, I’ve been building my own investment portfolio in a few different ways. My goal is to have a diverse portfolio with both stable investments and a few riskier ones.

At the end of each month, I see what money I have leftover and can afford to invest. Here’s where I currently invest my money.

Mortgage overpayment

I put a decent amount of my money into overpaying our mortgage. I’m desperate to get our interest down on our loan amount and to be able to get a better rate when we remortgage in a couple of years.

Premium bonds

I also put a large amount into premium bonds as this is pretty risk-free and I can draw my money out anytime. With premium bonds, you can win money every month in a prize draw – there’s a top prize of one million pounds! Last month I won £50! This is just a safe place to put my savings with a chance to win money on top as the interest in a bank savings account is very low.

The plan with my premium bonds is to use the money towards our next home. Either to put towards our deposit so we can get a better interest rate take our a smaller mortgage, or to go towards renovations if needed.

Stocks and Shares ISA

I put £25 a week into my S&S ISA, it just comes out of my bank via direct debit. I try not to look at this too much as this as it’s a long term investment for me.

Pension

I have a private pension as I am self-employed and I contribute to this monthly. I get a 25% government top-up. I currently just put £100 in this each month but would like to increase this once we have our next home and I don’t need to save towards that.

Cryptocurrency

I invest a small amount in cryptocurrency. Once we have bought a new house, I will focus on longer-term ones such as this. For now, I put a small amount in Bitcoin each month and would like to dabble in some other crypto.

About Zumo

Zumo is a crypto wallet that allows you to invest in crypto with low fees. It’s a safe way to get started buying some cryptocurrency. You can secure your wallet so your investments are safe and access it whenever you need to. I personally love their values and goals around sustainability and making holding and mining crypto energy-efficient and sustainable.

Have you ever invested in crypto at all? Would you like to?