Broker Dealer.com blog update courtesy of extract from CoinDesk
Bitcoin is a form of currency that is tied directly to the Internet and is the world’s first free market, decentralized global currency. It is operated through an open-source software so there is no central control unlike the US dollar or Euro. Similarly to gold, only 21,000,000 Bitcoins will ever be created so the value of the Bitcoin continues to rise as time goes on.
Bitcoins can be exchanged for goods and services as well as currencies such as the US dollar and the Euro. As long as people trust that Bitcoin has value, people will continue to invest in it.
Bitcoin is still very small by market capitalization when compared to the traditional markets, and the need for more liquidity within exchanges is an ongoing issue in the industry. However, a number of startups are looking to attract the traditional investment sector to cryptocurrencies.
SecondMarket was expected to launch an institutional bitcoin exchange this year, but it still only offers the Bitcoin Investment Trust, its managed investment vehicle. Other companies looking to cater to larger investors include exchanges itBit and Coinsetter, which are both based in the finance hub of New York City.
Mirror, formally known as Vaurum, is an institutional-grade exchange platform for bitcoin investors. The platform’s exchange is currently invitation-only but customers can sign up to request access. “We’re currently onboarding investors, market makers, over-the-counter (OTC) traders and bitcoin businesses,” said Bhama. “We evaluate each sign up on a case by case basis and will be sending out invites at an increasing rate as we prepare to open it up publicly.”
Find your own Brokerdealer that will help you understand the Bitcoin market and how to begin collecting your Bitcoins or invest in a platform such as Mirror.