Borrowing money to invest in BTC ( My own past experience)

[Outhue]

This is not a financial advice

I have read some posts, comments and topics on this forum that talk about borrowing money to invest in crypto.

I know this is a bad idea because the chances of getting a good result from this are 50/50 since crypto is risky but I want to talk about how borrowing money has helped me a lot.

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

This was how I made my first gain with crypto, I paid the money back and have some money, borrowing money is not entirely bad but you need to stay within your range, I knew if things went wrong I will be able to repay the 150$.

If you have to borrow money ( for BTC investment ) make sure the owner won't be needing the money too soon, also make sure you borrow the amount thats not or will never be a life threatening for you to repay if things go wrong.

[1714616735]

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[Mpamaegbu]

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

Within that time range, I'm sure you bought at less than a thousand dollar. And yes, it was selling too soon. I'm sure you kicked yourself real hard when you saw that price continued up north after you sold off. Anyway, for me the idea of borrowing to invest/trade is likened to borrowing to finance a project. I really don't see it as something that can't be done when we look at it in deeper perspective.

[KiaKia]

Looks like you invested in a good time, 2017 was a good year for crypto that's why you are able to make gains in a few months, would you dare borrow money in this bear market to invest in crypto?

[Wiwo]

This is not a financial advice

To be frank with you, this post covers everything you needed to say and you also concluded by giving the right advice. Many people will advise against borrowing to buy Bitcoin but just as you rightly said in your post, it depends on individual conditions and chances. In your case you were lucky to have bought Bitcoin in 2017 when the Bitcoin bull market was highly intense according to the price at that time and you were able to sell at a gain but you did not tell us how much profits you make from the $150 invested into Bitcoin and what your entry and exit price was, but am sure you made some good profit and you didn't go above what you can afford.

[Hyphen(-)]

I know this is a bad idea because the chances of getting a good result from this are 50/50 since crypto is risky but I want to talk about how borrowing money has helped me a lot.

Risk is associated with any form or type of business, including cryptocurrency, but the risk involved in cryptocurrency is extremely high due to its digital, rather than physical, nature. Borrowing money to invest is almost the same as investing money you cannot afford to lose because the money is not yours and must be repaid.

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

This was how I made my first gain with crypto, I paid the money back and have some money, borrowing money is not entirely bad but you need to stay within your range, I knew if things went wrong I will be able to repay the 150$.

You are extremely fortunate to have profited from your investment with borrowed capital, but it is strongly discouraged due to the high risk involved; having such a benefit is not for everyone, and even if you are extremely fortunate, someone may lose it all because the Crypto market is unpredictable.
Always invest only what you can afford to lose, and avoid borrowing money for crypto investments.

[freedomgo]

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

Within that time range, I'm sure you bought at less than a thousand dollar. And yes, it was selling too soon. I'm sure you kicked yourself real hard when you saw that price continued up north after you sold off. Anyway, for me the idea of borrowing to invest/trade is likened to borrowing to finance a project. I really don't see it as something that can't be done when we look at it in deeper perspective.

There’s no wrong actually from borrowing money as long as you intend to use it for bigger and brighter purposes. And it’s definitely most of the big time investors are doing so that give them more opportunities to gain and earn. However, as long as you never invest for a wrong investment or that has a red flag, then your borrowed money won’t be compromised.

[hatshepsut93]

I know this is a bad idea because the chances of getting a good result from this are 50/50 since crypto is risky but I want to talk about how borrowing money has helped me a lot.

That's not how probability works. Just because there's two possible outcomes doesn't mean that the chances are 50/50. Investing in Bitcoin higher chance of success than investing in an altcoin. And your success also depends on your actions. Even if you buy Bitcoin and it will go up, you need to have patience to hold it and not sell at a loss. And you need to avoid losing it to malware, scams, hacks.

Investing with borrowed money is never a good idea. Investing should only ever be done with your own spare funds that you can lose. Because if you are risking your last money, you're achieving the opposite thing - making yourself poorer.

[nurilham]

I know this is a bad idea because the chances of getting a good result from this are 50/50 since crypto is risky but I want to talk about how borrowing money has helped me a lot.

