суббота, 23 июня 2018 г.

bitcoin_trading

Bitcoin Futures

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Bitcoin futures trading is here

Bitcoin futures trading is available at TD Ameritrade. Quotes and trading capabilities for these futures products are available on our thinkorswim platform and TD Ameritrade Mobile Trader app.

What is bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital currency, also known as a cryptocurrency, and is created or mined when people solve complex math puzzles online. These bitcoins are then stored in a digital wallet that exists on the cloud or the user’s computer. Because bitcoins are not housed in bank accounts, brokerage, or futures accounts, they are not insured by the FDIC or SIPC.

Virtual currencies, including bitcoin, experience significant price volatility. Fluctuations in the underlying virtual currency's value between the time you place a trade for a virtual currency futures contract and the time you attempt to liquidate it will affect the value of your futures contract and the potential profit and losses related to it. Investors must be very cautious and monitor any investment that they make.

Get up to $600 when you open and fund an account*

How can I trade bitcoin futures at TD Ameritrade?

To get started, you first need to open a TD Ameritrade account and indicate that you plan to actively trade. There are certain qualifications and permissions required on your account for Cboe Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE) bitcoin futures trading (/XBT) SM , including:


  • Margin enabled
  • Tier 2 spread option approval
  • Advanced features enabled
  • Futures trading approval
  • Account minimum of $25,000

Once you are approved to trade futures, you still need access to /XBT to add bitcoin trading to your account. To request access, contact the Futures Desk at 866-839-1100.

Please note that the TD Ameritrade margin requirement for bitcoin futures products is 1.5 times higher than the exchange margin requirements, and is subject to change without notice.

Funds must be fully cleared in your account before they can be used to trade any futures contracts, including bitcoin futures. ACH and Express Funding methods require up to four business days for deposits to clear. Wire transfers are cleared the same business day.

While futures products still carry unique and often significant risks, they can potentially provide a more regulated and stable environment to provide some exposure to bitcoin as a commodity as well. You should carefully consider whether trading in bitcoin futures is appropriate for you in light of your experience, objectives, financial resources, and other relevant circumstances.

Please note that virtual currency is a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value, but it does not have legal tender status. Virtual currencies are sometimes exchanged for U.S. dollars or other currencies around the world, but they are not currently backed nor supported by any government or central bank. Their value is completely derived by market forces of supply and demand, and they are more volatile than traditional fiat currencies. Profits and losses related to this volatility are amplified in margined futures contracts.

I want to trade bitcoin futures. Can I be enabled right now?

As with any futures product, trading bitcoin futures (/XBT) at TD Ameritrade requires futures approval on your account.

  • If you are a client who is already approved to trade futures at TD Ameritrade, please contact our Futures Desk at 866-839-1100 or email us to request access to trade /XBT.
  • If you have an account with us but are not approved to trade futures, you first need to request futures trading privileges. Be sure to check that you have the right permissions and meet funding requirements on your account before you apply. Please note that the approval process may take 1-2 business days. Once you have been granted futures approval, contact the Futures Desk at 866-839-1100 or email us to request access to /XBT.
  • If you don’t have an account at TD Ameritrade, you need to open an account and select that you plan to actively trade during the sign-up process. You will need to request that margin and options trading be added to your account before you can apply for futures. Please keep in mind that the full process may take 5-6 business days. Once you have been granted futures approval, contact the Futures Desk at 866-839-1100 or email us to request access to /XBT.

How can I check my account for qualifications and permissions?

To ensure you meet the requirements to trade futures, you can check by viewing your account settings under Client Services > General > Elections & Routing, or by contacting us at 866-839-1100.

Am I able to trade bitcoin?

At this time, TD Ameritrade does not provide the ability to trade or hold bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies directly in TD Ameritrade accounts, and does not provide access to bitcoin/cryptocurrency exchange networks. We offer the ability to trade bitcoin futures contracts, much like we offer futures contracts for gold, corn, crude oil, etc.

Three reasons to trade futures at TD Ameritrade

Our thinkorswim platform is a premier derivatives trading platform for serious futures traders.

Get live help from traders with hundreds of years of combined experience.

Fair pricing with no hidden fees or complicated pricing structures.

Learn more

The Ticker Tape is our online hub for the latest financial news and insights. Here are a few suggested articles about bitcoin:

For additional information on bitcoin, we recommend visiting the CFTC virtual currency resource center.

Let's talk about bitcoin futures

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Futures and futures options trading is speculative, and is not suitable for all investors. Please read the Risk Disclosure for Futures and Options prior to trading futures products.

Futures accounts are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).

Futures and futures options trading services provided by TD Ameritrade Futures & Forex LLC. Trading privileges subject to review and approval. Not all clients will qualify.

*Offer valid for one new Individual, Joint or IRA TD Ameritrade account opened by 9/30/2018 and funded within 60 calendar days of account opening with $3,000 or more. To receive $100 bonus, account must be funded with $25,000-$99,999. To receive $300 bonus, account must be funded with $100,000-249,999. To receive $600 bonus, account must be funded with $250,000 or more. Offer is not valid on tax-exempt trusts, 401k accounts, Keogh plans, profit sharing plan, or money purchase plan. Offer is not transferable and not valid with internal transfers, TD Ameritrade Institutional accounts, accounts managed by TD Ameritrade Investment Management, LLC, current TD Ameritrade accounts or with other offers. Accounts funded with $3,000 or more are eligible for up to 500 commission-free trade internet equity, ETF, or option trades executed within 60 calendar days of account funding. All other trade types are excluded from this offer. Contract, exercise, and assignment fees still apply. No credit will be given for unexecuted trades. Limit one offer per client. Account value of the qualifying account must remain equal to, or greater than, the value after the net deposit was made (minus any losses due to trading or market volatility or margin debit balances) for 12 months, or TD Ameritrade may charge the account for the cost of the offer at its sole discretion. TD Ameritrade reserves the right to restrict or revoke this offer at any time. This is not an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction where we are not authorized to do business. Please allow 3-5 business days for any cash deposits to post to account. Taxes related to TD Ameritrade offers are your responsibility. All promotional items and cash received during the calendar year will be included 0n your consolidated From 1099. Please consult a legal or tax advisor for the most recent changes to the U.S. tax code and for rollover eligibility rules. (Offer Code: 220)

Futures trades do not qualify for commission-free trade offer.

