Is now the best time for new people to invest?

[e521]

lost nearly half its value

There were worse crashes in Bitcoin history (27->2 and 266-50), and recovered

Yes you are right, also bubbles last longer as they progress, this might be a good sign.
To be honest I think double previous ATH (450-500) is the bottom but if we get another really bad news tomorrow it will certainly go down, rapidly!

[bumpk1nK]

lost nearly half its value

There were worse crashes in Bitcoin history (27->2 and 266-50), and recovered

Yes you are right, also bubbles last longer as they progress, this might be a good sign.
To be honest I think double previous ATH (450-500) is the bottom but if we get another really bad news tomorrow it will certainly go down, rapidly!

Maybe it is not bottom, and another selloff will be tommorow, not all Chinese sold I guess

[Kaligulax]

Bitcoin is a currency. When you say "invest" you need to understand what your aims are. Do you "invest" in Euros when you go to Europe? Or are you "investing in Yen" when you travel to Japan? Are you really "investing" when buying another currency?

What I'm trying to do is a little bit of education. BTC exists for a reason and that reason is so that it can be used as a currency. The fact that it also has properties that make Fiat currencies go down in value against it, does not make it "an investment" - it merely highlights the problems that the other currencies have in retaining actual value.

I do however recommend to my friends that they buy at least 1 bitcoin and if they want, I will buy them back off the person that does if they no longer want them.

If you see Bitcoin as a hedge against your own currency crashing against bitcoin, then by all means buy BTC as an "investment". Other than that buy BTC because you want to spend it now or later.

[wachtwoord]

Bitcoin is a currency. When you say "invest" you need to understand what your aims are. Do you "invest" in Euros when you go to Europe? Or are you "investing in Yen" when you travel to Japan? Are you really "investing" when buying another currency?

What I'm trying to do is a little bit of education. BTC exists for a reason and that reason is so that it can be used as a currency. The fact that it also has properties that make Fiat currencies go down in value against it, does not make it "an investment" - it merely highlights the problems that the other currencies have in retaining actual value.

I do however recommend to my friends that they buy at least 1 bitcoin and if they want, I will buy them back off the person that does if they no longer want them.

If you see Bitcoin as a hedge against your own currency crashing against bitcoin, then by all means buy BTC as an "investment". Other than that buy BTC because you want to spend it now or later.

This is nonsense because all the other currencies are just as bad (or worse) as the USD. Fiat currencies are defined to lose purchasing power in the long term and are only useful for short term liquidity.

It is possible to invest in Bitcoin, just like it's possible to invest in other commodities, stocks and bonds.

[vesipyks]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

[yatsey87]

Now is a great time to invest as BTC has been at its lowest for a while. Can't see it going any lower unless there's a catastrophic event.

[wachtwoord]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

That's bullcrap also. Investing in volatile things is perfectly acceptable. However, one should require this added volatility to be 'paid' for with additional upside. Bitcoin is such a situation so the volatility is perfectly acceptable

[zubelutte]

Now is a great time to invest as BTC has been at its lowest for a while. Can't see it going any lower unless there's a catastrophic event.

Catastrophic event ? All you need is some bad news, China as example 2 times this month

[Boldhead]

I'm not sure it will not go under 500, last week everybody thought it  would be the lowest when it was at 800, this week 500, next week..?

BTC great you can even add the bitcoin symbol in replies!

[hilariousandco]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

You can speculate as an investment. The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

[wachtwoord]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

You can speculate as an investment. The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

No you can't and yes they are.

[zuerdemon]

I'm not sure it will not go under 500, last week everybody thought it  would be the lowest when it was at 800, this week 500, next week..?

Depends what will happen next week, news can be eighter bad or good

[hilariousandco]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

You can speculate as an investment. The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

No you can't and yes they are.

How can you not speculate as an investment?

[vesipyks]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

That's bullcrap also. Investing in volatile things is perfectly acceptable. However, one should require this added volatility to be 'paid' for with additional upside. Bitcoin is such a situation so the volatility is perfectly acceptable

I am just saying that with that high volatility buying and selling is speculating. Low volatility and long term is investing. Buying does not always mean investing.

[wachtwoord]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

You can speculate as an investment. The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

No you can't and yes they are.

How can you not speculate as an investment?

By definition. I recommend you read "The intelligent investor" by Benjamin Graham.

[wachtwoord]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

That's bullcrap also. Investing in volatile things is perfectly acceptable. However, one should require this added volatility to be 'paid' for with additional upside. Bitcoin is such a situation so the volatility is perfectly acceptable

I am just saying that with that high volatility buying and selling is speculating. Low volatility and long term is investing. Buying does not always mean investing.

That's not the definition of either of those. Investment has to do with the estimate of value (and the future increase/decrease of value) and the coupling with price. If the price is sufficiently lower it's a good investment (based on the amount of risk).

Speculation is when you don't care about value but only about price. In speculation you base yor buying and selling decisions on whether you think people will pay more or less for the thing you're buying or selling at some point in the future IRRESPECTIVE of value.

[hilariousandco]

I would not call buying BTC as an investment. It is rather speculating.

For an investment the volatility is terrible. For speculating it is a huge opportunity even withing one day.

You can speculate as an investment. The terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

No you can't and yes they are.

How can you not speculate as an investment?

By definition. I recommend you read "The intelligent investor" by Benjamin Graham.

Depends on your definition.

In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings. This may or may not be backed by research and analysis. Most or all forms of investment involve some form of risk, such as investment in equities, property, and even fixed interest securities which are subject, among other things, to inflation risk.

I think it falls under this, but I will put The Intelligent Investor on my reading list.

[wachtwoord]

I think it falls under this, but I will put The Intelligent Investor on my reading list.

I agree it will depend on your definition, but then again doesn't anything?

I'll guarantee you're going to be glad you put that on your reading list. It's the book that formed me as an investor.

[hilariousandco]

I think it falls under this, but I will put The Intelligent Investor on my reading list.

I agree it will depend on your definition, but then again doesn't anything?

I'll guarantee you're going to be glad you put that on your reading list. It's the book that formed me as an investor.

What is your definition of 'guarantee'? I've just downloaded it.

[Sindelar1938]

This is a good entry point

Lot of the specs are out again which in a way is not a bad thing