I don't think borrowing money is always a bad idea, it depends on how you use the borrowing money and how much money you borrow. You have proven that borrowing money is a good idea. It is very helpful if you use the borrowing money in the right way, isn't it? As long as we don't borrow money excessively and use the money for something that we really understand, it sometimes effectively gains bigger profits. However, don't make it as a habit, you won't always succeed to gain profits every time borrow money.

Regarding the chance to get a good result, it is actually the same as using our own money. And the chance can be higher (more than 50% to succeed) if we have enough knowledge and experience in it. Crypto investment is risky, but it isn't like gambling, we should have many ways to increase the opportunity to succeed.

[Stalker22]

First off, if you are looking for a way to get quick cash and then invest it into Bitcoin, this is not always going to work out. It is important to remember that borrowing money is rarely good for your financial situation and will put you at risk of defaulting on your payments. There is no guarantee that Bitcoin will rise in value over time, so you may end up in a worse financial situation than before. You should only borrow money if it is absolutely necessary, and then do so as sparingly as possible.

My suggestion is to not invest money you cannot afford to lose, not just because of the risk that Bitcoin may not rise in value but also because of the risk that it may fall dramatically. It might be better to save up and wait until you have the money required, instead of putting your financial future at risk by borrowing money to buy Bitcoin. Understandably, there is incredible excitement regarding future investments given how well cryptocurrencies have performed over the years. But that does not mean you should treat buying Bitcoin as an opportunity to get rich quick.

[suzanne5223]

If you have to borrow money ( for BTC investment ) make sure the owner won't be needing the money too soon, also make sure you borrow the amount thats not or will never be a life threatening for you to repay if things go wrong.

Yes, you're lucky to invest the money you borrowed in Bitcoin that the end of the bearish season when the market is also preparing for bullish and I will advise you don't make a risky investment in crypto because tomorrow is never promised.
Instead of borrowing money from an individual, there are some crypto exchanges and decentralized platforms that offer lending service.

To borrow money to invest in bitcoin? That is a bad idea. It is better to prepare ahead.

It is never financial advice but borrowing money to invest in Bitcoin is not a bad idea if the money borrowed is an amount ones can afford to pay back.

[Finestream]

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

Within that time range, I'm sure you bought at less than a thousand dollar. And yes, it was selling too soon. I'm sure you kicked yourself real hard when you saw that price continued up north after you sold off. Anyway, for me the idea of borrowing to invest/trade is likened to borrowing to finance a project. I really don't see it as something that can't be done when we look at it in deeper perspective.

Investing in bitcoin may also comes with luck but it’s more on knowledge and skills. And when you think borrowing for initial investment is good, well it depends. If you are investing in potential coins that have proven its worth a lot of times, then maybe borrowing money is a good alternative as long as you also borrow an amount that you are capable to pay even when crypto investment fails.

[Coyster]

And the chance can be higher (more than 50% to succeed) if we have enough knowledge and experience in it. Crypto investment is risky, but it isn't like gambling, we should have many ways to increase the opportunity to succeed.

The knowledge one develops before investing in Bitcoin doesn't correlate with the price (if it will appreciate or depreciate), because the direction the price will take at any given time is unpredictable. You can't have enough knowledge or experience to increase your chances or time your ROI when you invest in Bitcoin, you basically just buy and hodl for the long term, thus if your lender will be needing their money anytime soon, borrowing to invest shouldn't be part of ones plans.

Having said that, when it comes to Bitcoin investment i don't think there is any particular trick to it in order to increase your chances of success, you basically just have to do the simple things like being patient and understanding that it isn't a get-rich-quick scheme, and it is much easier to do all these if the money invested is yours.

[sheenshane]

If you have to borrow money ( for BTC investment ) make sure the owner won't be needing the money too soon, also make sure you borrow the amount thats not or will never be a life threatening for you to repay if things go wrong.

Ain't know if there are still people doing this, a lender that didn't need money after a year or how many months.  But if there's really it is, then that's good.
Lending money to invest in Bitcoin is good but this will depend on your agreement, there shouldn't have a time range when you pay it back.

But IMO, investing in Bitcoin with the amount that you can afford is the best way to invest, just like saving the amount little by little and storing it in the bank that you have control with your own money (in a non-custodial wallet).