This is not an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction where we are not authorized to do business or where such offer or solicitation would be contrary to the local laws and regulations of that jurisdiction, including, but not limited to persons residing in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UK, and the countries of the European Union.

Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC. TD Ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. and The Toronto-Dominion Bank. © 2018 TD Ameritrade.

Bitcoin Trading

How to Trade Bitcoin CFDs in 4 Easy Steps

  1. Open a trading account with AvaTrade
  2. Fund your account
  3. Fill in your preferred investment amount
  4. BUY (go long) or SELL (go short) Bitcoin

Don’t miss your opportunity to trade Bitcoin. Start trading Now!

What is Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the world’s first digital currency and it is expanding in popularity worldwide. Now, traders can trade Bitcoin with AvaTrade as the ideal asset in CFD trades. With our platform – MetaTrader 4 you can trade this rapidly growing currency against the US Dollar 24/7. Bitcoin is highly regarded among currency traders and its volatile nature makes them ideal for CFD trading.

Bitcoin’s Rise to Prominence

Around 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto founded Bitcoin. At the time, a paper was published through the Cryptography Mailing List. The first Bitcoin software client was released in 2009, and he collaborated with many other developers on the open-source team, careful never to reveal his identity. By 2011, the enigmatic Bitcoin founder had disappeared. His peers understood how valuable this cryptocurrency was, and worked feverishly to develop it to its maximum potential.

By October 2009, the world’s first Bitcoin exchange was established. At the time, $1 was the equivalent of 1,309 Bitcoin. Considering how expensive Bitcoin is today, that was a real steal. Bitcoin traded at a fraction of a penny for quite some time. Things started changing in 2010; as the distribution of Bitcoin increased, the digital currency became inherently more valuable.

Demand increased, reversing the exchange rate accordingly. In early 2010, the currency was gaining momentum, and so the distribution of the Bitcoin started to increase along with its demand. By November of that year 4 million Bitcoins had been ‘mined’.
And so, the rise of the Bitcoin began…

Why Trade Bitcoin with AvaTrade

  • We offer Bitcoin CFD trades with up to 20:1 leverage
  • You can start trading Bitcoin from as little as £100/$100/€100
  • This volatile crypto makes for an excellent addition to any financial trading portfolio
  • AvaTrade is one of the only brokers that offer Bitcoin trading around the clock, for maximum convenience
  • You can sell Bitcoin (go short) and potentially profit even when the market price is downtrend
  • Enjoy live language-specific customer support around the clock
  • AvaTrade offers zero commissions on Bitcoin trading and no bank fees charged on transactions
  • Zero exposure to hacking or theft simply because you don’t actually buy or sell the cryptocurrency
  • AvaTrade is regulated on 5 continents
  • Execute trades in just 3 clicks, free from the complex crypto purchasing process

How Bitcoin Became So Popular

Bitcoin was the first digital currency to be created. It is also the most respected, capitalised and traded cryptocurrency in the world. Bitcoin trading is booming, and a big reason for this is the volatility of this cryptocurrency.

Currency trading allows for maximum yield when it is volatile – lots of ups and downs. This is precisely the reason global traders enjoy trading Bitcoin. Plenty of profitable opportunities are available when markets are volatile, and Bitcoin ranks highly with currency traders.

The media plays a big part in the volatility of Bitcoin. Whenever a breaking story surfaces, Bitcoin volatility increases, and traders cash in. History has shown that Bitcoin traders and speculators routinely push this digital currency to the forefront of CFD trading.

It is increasingly being used as the preferred payment option for merchants, money transfers and trading purposes. More traders are turning to Bitcoin trading than ever before, and that is why this cryptocurrency is inherently valuable. It is a high demand financial trading instrument, despite no association with governments or central banks.

Bitcoins are mined with powerful computer hardware and software. A maximum of 21 million Bitcoin will be available, after which no further bitcoins will be produced. The algorithm which governs the production of Bitcoin limits the quantity that will be produced, and the rate at which they will be produced. It is a finite commodity – there is a fixed amount, and that ensures that greater demand will always prop up the price. In this way, it is similar to other finite commodities such as crude oil, silver, or gold.

Bitcoin in the News

  • August 2017 – Bitcoin reaches a market capital of over $73.4 billion. This is the start of the Bitcoin Boom
  • First half of 2017 – Bitcoin hits a high of $2900, and worldwide demand for digital currency soars.
  • August 1, 2017 – First fork in Bitcoin was created: Bitcoin Cash
  • October 24, 2017 – The second fork in Bitcoin was created: Bitcoin Gold
  • October 29, 2017 – Bitcoin hits a new record high of $6,300
  • November 28, 2017 – Bitcoin Reaches and unprecedented high of $11,000
  • December 10, 2017 – Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE) starts offering Bitcoin futures trading
  • December 17, 2017 – Bitcoin keeps climbing, almost hitting the $20,000 mark, setting its new record high
  • December 18, 2017 – CME Group’s Bitcoin futures are available for trading
  • December 21, 2017 – Bitcoin slumped by almost 21%. At market opening Bitcoin was at $15,561 later reaching a low of $12,504, closing with a slight recovery of $13,942
  • December 23, 2017 – The cryptocurrency plummets to $11,000, before seeing its positive recovery to end the year
  • December 28, 2017 – Third fork in Bitcoin created: New coin on SegWit2x chain called B2X

We are Here to Help You Trade Bitcoin

AvaTrade offers you the opportunity to Buy (go long) or Sell (go short) on all Bitcoin trades. This service is available to you 24/7. You can use your preferred trading strategies to buy or sell Bitcoin regardless of which way the currency is moving.

