Skip to main
Patrick avatar
Patrick
@namastestrategy
#Crypto #cryptocurrency Cryptocurrencies are created at a dizzying 😵‍💫 rate. There’s been a slight slowdown in spontaneous crypto inception with the insane string of crypto-connected dominoes falling over the past year in the cryptoverse (FTX, Voyager, Celsius, 3AC, to name just a few…). But we’ve still seen new ICOs launch and follow the same meteoric path as thousands (literally) before them. A look at this chart shows just how rapidly new crypto gets introduced. And how quickly it collapses. As we’ve seen with this week’s announcement of the depegging of $USDC from the $1 due to Circle’s exposure to $SIVB (and the Terra Luna debacle before it…), even supposedly “stable” things aren’t necessarily stable in the cryptoverse. Why does this matter? Not every crypto project is going to make it. In fact, similar to animal species on Earth, a high proportion of the crypto projects that have ever been launched have reached extinction. On the way there, those projects take the money of their most die-hard supporters. That could be you if you haven’t done your due diligence and YOUR OWN research. So if you’re going to gamble on crypto, what can you do to be safe? You can’t. Just start there. You are taking a risk that is very hard to quantify in an unregulated sector filled with and affected by hyperbole, myth, fantasy, and outright self-delusion at times. It’s important to accept that about any cryptocurrency you purchase. When Elon tweets, $DOGE rises (there’s actual scientific research on that; see references at the end). It’s hard to say there’s such a thing as “responsible gambling”, but , if you choose to walk down that path, you can at least take a harm reduction approach. Consider asking yourself the following questions BEFORE buying: 🧐What does this cryptocurrency supposedly do? 🥸Who launched this project? What do I know (or what can I find out) about the founders? If these questions are hard to answer, or you keep feeling like the explanations are just too technical to wrap your mind around, maybe take some time to actually write down the pros/cons of gambling on this crypto project. Also, decide BEFORE buying: How much are you willing to gamble on this project? Some intentionality can go a long way. 📈📉Where will your loss/gain exit points be? Deciding in advance can take SOME of the emotion out if it- as the novelist Cara Bertoia said, “It’s hard to walk away from a winning streak, even harder to leave the table when you’re on a losing one.” AFTER you’re in, periodically ask: Is this project still what I thought it was at the beginning? Has anything changed with the risk for this project? Are the founders still involved? Whether yes or no, is that a good thing? If all this sounds like too much work, because you just want to take the plunge, get your ticket to the moon, launch to the land of the wealthy, and touch down in the land of early retirement…take a moment to reflect on why you’re not willing to do the work. Try saying out loud to yourself whatever your reasons are for buying this crypto at this moment. Maybe even write it down. There’s a whole movement these days around investment journaling. While it may be true that “scared money don’t make no money”, neither does uninformed excited money. Irrational exuberance is the enemy of any portfolio. And if you happen to see crypto as a safe gamble that you’re sure you can win because it’s different for you, just remember… “There is a very easy way to return from a casino with a small fortune: go there with a large one” — Jack Yelton Sources/References: https://www.statista.com/statistics/863917/number-crypto-coins-tokens/ Stablecoin USDC breaks dollar peg after firm reveals it has $3.3 billion in SVB exposure https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/11/stablecoin-usdc-breaks-dollar-peg-after-firm-reveals-it-has-3point3-billion-in-svb-exposure.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard Ante, L. (2023). How Elon Musk's twitter activity moves cryptocurrency markets. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 186, 122112. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162522006333 Shahzad, S. J. H., Anas, M., & Bouri, E. (2022). Price explosiveness in cryptocurrencies and Elon Musk's tweets. Finance Research Letters, 47, 102695. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612322000241 Tandon, C., Revankar, S., & Parihar, S. S. (2021). How can we predict the impact of the social media messages on the value of cryptocurrency? Insights from big data analytics. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 1(2), 100035. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667096821000288
26
0
Own your future.
Build your portfolio.