All kind of investments has been tied up with risk, you should understand it first and be ready for the consequences that may happen in the future, at least there's should be a plan B.

[qwertyup23]

First of all, let me congratulate you OP for able to return the loan you borrowed. Very rarely do we see that people return their loans from an investment since the result is always the opposite- most people who borrowed money to invest in cryptocurrency fell short due to the latter's nature.

Good thing that you borrowed a relatively short amount of capital. There are others here who aim to loan large amounts of sum for their returns to double.

While your case may be the living proof that it is possible, the cons outweigh the pros in this case. But as a general rule, if someone were to borrow a loan to invest into cryptocurrency, better have a backup/contingency plan in case your investment incurred a loss in the process.

[Techkoy407]

but in my opinion, nowadays if you invest with borrowed money, it is not very good or not good,
because if investing or trading in crypto especially, it is very risky and may have an impact on your psychology when you trade,
for example
- if the market goes down, there will be more panic, because it's borrowed money and if we don't make a profit or loss it will be a problem.

- in essence, it will be more difficult to focus.

[Poker Player]

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

This was how I made my first gain with crypto, I paid the money back and have some money, borrowing money is not entirely bad but you need to stay within your range, I knew if things went wrong I will be able to repay the 150$.

You might as well have borrowed $150 to go to the casino. It wouldn't be much different, in fact, which is far from saying that it's a good system for making money.

If you have to borrow money ( for BTC investment ) make sure the owner won't be needing the money too soon, also make sure you borrow the amount thats not or will never be a life threatening for you to repay if things go wrong.

I would apply this to borrow money in general, not just if you are doing it to invest in Bitcoin.

[RiverBoy]

The first time that I invested in BTC I used money that's not mine, I borrowed 150$ and invested in BTC years ago (2017) I never knew what halving was all about or even bull market then the market started appreciating, I sold around April 2017, yea too soon.

The time you borrowed money to invest on bitcoin 2017, was a good time to invest and that is why your enable to pay back quick at second quarter (Q2) of the year 2017, base on the bear market, that cryptocurrency market has been experience for few months now, has not recover, and is a very high risk to borrow to invest in bitcoin, as you said, accept is a long term holding before paying back.

[Cuda911]

You never say a thing about how you borrow the money, this part matters too because I won't take a loan from a bank for example to invest in BTC, if it's from a family member or a friend who understands what type of a person I am then it's all good, even if loss happens they know I will pay back, still it depends on where you get the money and what's the payback time.

[salad daging]

You are still said to be very lucky because at that time the market was good, meaning that borrowing can be returned quickly because at that time it was friendly to the bitcoin price so this could benefit from the loan, but we must know that it is a very big risk especially invested in Bitcoin whose price fluctuations are unpredictable because of what I found in several articles many people are trapped in this because they borrow money for investment while interest continues to rise because every month they have to be paid this which makes them become chaotic when the market which is not lucky means it is in bearish.

Borrowing must be in the calculation and you can control what must be invested correctly, even if it's in Bitcoin but the movement must be able to be analyzed correctly at least don't get trapped which makes you a heavy pressure who has to return the loan money with the time that is due , it must be reconsidered so I always avoid borrowing to invest in bitcoin because I know this is not a good way to make a profit just because of a loan.

Indeed, many large companies make loans but they know about the financial stability that will be used and this is not in bitcoin which cannot predict the price.

[Ultegra134]

I'm happy that it turned out fine for you. Even though you only borrowed a small amount of money, I'm highly against using money that you don't practically own. It's an unspoken rule not to use borrowed funds for investments, not just Bitcoin, for the same reason you wouldn't go to a casino with borrowed money. Things can quickly deteriorate, and you're screwed, especially if you have a bank loan and are paying interest. If something occurs and you're unable to make your payments on time, accrued interest will quickly accumulate, putting you in serious debt. If I remember correctly, a member here recently claimed that he took a loan of over $10.000 in order to buy bitcoin. This not only poses significant risks in the event that Bitcoin or the market crashes severely, but it also significantly reduces your APY, assuming everything goes as planned.

Luckily, Bitcoin's prices were much lower in 2017 and it was considered a great period for purchases, regardless of what your capital was, in which case it was small and even if it didn't go as planned, you wouldn't be in so much trouble, but it is still something to be avoided.