We encourage you to learn more about Bitcoin trading by visiting our Trading Conditions & Charges page.

Please note: The cryptocurrencies market’s high volatility offers endless trading opportunities.

  1. Open a trading account
  2. Deposit funds to receive a bonus of up to 10.000$
  3. Choose Bitcoin on the trading platform and open a Long or Short position

BITCOIN TRADING – THE COMPLETE GUIDE

Bitcoin is undoubtedly the most popular digital currency that is created and stored online. The idea of Bitcoin was a brainchild of Satoshi Nakamoto – a gifted programmer. In our complete guide to bitcoin we already suggested that the main difference between Bitcoin and physical currencies is that Bitcoin can’t be mined (created) in unlimited numbers; and that central banks usually print their local currencies in large quantity just to settle their national debts etc. which consequently results in widespread inflation and other economic problems.

This is one of the main differences between bitcoin and physical currencies – but how to take this information and start trading bitcoins? In this guide we will answer this question.

HOW TO FORECAST BITCOIN PRICE EFFECTIVELY?

Let’s discuss some effective ways to forecast Bitcoin price for day trading. There are basically two methods to forecast Bitcoin prices:

  • Fundamental Analysis
  • Technical Analysis

Fundamental Analysis

In fundamental analysis, we study various economic and political factors that may affect the price of Bitcoin. Some key fundamental factors that may cause sudden rise or fall in Bitcoin price are as follows.

The most important fundamental factor that often causes high volatility in Bitcoin price is the sudden increase or decrease in Bitcoin demand because of some political, legal or business decisions that consequently lead to sharp increase or decrease in Bitcoin price. Some examples of such decisions are as follows:

  • US supreme court legalizes Bitcoin existence
  • China mulls restriction on Bitcoin transactions
  • Microsoft starts accepting Bitcoin as a payment method
  • Hackers stole Bitcoins worth millions in widespread hacking on exchanges

It is recommended to keep yourself updated with current affairs and routine news relating to Bitcoins if you are a Bitcoin trader.

Technical Analysis

Another effective way to forecast Bitcoin price is to conduct extensive technical analysis. Such analysis is focused on charts and technicians usually use past price movement of Bitcoin to predict future behavior of the price. Below are some major methods of conducting technical analysis.

  • Candlestick Patterns: It is a famous chart pattern that studies price movement in the form of candles. Candlestick patterns are wide used by day traders all over the world to predict continuity or reversal in the ongoing trend of price. There are some main candlestick formations that can be very useful to take entry, such formations include; bullish/bearish pin bars, bullish/bearish engulfing candles, shooting star, hammer, dojis and several others.
  • Fibonacci Retracement Levels: Fibonacci levels are the most likely levels from where price can change its direction. Widely observed Fibonacci levels include 0%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8%, 76.4%, and 100%.
  • Swing Analysis: Swing analysis is particularly useful in predicting the ongoing trend. In swing analysis, traders compare the swings of current wave with the swings of previous wave. Higher High and Higher low show bullish trend while Lower Low and Lower High represent bearish trend.
  • Trendlines: Drawing trendlines can also be a good way to identify moving support and resistance levels. Trendlines are drawn by joining all upswings and downswings.
  • Horizontal Support/Resistance levels: Another way to forecast Bitcoin price is to draw horizontal support and resistance levels. Such levels are drawn by joining the horizontal swings of upside and downside waves.

In conclusion, we would like to emphasize again that trading Bitcoin on margin can be extremely risky but at the same time highly profitable. We discussed various platforms that allow leveraged Bitcoin trading. We also discussed different advantages and disadvantages of leveraged Bitcoin trading. In the end, we discussed some effective methods to conduct fundamental and technical analysis.

VOLATILITY IN BITCOIN TRADING: THE HISTORY OF MAJOR BITCOIN CRASHES

Bitcoin trading underwent a lot of ups and downs in its brief history. Periods of expansion were also followed by periods of crisis and uncertainty. Crashes offered really good short opportunities for all those that either knew how to anticipate them through fundamental analysis or were able to correctly read price action through technical analysis.

Either way here is a History of the Major Bitcoin Crashes:

Copy and paste the code below to embed this infographic on your website

WHERE TO TRADE BITCOINS?

There are a number of choices available for Bitcoin trading on margin. Websites such as Top10Crypto offer up to date comparisons of the best brokers, giving you pros and cons to each one. We will look into a few brokers and see what we think ourselves but before we begin, let us warn everyone that trading Bitcoin on margin can be extremely risky because of its highly volatile nature. History shows that Bitcoin has a capability to move 800$-900$ within 30 days – that’s the level of its volatility. The chart below shows the highly volatile nature of this crypto currency.

As opposed to major currency pairs that hardly move 1% a day, Bitcoin can move 30% in a single day. If you are a good trader then consider trading Bitcoins without margin. However, we are aware that because of high Bitcoin price not everyone can afford trading Bitcoins without margin so let’s discuss some options for leveraged Bitcoin trading.

Below are some popular trading platforms for leveraged Bitcoin trading;

BTC-E allows shorting of Bitcoin as well as leveraged trading. Shorting of Bitcoin means you can generate profits even when the price of Bitcoin is falling. This feature is particularly useful if you want to hedge your long Bitcoin positions. The Bulgarian exchange – BTC-E- offers world-famous Metatrader platform for Bitcoin trading with leverage upto 1:3 and a small fee of just 0.3% per side.

