What are Stablecoins? Are they a better investment than Bitcoin?

Stable coins are the type of cryptocurrency which attributes their value to a tangible asset. The main types of stable coins include fiat collateralized, crypto collateralized, non-collateralized, and commodity collateralized. This year, gaining significant traction is gold-backed stablecoins, which can be purchased on a gold-backed cryptocurrency exchange like Gold Exchange.

This backing stabilizes the price, making it less volatile than other cryptocurrencies. That said, cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum offer investors a host of benefits. Among these benefits is not needing a trusted intermediary to institute and send payments, making trades available to anyone worldwide.

1. Investing in stablecoins

Stablecoins are already being used in countries where national currencies are unstable. As such, stablecoins are seeing wide usage in mainstream commerce and, more specifically, in overseas payments to avoid fiat to fiat conversions. Furthermore, stablecoins have also been seen as an effective method for transferring money back to families in foreign countries. Being used as a means of trade, can stablecoins be used for more? Say, an investment vehicle?

Consider that the coin is only as strong as the asset that backs it. Therefore, assets tied to the U.S. dollar are said to decline over time since the U.S. dollar itself is not a good investment. It is less volatile than cryptocurrencies and other fiat currencies, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good investment.

Cryptocurrencies are intended to be decentralized, so many of these benefits are lost when pegging it to a centralized asset. That said, for investors looking to invest in stablecoins, it is advisable to take the same steps as when you would investigate any other financial investment to ensure that the company is reputable and consider the centralized asset’s health.

Since gold and other precious metals are already good investments, the gold-backed stablecoins issued from a reputable company will provide investors with a safe investment opportunity.

Furthermore, stablecoins can be a good investment since they are liquid assets. This is because stablecoins can be converted quickly and easily to the underlying fiat currency than Bitcoin transactions which may be slow to complete. Furthermore, these investments are generally lower risk and can help investors achieve their diversified portfolio.

Another main factor that has influenced the growth of stablecoins is the increase in venture capital money. Many opportunities exist for new business models to emerge in the stablecoin market providing new ways for venture capitalists and regular investors.

2. Investing in bitcoin

In comparison, buying bitcoin is a much more speculative investment. The price of the asset can rise or drop at any time. Bitcoin also exists outside government regulation, even compared to a stablecoin that is typically backed by government-secured support. That said, bitcoin isn’t hard to buy or sell and has utility when making purchases.

Furthermore, the adoption of bitcoin around the world is also accelerating. Bitcoin originally came into circulation out of the financial crisis in 2009 due to bank failures and government bailouts. With new uncertainty entering the economic landscape, many continue to turn to bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, as a haven. As a result, businesses and consumers that have never invested in bitcoin before are now looking at opportunities to purchase it.

Therefore, having some bitcoin is considered worthwhile if it is classified as a high-risk, high-reward asset accompanied by other more stable assets.

3. Stablecoins vs bitcoin

Many new cryptocurrency investors look to bitcoin as their first introduction to cryptocurrency investments. However, this isn’t the only cryptocurrency investment that can prove to be a good investment. Stablecoins offer many benefits when compared to bitcoin, although it isn’t necessarily a better investment.

Instead, it depends on the investor’s intentions and risk appetite. Stablecoins are stable and will hold their value relatively well over time. Bitcoin is volatile, but that is advantageous for investors who want to take advantage of these trading swings.

Therefore, a combination of both assets will prove to be the best long-term strategy for investors.