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The Future Of Cryptocurrency And Trends To Watch Out For In 2022 And Beyond
The future of cryptocurrency is a hot topic among investors, tech enthusiasts, and finance experts alike. With Bitcoin leading the charge in 2021 with a market cap of almost $736 billion, and Ethereum hitting all-time high prices, it's no surprise that major companies and institutions are taking an interest in these digital assets.
The past year also saw significant global developments, such as El Salvador becoming the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender and China banning all cryptocurrency transactions.
As we move midway into the decade, the crypto industry is poised for further growth and innovation. In this blog post, we'll explore what the future may hold for cryptocurrency and its impact on the global economy.
Key Takeaways
- The crypto market is under increased scrutiny due to the emergence of decentralized finance platforms and the absence of anti-money laundering checks.
- The mushrooming of Bitcoin futures ETF might allow for more crypto trades and oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
- The development of well-suited policies will ensure the safety of crypto investors and make it less appealing to cybercriminals.
- The U.S. President Joe Biden signed the 1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which includes tax reporting provisions that apply to digital assets like cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
- Experts advise crypto investors to make crypto investments less than 5% of their investment portfolio and to invest only what they are willing to lose.
Disclaimer
The contents of this article are for educational purposes only. They are not intended to be a source of professional financial advice. You will find experts on financial planning, financial management, and real estate here. More on disclaimers here.
What Is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that relies on cryptography for security and operates on blockchain technology.
The blockchain serves as a decentralized ledger, maintaining records of all transactions and tracking ownership of the cryptocurrency. These records are immutable and resistant to tampering, providing security against double-spending and counterfeiting of digital currency.
Changing Trends in Crypto Markets to Watch Out For
Cryptocurrency remains a hotly debated topic worldwide. Governments and regulatory bodies are grappling with whether to adopt, regulate, or ban digital currencies.
While this question remains unanswered, industry experts predict some significant trends that are likely to shape the future of cryptocurrency in 2022 and beyond. Keep an eye out for these developments.
Crypto Regulation
Expansion of Decentralized Platforms
With the emergence of decentralized finance platforms, also known as DeFi, major financial institutions are concerned about the lack of consumer protection and the absence of anti-money laundering checks. This has in turn put the crypto market under increased scrutiny.
Developing Well-suited Policies
As the crypto industry continues to grow, it is anticipated that the lawmakers will come up with policies that ensure the safety of crypto investors and make it less appealing to cyber criminals.
But decentralized finance platforms will keep expanding into areas like lending, trading and derivatives, said David Yermack, a finance professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. "We have seen rapid rates of growth and innovation in this space throughout 2021, and regulators face clear challenges in integrating these platforms into traditional compliance frameworks," he said.
Crypto Tax
In November 2021, the U.S. President Joe Biden signed the 1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The legislation includes tax reporting provisions that apply to digital assets like cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs.
This means that it could be easier for the IRS to track crypto activity that is conducted by Americans. Prior to this new legislation, crypto experts had always advised crypto investors to keep records of any capital gains or losses on their crypto assets. Also with the new legislation, crypto investors will be able to easily report their crypto transactions in a more accurate manner.
With the new law, each broker/exchange will have to issue 1099-B tax forms with cost basis information to investors. This will greatly help in reducing the headache that comes with tax filing for crypto.
Increased Volatility
With the volatile nature of the crypto market, experts advise crypto investors to make crypto investments to less than 5% of their investment portfolio and to just invest what they are okay losing, as loss is a possibility in the crypto space.
All in all, many experts believe that regulation of the crypto industry is a good thing as it gives people more confidence in investing in the industry.
Legal Tender
As the different cryptocurrencies continue to gain popularity globally, some countries are ready to adopt their use while some are looking to completely ban the use of crypto.
Taking the lead, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as a valid currency, alongside the nation's local currency, in 2021. "Inspired by the El Salvador experiment, more developing countries will embrace bitcoin as legal tender," said President Nayib Bukele.
The President said that the move to adopt Bitcoin as a valid currency would help the Salvadorans in the diaspora be able to send money back home with ease. He also cited that this would help boost investment in the country, increase financial inclusion as well as tourism and development.