AVA Trade is a popular forex broker that allows leveraged Bitcoin trading through CFDs. The broker offers two Bitcoin CFDs that are Bitcoin Mini and Bitcoin Weekly. Bitcoin mini has a leverage of 1:2 and doesn’t expire while Bitcoin weekly has a leverage of 1:20 and expires on every Friday. Both CFD contracts use price feed from BTC-E. AVA Trade adds mark up of around $10 on spread. Below is a screenshot of AvaTrade’s trading platform i.e. Mt4.

A major disadvantage on both CFD contracts offered by Ava Trade is the inability of their trading during weekends. Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency which does not rely on banks for trade execution and has no set hours for opening and closing therefore it trades 24/7. On the other hand, forex trades 24/5 due to which Ava Trade clients can also trade Bitcoin 24/5, resulting in large gaps after the weekends as can be seen in the above chart. Another disadvantage is that Ava Trade doesn’t accept clients from the United States and several other countries.

Etoro.com is another major platform that offers leveraged Bitcoin trading. The main disadvantage of trading Bitcoins with Etoro is that it is not suitable for intraday traders as you can open and close your Bitcoin positions only four times a day. Etoro uses Bitstamp’s price feed. The following screenshot shows Bitcoin CFD trading at Etoro.com.

Despite having a special US section on its website http://www.etoro.com/usa, eToro, unfortunately, doesn’t accept clients from the United States. A message on eToro’s website reads;

‘’As part of our ongoing optimization process currently underway in the US, we have temporarily suspended our service. Therefore, at this time we will not be accepting new clients or funds from existing US customers. While you’re here, you are welcome to continue experiencing eToro through our practice mode, which will stay available and free to all.’’

BTC.sx allows Bitcoin trading with 1:10 leverage. It uses BitStamp’s price feed. Just like Ava Trade, Btc.sx adds $10 markup on top of the BitStamp’s spread. The required deposit is at least 0.01033 of a Bitcoin. At a Bitcoin price of $500, the required deposit becomes almost $5. Btc.sx is dually registered in Singapore and England. This exchange currently accepts deposits in Bitcoin only – no fiat currency deposits are acceptable for now. In the given below screenshot you can see Bitcoin trading in action at Btc.sx;


Btc.sx has certain restrictions that make leveraged Bitcoin trading problematic. For instance, the exchange does not support changing of stop loss after the entry. Also you can set stop loss as a distance from the entry price, the default distance is 88 points away from the entry price. The exchange also offers trailing stop option but many traders complain that it doesn’t work.

Another problem at Btc.sx is the high rollover cost which makes leveraged Bitcoin trading problematic. For example, if you trade a position whose size is just 0.0094 of a Bitcoin then the rollover cost would be $8.8 which is too high. The exchange accepts clients from the United States which is a major advantage of this platform.

Bitcoin Binary Options Brokers

Just like CFDs, Bitcoin is also a very popular choice for binary options traders because of its high volatility. There are several binary options broker companies that allow Bitcoin options trading. Let’s discuss a couple of Bitcoins options trading platforms;

Anyoption.com

Anyoption.com is one of the most famous binary options brokers that offer binary trading in the virtual currency. You can bet on rising or falling Bitcoin prices and make profits. The given below screenshot shows bitcoin options trading in action;

anyoption – bitcoin binary options trading

Anyoption.com is however not an option for US clients, the company doesn’t accept USA traders at the moment.

Predictious.com

Predictious.com is a betting exchange (and not the broker). It matches buyers and sellers of betting contracts and doesn’t price the contracts itself. Besides Bitcoins, you can bet on political issues and many other events as well.

The above screenshot shows betting on some ongoing events. The business model adopted by Predictious allows it to operate without any conflict of interest because the exchange makes money irrespective of the fact that you win or lose.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Trading Bitcoins

Now let’s discuss some advantages and disadvantages of trading Bitcoins.

Advantages of Bitcoin Trading

Following are some main reasons why you should consider trading Bitcoins;

24/7 Trading Is Possible

Bitcoin is an international digital currency which is available 24/7 for online trading. As opposed to Forex, Bitcoins can be traded during weekends as well. Traders can trade Bitcoins from any part of the world anytime, even on weekends and holidays because the crypto currency doesn’t rely on banks or other financial institutions for online trading. It is, however, pertinent to mention here that leveraged Bitcoin trading through CFD brokers is unavailable during weekends and holidays.

High Volatility of Bitcoin is Ideal for Traders

Bitcoin is famous for its highly volatile behavior. Currency pairs barely move 1% in a single day while Bitcoin can move even 10% during intraday trading. 3% move is considered normal in Bitcoin trading during volatile weeks. If predicted and traded correctly, such swings may be highly profitable in short term trading. With CFD and binary options brokers, you can make money on both upswings and downswings of the Bitcoin price.

Leveraged Bitcoin Trading – More Risk, More Profitability

Bitcoin trading can be traded on margin as many brokers are offering generous leverage for Bitcoin trading nowadays. It is however important to note that all leverage products can result in the loss of your capital. It is the riskiest but at the same time most profitable form of trading. There are many CFD brokers that allow trading of $2500 worth of Bitcoins by using a margin of just $250. If analyzed and forecasted correctly, this kind of leverage can result in huge profits against very small capital at risk. Leveraged Bitcoin trading is particularly less risky and more profitable on shorter timeframes.

Bitcoin Price is Easy to Predict in Intraday Trading

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency which can be mined (created) in limited quantity. These traits make Bitcoins independent of banking influence and inflation. Bitcoin prices are hardly affected even in serious financial turmoil. Examples include the Cyprus crisis, Brexit, ECB announcing QE and other such instances to which Bitcoin prices hardly reacted. This kind of behavior is ideal for intraday traders who rely heavily on technical analysis for short-term trading.