Invest in everything on Public

Public is an all-in-one investing platform where you can build a multi-asset portfolio that includes everything from stocks and options to bonds, crypto, and a High-Yield Cash Account.
Sign Up
Contact Us
Check the background of this firm on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

© Copyright 2024 Public Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Market data powered by Xignite.

All investments involve the risk of loss and the past performance of a security or a financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. You should consult your legal, tax, or financial advisors before making any financial decisions. This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, open a brokerage account, or engage in any investment strategy.

Stocks, ETFs, Options, Bonds.
Self-directed brokerage accounts and brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options, and Bonds, except for treasury securities offered through Jiko Securities, Inc., are offered to self-directed customers by Open to the Public Investing, Inc. (“Public Investing”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. Additional information about your broker can be found by clicking here. Public Investing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Public Holdings, Inc. (“Public Holdings”). This is not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities or open a brokerage account in any jurisdiction where Public Investing is not registered. Securities products offered by Public Investing are not FDIC insured. Apex Clearing Corporation, our clearing firm, has additional insurance coverage in excess of the regular SIPC limits. Additional information can be found here.

Options.
Certain requirements must be met in order to trade options. Options can be risky and are not suitable for all investors. Options transactions are often complex, and investors can rapidly lose the entire amount of their investment or more in a short period of time. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing in options. Refer to the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before considering any options transaction. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request. Tax considerations with options transactions are unique and investors considering options should consult their tax advisor as to how taxes affect the outcome of each options strategy.

Options Order Flow Rebates.
If you are enrolled in our Options Order Flow Rebate Program, Public Investing will share a percentage of our estimated order flow revenue for each completed options trade as a rebate to help reduce your trading costs. Rebate rates vary monthly from $0.06-$0.18 and depend on your current and prior month’s options trading volume. This rebate will be deducted from your cost to place the trade and will be reflected on your trade confirmation. To learn more, see our Options Rebate Program Terms & Conditions, Order Rebate FAQ and Fee Schedule.

Bonds.
“Bonds” shall refer to corporate debt securities and U.S. government securities offered on the Public platform through a self-directed brokerage account held at Public Investing and custodied at Apex Clearing. For purposes of this section, Bonds exclude treasury securities held in treasury accounts with Jiko Securities, Inc. as explained under the “ Treasury Accounts” section.

Investments in Bonds are subject to various risks including risks related to interest rates, credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors. The value of Bonds fluctuate and any investments sold prior to maturity may result in gain or loss of principal. In general, when interest rates go up, Bond prices typically drop, and vice versa. Bonds with higher yields or offered by issuers with lower credit ratings generally carry a higher degree of risk. All fixed income securities are subject to price change and availability, and yield is subject to change. Bond ratings, if provided, are third party opinions on the overall bond's credit worthiness at the time the rating is assigned. Ratings are not recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell securities, and they do not address the market value of securities or their suitability for investment purposes.

A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. The Bond Account’s yield is the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across all ten bonds in the Bond Account, before fees. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule.

Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. You should evaluate each bond before investing in a Bond Account. The bonds in your Bond Account will not be rebalanced and allocations will not be updated, except for Corporate Actions.

Fractional Bonds also carry additional risks including that they are only available on Public and cannot be transferred to other brokerages. Read more about the risks associated with fixed income and fractional bonds. See Bond Account Disclosures to learn more.

High-Yield Cash Account.
A High-Yield Cash Account is a secondary brokerage account with Public Investing. Funds in your High-Yield Cash Account are automatically deposited into partner banks (“Partner Banks”), where that cash earns interest and is eligible for FDIC insurance. See here for a list of current Partner Banks. Your Annual Percentage Yield is variable and may change at the discretion of the Partner Banks or Public Investing. Apex Clearing and Public Investing receive administrative fees for operating this program, which reduce the amount of interest paid on swept cash. Neither Public Investing nor any of its affiliates is a bank. Learn more.

Cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency trading, execution, and custody services are provided by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) (“Bakkt”). Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrencies offered by Bakkt are not securities and are not FDIC insured or protected by SIPC. Your cryptocurrency assets are held in your Bakkt account. Bakkt is a licensed virtual currency business by the New York State Department of Financial Services and a licensed money transmitter, but is not a registered broker-dealer or a FINRA member. Your Bakkt Crypto account is separate from your brokerage account with Public Investing, which holds US-listed stocks and ETFs. Please review the Risk Disclosures before trading.

Treasury Accounts.
Investing services in treasury accounts offering 6 month US Treasury Bills on the Public platform are through Jiko Securities, Inc. (“JSI”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. See JSI’s FINRA BrokerCheck and Form CRS for further information. JSI uses funds from your Treasury Account to purchase T-bills in increments of $100 “par value” (the T-bill’s value at maturity). T-bills are purchased at a discount to the par value and the T-bill’s yield represents the difference in price between the “par value” and the “discount price.” Aggregate funds in your Treasury Account in excess of the T-bill purchases will remain in your Treasury Account as cash. The value of T-bills fluctuate and investors may receive more or less than their original investments if sold prior to maturity. T-bills are subject to price change and availability - yield is subject to change. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investments in T-bills involve a variety of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. As a general rule, the price of a T-bills moves inversely to changes in interest rates. Although T-bills are considered safer than many other financial instruments, you could lose all or a part of your investment. See Jiko U.S. Treasuries Risk Disclosures for further details.

Investments in T-bills: Not FDIC Insured; No Bank Guarantee; May Lose Value.

Banking services and bank accounts are offered by Jiko Bank, a division of Mid-Central National Bank. JSI and Jiko Bank are not affiliated with Public Holdings, Inc. (“Public”) or any of its subsidiaries. None of these entities provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal, tax, or financial advisors before making any financial decisions. This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer, or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, open a brokerage account, or engage in any investment strategy.

Commission-free trading refers to $0 commissions charged on trades of US listed registered securities placed during the US Markets Regular Trading Hours in self-directed brokerage accounts offered by Public Investing. Keep in mind that other fees such as regulatory fees, Premium subscription fees, commissions on trades during extended trading hours, wire transfer fees, and paper statement fees may apply to your brokerage account. Please see Public’s Investing’s Fee Schedule to learn more.

Fractional shares are illiquid outside of Public and not transferable. For a complete explanation of conditions, restrictions and limitations associated with fractional shares, see our Fractional Share Disclosure to learn more.

Investment Plans. Investment Plans (“Plans”) shown in our marketplace are for informational purposes only and are meant as helpful starting points as you discover, research and create a Plan that meets your specific investing needs. Plans are self-directed purchases of individually-selected assets, which may include stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrency. Plans are not recommendations of a Plan overall or its individual holdings or default allocations. Plans are created using defined, objective criteria based on generally accepted investment theory; they are not based on your needs or risk profile. You are responsible for establishing and maintaining allocations among assets within your Plan. Plans involve continuous investments, regardless of market conditions. Diversification does not eliminate risk. See our Investment Plans Terms and Conditions and Sponsored Content and Conflicts of Interest Disclosure.

Alpha.
Alpha is an experiment brought to you by Public Holdings, Inc. (“Public”). Alpha is an AI research tool powered by GPT-4, a generative large language model. Alpha is experimental technology and may give inaccurate or inappropriate responses. Output from Alpha should not be construed as investment research or recommendations, and should not serve as the basis for any investment decision. All Alpha output is provided “as is.” Public makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, completeness, quality, timeliness, or any other characteristic of such output. Your use of Alpha output is at your sole risk. Please independently evaluate and verify the accuracy of any such output for your own use case.

Market Data.
Quotes and other market data for Public’s product offerings are obtained from third party sources believed to be reliable, but Public makes no representation or warranty regarding the quality, accuracy, timeliness, and/or completeness of this information. Such information is time sensitive and subject to change based on market conditions and other factors. You assume full responsibility for any trading decisions you make based upon the market data provided, and Public is not liable for any loss caused directly or indirectly by your use of such information. Market data is provided solely for informational and/or educational purposes only. It is not intended as a recommendation and does not represent a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any particular security.