Should You Invest In Cryptocurrency?

Bitcoin value is climbing (and dipping) all the time. We find out whether it’s worth taking the plunge into this emerging form of currency.

- Prof Robert Matthews

They’re everywhere from glossy magazines to emails and are accepted by multinationals and assassins. To some, they are the future of money; to others, they are a disaster waiting to happen. Either way, there’s no denying the current buzz over cryptocurrencies. From Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum to newcomers like Zcash and Ubiq, there are over 1,000 different varieties to choose from. But should you plunge in or stay well clear? It’s a question that’s been asked ever since January 2009, when the granddaddy of them all emerged from nowhere: Bitcoin. A few months earlier, a message had popped up on a technical mailing list describing a new form of electronic payment. That in itself wasn’t particularly exciting: over the years there have been many ideas for new forms of digital cash which for one reason or another have never caught on. But according to its inventor, the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin was different. It was, he claimed, able to operate completely independently of governments, regulators or banks, yet still be totally trustworthy.