Disadvantage of Bitcoin Trading

Due to no physical existence, Bitcoins keep becoming a target of hackers on and off. In past, large-scale hacking attempts caused closure of major Bitcoin exchanges and sudden fall of Bitcoin prices. Similarly, regulation and compliance-related news from China and American also cause unexpected swings in Bitcoin prices. These kinds of events are very difficult to monitor by traditional traders and analysts. So it is very important that you risk minimum amount (the amount which you can afford to lose) in leveraged Bitcoin trading.

Above was a brief summary of various advantages and disadvantages of Bitcoin trading. Now let’s briefly discuss some advantages of using Bitcoin in general. A major plus of the new cryptocurrency is the very low cost for sending and receiving bitcoins. While it is possible to send transactions completely free of charge, it is recommended to pay the small fee in order to speed up the sending process. The fee amount depends on the data size of the transaction. A typical transaction is 500 bytes and carries a fee of 0.0001 BTC. At current prices of $913 per bitcoin, this amounts to a charge of 9.13 cents. Bitcoin offers benefits to merchants as well, as transactions that involve the digital currency are secure and irreversible. Without the risk of fraud or fraudulent chargebacks, merchants can offer their products at a discount thereby generating more sales or pocket the difference themselves. In addition, with card processors out of the picture, merchants can save on the percentage cut taken by Visa / MasterCard.

Trading Bitcoin using Exchanges

Another popular method to buying bitcoin and being able to trade it is through an exchange. This is different to trading using a broker because you actually own the underlying product whereas, through the brokers highlighted, you are simply trading on the fluctuation of the price of bitcoin.

Trading bitcoin suggests being in and out of the market on a regular basis, however another strategy is to simply buy and hold. There are a huge number of exchanges that allow you to actively trade bitcoin as well as going down the investment route of buy and hold. For those that are new to buying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it is worth using a provider who can walk you through the process. For a guide looking at a top of the range exchange, try this article.

Bitcoin Trading: Useful Resources

There is a difference between trading bitcoin and buying bitcoin directly. There are plenty of resources that explain the difference between bitcoin trading and purchasing bitcoin and we recommend you understand the difference before getting involved. The resources highlighted below will keep you informed of all current affairs relating to cryptocurrencies.

The Bitcoin Wik – If you want to read more about bitcoins you should go to this website. Plenty of information on bitcoin trading – scams, general trading recommendations, brokers, list of online/offiline businesses that allow you to use bitcoins. This website will provide you with a clearer understanding of bitcoins and bitcoin trading.

CoinDesk.com – This is a popular website with daily news and general information on bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.

The Bitcoin News – General website that also keeps you informed and up-to-date with what is going on in the bitcoin world.

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could not be loaded because:
net::ERR_CLEARTEXT_NOT_PERMITTED

I tried to search for things like www.homedepot.com. The same thing happened. It would say WEBPAGE NOT AVAILABLE. The only thing that changed were all the upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
Then it would again say
could not be loaded because:
net::ERR_CLEARTEXT_NOT_PERMITTED

This is the same thing that happened when Samsung and At&t tried to do any kind of searches thru the Yahoo Search App.

Yahoo needs to fix the problem with their app.

Yahoo Search App from the Google Play Store on my Samsung Galaxy S8+ phone stopped working on May 18, 2018.

I went to the Yahoo Troubleshooting page but the article that said to do a certain 8 steps to fix the problem with Yahoo Services not working and how to fix the problem. Of course they didn't work.

I contacted Samsung thru their Samsung Tutor app on my phone. I gave their Technican access to my phone to see if there was a problem with my phone that stopped the Yahoo Search App from working. He went to Yahoo and… more

5 Easy Steps For Bitcoin Trading For Profit and Beginners

Bitcoin trading can be extremely profitable for professionals or beginners. The market is new, highly fragmented with huge spreads. Arbitrage and margin trading are widely available. Therefore, many people can make money trading bitcoins.

Bitcoin’s history of bubbles and volatility has perhaps done more to bring in new users and investors than any other aspect of the crpytocurrency.

Each bitcoin bubble creates hype that puts Bitcoin’s name in the news. The media attention causes more to become interested, and the price rises until the hype fades.

Each time Bitcoin’s price rises, new investors and speculators want their share of profits. Because Bitcoin is global and easy to send anywhere, trading bitcoin is simple.

Compared to other financial instruments, Bitcoin trading has very little barrier to entry. If you already own bitcoins, you can start trading almost instantly. In many cases, verification isn’t even required in order to trade.

If you are interested in trading Bitcoin then there are many online trading companies offering this product usually as a contract for difference or CFD.

Avatrade offers 20 to 1 leverage and good trading conditions on its Bitcoin CFD trading program.

Why Trade Bitcoin?

Before we show you how to trade Bitcoin, it’s important to understand why Bitcoin trading is both exciting and unique.

Bitcoin Is Global

Bitcoin isn’t fiat currency, meaning its price isn’t directly related to the economy or policies of any single country. Throughout its history, Bitcoin’s price has reacted to a wide range of events, from China’s devaluation of the Yuan to Greek capital controls.

General economic uncertainty and panic has driven some of Bitcoin’s past price increases. Some claim, for example, that Cyprus’s capital controls brought attention to Bitcoin and caused the price to rise during the 2013 bubble.

Bitcoin Trades 24/7

Unlike stock markets, there are no official Bitcoin exchanges. Instead, there are hundreds of exchanges around the world that operate 24/7. Because there is no official Bitcoin exchange, there is also no official Bitcoin price. This can create arbitrage opportunities, but most of the time exchanges stay within the same general price range.