The move generated a lot of media attention globally, but some major concerns that came up were that older people who were not tech savvy would be left out. Also, those living in rural areas with limited or no internet access would struggle getting proper financial services.
The International Monetary Fund wasn't for the decision citing the volatility, financial stability and lack of consumer protection measures that are associated with Bitcoin.
Crypto experts predict that other countries will eventually embrace Bitcoin as legal tender as a way to combat inflation, give people more payment options as well as enable people in the diaspora to make remittances more easily.
More Institutions To Adopt Cryptocurrency
In 2021, the crypto market blew up and a number of mainstream companies took a great interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain. Some companies even invested in crypto while others started accepting Bitcoin payments. It is reported that in 2021 investors, venture capitalists included poured in roughly $30 billion into the crypto industry.
Tesla, Coinbase Global Inc. and MicroStrategy Inc. are among the public companies with the biggest bitcoin portfolios. Some fintech companies like Paypal, Twitch and Square have adopted Bitcoin payments and allow users to transact using Bitcoin on their platforms.
With the increased interest in crypto, Experts predict that more global corporations will adopt the use of Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrencies as a mode of payment.
David Abner, the Global Head of Business Development at Gemini says that, “We’ve seen a tremendous amount of inflow of attention, and that’s going to continue to drive the growth of the industry for a while now."
The NFT Market Likely To Experience Growth
An NFT (non-fungible token) in simple terms refers to a digital asset that represents real life objects like art and music. Generally, they are encoded with the same software as most cryptocurrencies in the market today. NFTs - non fungible tokens are usually bought and sold online, mostly using cryptocurrency.
NFTs have been around since 2014 but they gained a lot of popularity in 2021 as an efficient way of buying and selling digital assets. They have helped artists and creators get access to decentralized funding options. NFTs are based on blockchain technology and that means that they are secure and help to authenticate ownership of digital assets.
In 2021, the NFT market was worth $41 billion and this number is set to rise with the increasing popularity of the digital assets.
Approval of Crypto ETF
An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is a basket of securities, stocks, bonds, commodities or a combination that you buy or sell through a brokerage firm on a stock exchange.
Crypto experts foresee Bitcoin ETFs becoming a mainstream investment plan. In October 2021, there was a major breakthrough whereby the first Bitcoin ETF made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange. What this means is that people will now be able to invest in crypto in a more conventional way. The BITO Bitcoin ETF allows crypto investors to buy in on cryptocurrency directly from traditional investment brokerages they may already have accounts with, like Fidelity or Vanguard.
On the flip side, some people say that the BITO ETF isn't enough because in as much as the fund is linked to Bitcoin, it doesn't hold the crypto directly. The fund instead holds Bitcoin futures contracts . The only disadvantage with Bitcoin futures according to experts is that, as much as they follow the general trend of actual cryptocurrency, they may not actually track the price of Bitcoin directly.
Mushrooming of Bitcoin Futures ETF
Likewise, the optimistic part of the crypto world expects bitcoin to bounce back and rise in value, and the skeptical part seeks more crypto regulations in the entire crypto market. These two drives might lead to a mushrooming of bitcoin futures ETF which would allow for more crypto trades as well as oversight by the securities and exchange commission (SEC).
Conclusion
Generally, the crypto market is a very volatile one. So, if you're looking to invest in a crypto ETF, it is important that you be cognizant of the risks involved and only invest money that you're willing to lose.
As DeFi continues to grow and evolve, it is expected that the use of crypto will become more widespread and more individuals, companies and financial institutions will adopt its use. If you're in the financial world or are a crypto enthusiast, the earlier you get acquainted with cryptocurrency and how it works, the better for you.
For sure, digital currencies are here to stay.
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Sources
https://time.com/nextadvisor/investing/cryptocurrency/future-of-cryptocurrency/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/cryptocurrencies-2022-bitcoin-predictions/
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/what-does-the-future-of-blockchain-look-like-in-2022-and-beyond/
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/forex/091013/future-cryptocurrency.asp
