Please note that since this article was written the FCA has banned retail traders from trading cryptocurrency derivatives. If you would like to speculate on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies you need to use a cryptocurrency exchange or professional trading account.
The bullishness of Bitcoin last year meant never being less than 6 degrees away from a Crypto-trader.
Bitcoin peaked close to $20,000 only to suffer from its worst-ever slump at the start of this year. However, this month saw Bitcoin gain 5 percent in price off the back of the annual blockchain technology conference in New York, offering speculative hope that Bitcoin had ditched the bear and was finally back on the bull.
The volatility of Cryptocurrencies can prove unsettling for some investors. While ownership means you require the asset to rise in value to generate profits, spread betting the market enables you to go long, or short, offering opportunities to capitalise on both rising and falling prices.
Capital Gains Tax can also prove to be an issue for investors, especially when realising profits on a physical cryptocurrency account. However, UK residents do not need to pay CGT on profits generated through spread betting or CFD trading, although you can not use losses to offset taxes elsewhere.
Spread bets and CFDs are leveraged products, so you are not required to have an exchange account or wallet to start trading. Instead, you can simply set up an online spread betting or CFD account through a derivatives broker.
If the recent Bitcoin excitement has awoken forgotten feelings about cryptocurrencies, consider opening a spread betting account. ETX offers opportunities to spread bet on Bitcoin (BTC) Ethereum (ETH) Litecoin (LTC) Ripple (XRP) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
Arman Tahmassebi, CEO at ETX Capital, admits there is huge potential for Crypto-traders.
“Spread bets and CFD s open up huge trading opportunities. The ability to go long, or short, enables traders to take a position without risking their asset. The latest additions to our portfolio are empowering our clients to capitalise on this highly volatile market.”
ETX Capital is an established spread betting provider and is licenced and regulated by the FCA.
You can find out more about ETX and their award-winning trading platform, TraderPro.