Bitcoin is Volatile

Bitcoin is known for its rapid and frequent price movements. Looking at this daily chart from the CoinDesk BPI, it’s easy to spot multiple days with swings of 5% or more:

Bitcoin’s volatility creates exciting opportunities for traders who can reap quick benefits at anytime.

Find an Exchange

As mentioned earlier, there is no official Bitcoin exchange. Users have many choices and should consider the following factors when deciding on an exchange:

Regulation & Trust – Is the exchange trustworthy? Could the exchange run away with customer funds?

Location – If you must deposit fiat currency, and exchange that accepts payments from your country is required.

Fees - What percent of each trade is charged?

Liquidity – Large traders will need a Bitcoin exchange with high liquidity and good market depth.

Based on the factors above, the following exchanges dominate the Bitcoin exchange market:

Bitfinex - Bitfinex is the world’s #1 Bitcoin exchange in terms of USD trading volume, with about 25,000 BTC traded per day. Customers can trade with no verification if cryptocurrency is used as the deposit method.

Bitstamp - Bitstamp was founded in 2011 making it one of Bitcoin’s oldest exchanges. It’s currently the world’s second largest exchange based on USD volume, with a little under 10,000 BTC traded per day.

OKCoin - Bitcoin exchange based in China but trades in USD.

Coinbase -

Coinbase - Coinbase Exchange was the first regulated Bitcoin exchange in the United States. With about 8,000 BTC traded daily, it’s the world’s 4 th largest exchange based on USD volume.

Kraken - Kraken is the #1 exchange in terms of EUR trading volume at

6,000 BTC per day. It’s currently a top-15 exchange in terms of USD volume.

Bitcoin Trading in China

Global Bitcoin trading data shows that a very large percent of the global price trading volume comes from China. It’s important to understand that the Chinese exchanges lead the market, while the exchanges above simply follow China’s lead.

The main reason China dominates Bitcoin trading is because financial regulations in China are less strict than in other countries. Therefor, Chinese exchanges can offer leverage, lending, and futures options that exchanges in other countries can’t. Additionally, Chinese exchanges charge no fees so bots are free to trade back and forth to create volume.

If you’d like to learn more about Bitcoin trading in China, this video from Bitmain’s Jihan Wu provides additional insight.

How to Trade Bitcoin

Kraken will be used as an example for this guide. The process and basic principles remain the same across all exchanges.

First, create an account on Kraken by clicking the black sign up box in the right corner:

You’ll have to confirm your account via email. Once your account is confirmed and you’ve logged in, you must verify your personal information. All Bitcoin exchanges require varying levels of verification as required by AML and KYC laws. Below you can find the first three verification levels:

Once your account is verified, head over to the “funding” tab. You should see something similar to the screenshot below. Select your funding method from the left side:

Kraken offers many deposit methods, which are listed here:

EUR SEPA Deposit (Free) - EEA countries only

EUR Bank Wire Deposit (€5) - EEA countries only

USD Bank Wire Deposit (Free until 3/1/2016, then $5 USD) - US only

USD SEPA and SWIFT Deposit (0.19%, $20 minimum)

GBP SEPA and SWIFT Deposit (0.19%, £10 minimum)

JPY Bank deposit (Free, ¥5,000 deposit minimum) - Japan only

CAD Interac Deposit (Free until 3/1/2016, then 1%, $10 CAD fee minimum, $5,000 CAD deposit maximum)

CAD EFT Deposit (Free until 3/1/2016, then 1%, $10 CAD fee minimum, $50 CAD fee maximum, $10,000 CAD deposit maximum)

Deposits made using the traditional banking system will take anywhere from one to three days. Bitcoin deposits require six confirmations, which is about one hour.

Now, navigate to the “Trade” tab. Using the black bar at the top of the page, you can switch trading pairs. In this example we’ll use XBT/USD. We want to buy bitcoins, so let’s put in an order. Navigate to the “New Order” tab.

Let’s say I’ve deposited $300 into my account with a USD bank wire. In the example below, I’ve submitted an order to buy 0.5 bitcoins (XBT) at a price of $370 per bitcoin.

Check the black bar at the top, and you’ll notice that the last trade price was $383.17.

Why submit an order to buy at $370 per bitcoin (XBT) and not $383.17? One may submit an order lower than the current price if one expects the price of Bitcoin to fall. In this case, since my order is lower than other offers in the orderbook, I won’t receive my order for 0.5 bitcoin immediately. Placing an order at a specified price is called a _limit order._ Before placing an order, be sure to check the orderbook for your trading pair.

In the example orderbook below, you can see that the highest buy offer is for $382.5 per bitcoin, while the lowest sell order is at $384.07 per bitcoin.

Using the order form there’s also an option for “Market”.

A market order in this case would submit a buy order for XBT at the price of the lowest available sell order. Using the orderbook above, a market order for 0.5 XBT would purchase 0.5 XBT at $384.07 per XBT. If selling bitcoins, a market order would sell bitcoins for the highest available price based on the current buy orderbook—in this case $382.5.

Trading Risks

Bitcoin trading is exciting because of Bitcoin’s price movements, global nature, and 24/7 trading. It’s important, however, to understand the many risks that come with trading Bitcoin.

Leaving Money on an Exchange

Perhaps one of the most famous events in Bitcoin’s history is the collapse of Mt. Gox. In Bitcoin’s early days, Gox was the largest Bitcoin exchange and the easiest way to buy bitcoins. Customers from all over the world were happy to wire money to Mt. Gox’s Japanese bank account just to get their hands on some bitcoins.

Many users forgot one of the most important features of Bitcoin—controlling your own money—and left more than 800,000 bitcoins in Gox accounts. In February 2014, Gox halted withdrawals and customers were unable to withdrawal their funds. The company’s CEO claimed that the majority of bitcoins were lost due to a bug in the Bitcoin software. Customers still have not received any of their funds from Gox accounts.

Gox’s catastrophic collapse highlights the risk that any trader takes by leaving money on an exchange. Using a regulated Bitcoin exchange like Kraken can decrease your risk.

Your Capital is at Risk

Remember that as with any type of trading, your capital is at risk. New traders should start trading with small amounts or trade on paper to practice. Beginners should also learn Bitcoin trading strategies and understand market signals.

Bitcoin Trading Tools & Resources

Cryptowatch & Bitcoin Wisdom – Live price charts of all major Bitcoin exchanges.

Bitcoin Charts – More price charts to help you understand Bitcoin’s price history.

bitcoinmarkets – A Bitcoin trading sub-reddit. New users can ask questions and receive guidance on trading techniques and strategy.

TradingView – Trading community and a great resource for trading charts and ideas.

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The Best Bitcoin Exchange

The best bitcoin exchange is needed for serious and professional bitcoin traders. Bitcoin security must be impeccable. Banking relationships must be sound and reliable. The trading engine must be fast. Order types must be advanced. And profits must be able to be multiplied with Bitcoin margin trading so you can leverage long bitcoin positions or short bitcoin positions.

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[The MtGox trustee picked them] because of Kraken's proven operating history, and because its system has never been breached by hackers.

Kraken is an exemplary institution that the rest of the Bitcoin world should look up to. One of the first exchanges to pass an independent audit.

Integration with Kraken was a seamless process. It's clear their team is comprised of experienced traders and technologists.

Bitcoin / U.S. Dollar BTCUSD

BTCUSD Crypto Chart

Technical Analysis Summary

Related Symbols

First off let me say I am not a fan of Elliott Waves, now I know some traders rely solely on E.W. but as time goes on and they gain more experience those analysts will eventually come to the same conclusion as I have. Elliott Waves are subjective, I rely on very little wave analysis, I do take it into account, but I never base a trade solely on them. That being .

Nothing has changed since my previous update, price is still moving sideways. Yesterday it looked like Bitcoin was slipping and would make another drop but there were some buyers who pushed the price back into the triangle again. In one of my previous updates, i mentioned that i was thinking about 2 options. A bear flag, which would mean the price has to go .

The target of 6900/7000 did not get reached, because it was getting bought at the lows yesterday. In my last update i posted i said that it was clear that bearish momentum was dropping. A few hours before that i showed a bullish wedge that could possibly show a reversal as well, but the price dropped below it, which happens very often but than it should go up .

Hi Everyone, for today's Intraday trade we'll be shorting BITCOIN at $7450 please wait for the price of render at INTRA R1 in order to validate this pattern for more updates gives this analysis a Thumbs up!

What's up traders, I hope you're all having a good trading week. Let's analyse BTC/USD on the 4H chart. This analysis is a follow up of my previous analysis (See related ideas for information on this analysis) and I recommend viewing the previous analysis to better understand this new follow up analysis. Bitcoin is currently trading below a side-wards support .

Hey Guys & Girls, SONG OF THE DAY. I'll never miss a beat, I'm lightning on my feet And that's what they don't see mmm mmm, that's what they don't see mmm mmm I'm dancing on my own (dancing on my own), I'll make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go) And that's what they don't know mmm mmm, that's what they don't know mmm mmm But I keep cruising, can't stop, .

BTCUSD , 240, Education

Hello! "When you go fishin' in a lake, you don't just row out to the middle and throw a line in the water. You go where the fish live - around the edge and near the sunken trees. Same way, you enter trades near the edges of congestion zones, where bulls or bears are so exhausted that a small amount of pressure can reverse a trend." Trading Ranges is where the .

In the previous idea we defined the current reversal zone as 6950-7100. Overnight the price dropped to 7040, triggering some limit orders: https://www.tradingview.com/chart/BTCUSD/emLvDuqG-Bitcoin-BTC-Buy-Levels/ I still expect the bottom to be formed in the next couple of days. There a couple of technical readings to consider: Key Support Area Bullish .

At the beginning I would like to say that I am still bearish, even if this scenario occurs. That would only mean that we would probably make a longer correction by 3-4 months before the final crash comes. So that some are not surprised: The final crash does not mean for me that Bitcoin will drop to zero. It just means that we will see one last impulse down before .

Hope this idea will inspire some of you ! Don't forget to hit the like/follow button if you feel like this post deserves it ;) That's the best way to support me and help pushing this content to other users. If you want to see my chart more closely, click the share button below that video.. You will be able to have access to the chart used in that .

Hello traders and fellow gamblers! So this is the promised compiled chart that has the magical Gann Square, Fib circles (I added one more) and updated Fib fan, as well as Fib retracements and extensions. Bearish scenario: Sooner or later we are going to bounce. If we bounce without breaking the giant triangle with thick orange line at its base, bulls have a .

BTCUSD , 1D, Short ,

The bottom I talked about in my last update (link below) is actually only A wave. The whole thing is A wave; The projected B and C waves are plotted in this chart and things dont look good for bitcoin I feel sorry for all bitcoin holders including myself for squandering my money in it. I hope everyone recovers their investments. If you want me to continue .

Complicated one today guys. I'm basically showing waves (intermediate - purple), within waves (primary - red), within waves (cycle - blue). According to my count we are forming cycle wave 4. Cycle wave 4 is a corrective wave, and could end where cycle wave 3 ended its primary impulse wave 4 . see the red 4 around Sep 15, 2017 . around 3k. Some people are .

BTCUSD , 1M, Long ,

Bitcoin has produced a bull pennant on the monthly time frame and higher highs and lowers lows on the monthly candle. Looks good on this time frame.

11:34 Gmt 06:34 Est Bitcoin Coinbase Update OK. So a little a break higher to bust out bear stops around 7166 - stop hunters and bots! But at least a little continuation pattern looks to be forming now giving us break points either side of the smallest parallels . Only gets interesting again once we see a break either up or down - which we can follow with .

a potential bear cypher advanced formation is setting up.

Hi Guys and GirlZ, I come up with a new post on Bitcoin price, I used some drawing tools to plot my idea . I think I might be one of those rare guys who are very optimistic in this Bear Market. I would say Bitcoin is going to touch 11k again soon by June 10 before that it can (or cannot to me 7100 is better entry point ) dip to 6900 and in worst cases .

An in depth analysis of Bitcoin shows that not only has its price increased with time, but its rate of increase has increased as well. The above chart demonstrates this analysis and comprises of two types of Bitcoin (BTC) rallies: Rally X and Rally Y. The former comprises of a period of 12 months and is an extended rally whereas the latter comprises of 6.5 months .

Goldman Sachs to Open a Bitcoin Trading Operation

SAN FRANCISCO — Most big banks have tried to stay far away from the scandal-tainted virtual currency Bitcoin.

But Goldman Sachs, perhaps the most storied name in finance, is bucking the risks and moving ahead with plans to set up what appears to be the first Bitcoin trading operation at a Wall Street bank.

In a step that is likely to lend legitimacy to virtual currencies — and create new concerns for Goldman — the bank is about to begin using its own money to trade with clients in a variety of contracts linked to the price of Bitcoin.

While Goldman will not initially be buying and selling actual Bitcoins, a team at the bank is looking at going in that direction if it can get regulatory approval and figure out how to deal with the additional risks associated with holding the virtual currency.

Rana Yared, one of the Goldman executives overseeing the creation of the trading operation, said the bank was cleareyed about what it was getting itself into.

“I would not describe myself as a true believer who wakes up thinking Bitcoin will take over the world,” Ms. Yared said. “For almost every person involved, there has been personal skepticism brought to the table.”

Still, the suggestion that Goldman Sachs, among the most vaunted banks on Wall Street and a frequent target for criticism, would even consider trading Bitcoin would have been viewed as preposterous a few years ago, when Bitcoin was primarily known as a way to buy drugs online.

Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous figure going by the name Satoshi Nakamoto, who talked about replacing Wall Street banks — not giving them a new revenue line.

Over the last two years, however, a growing number of hedge funds and other large investors around the world have expressed an interest in virtual currencies. Tech companies like Square have begun offering Bitcoin services to their customers, and the commodity exchanges in Chicago started allowing customers to trade Bitcoin futures contracts in December.

But until now, regulated financial institutions have steered clear of Bitcoin, with some going so far as to shut down the accounts of customers who traded Bitcoin. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, famously called it a fraud, and many other bank chief executives have said Bitcoin is nothing more than a speculative bubble.

Ms. Yared said Goldman had concluded that Bitcoin is not a fraud and does not have the characteristics of a currency. But a number of clients wanted to hold it as a valuable commodity, similar to gold, given the limited quantity of Bitcoin that can ever be “mined” in a complex, virtual system.

“It resonates with us when a client says, ‘I want to hold Bitcoin or Bitcoin futures because I think it is an alternate store of value,’” she said.

Ms. Yared said the bank had received inquiries from hedge funds, as well as endowments and foundations that received virtual currency donations from newly minted Bitcoin millionaires and didn’t know how to handle them. The ultimate decision to begin trading Bitcoin contracts went through Goldman’s board of directors.

The step comes with plenty of uncertainties. Bitcoin prices are primarily set on unregulated exchanges in other countries where there are few measures in place to prevent market manipulation.

Since the beginning of the year, the price of Bitcoin has plunged — and recovered significantly — as traders have faced uncertainty about how regulators will deal with virtual currencies.

“It is not a new risk that we don’t understand,” Ms. Yared said. “It is just a heightened risk that we need to be extra aware of here.”

Goldman has already been doing more than most banks in the area, clearing trades for customers who want to buy and sell Bitcoin futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

In the next few weeks — the exact start date has not been set — Goldman will begin using its own money to trade Bitcoin futures contracts on behalf of clients. It will also create its own, more flexible version of a future, known as a non-deliverable forward, which it will offer to clients.

The bank’s first “digital asset” trader, Justin Schmidt, joined Goldman two weeks ago to handle the day-to-day operations, a hiring that was first reported by Tearsheet. In his last job, Mr. Schmidt, 38, was an electronic trader at the hedge fund Seven Eight Capital. In 2017, he left that job to trade virtual currencies on his own.

He will initially be placed on Goldman’s foreign currency desk because Bitcoin trading has the most similarity to movements in emerging market currencies, Ms. Yared said.

Mr. Schmidt is looking at trading actual Bitcoin — or physical Bitcoin, as it is somewhat ironically called — if the bank can secure regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve and New York authorities.

The firm also has to find a way to confidently hold Bitcoin for customers without its being stolen by hackers, as has happened to many Bitcoin exchanges. Mr. Schmidt and Ms. Yared said the current options for holding Bitcoin for clients did not yet meet Wall Street standards.

Goldman is known for pushing the envelope in the trading of complicated products. The firm faced significant criticism after the financial crisis for its profitable trading of so-called synthetic derivatives tied to the subprime mortgage markets.

Since the crisis, Goldman has made a big push to position itself as the most technologically sophisticated firm on Wall Street. Among other things, it has started an online lending service, known as Marcus, that has brought the firm into contact with retail customers for the first time. The virtual currency trading, though, will be available only to big institutional investors.

Mr. Schmidt said Goldman’s sophistication was a big part of the reason he was open to the job, despite many other opportunities in the virtual currency world.

“In terms of having a trusted institutional player, it has been something I have been looking for in my own crypto trading — but it didn’t exist,” he said.

Follow Nathaniel Popper on Twitter: @nathanielpopper

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