Bybit Arbitrage is a trading tool that simplifies arbitrage trading by capitalizing on funding rate and price differences.

If you're seeking consistent returns with minimal risk, Bybit Arbitrage is the perfect ally.

 This robust tool empowers you to generate regular profits with minimal risks by capitalizing on price disparities across different markets. Its user-friendly interface lets you easily spot and exploit these differences, so that you can execute flawless arbitrage trading in the crypto market with confidence. Read on to learn how Bybit Arbitrage makes arbitrage trading an effortless way for you to achieve low-risk gains.

 is the buying and selling of the same or similar asset(s) at the same time across different markets to earn from slight price deviations. This act of purchasing an asset at a fixed price — while simultaneously selling it at a higher price — allows a trader to instantly make profits without any risks. 

While arbitrage trading has long been a staple in traditional financial markets, such as stock and forex, the advent of crypto trading has propelled arbitrage trading to new heights — thanks to the heightened volatility of the crypto market. Additionally, unlike traditional stock markets, crypto markets are traded 24/7, offering more opportunities for arbitrage traders to reap profits from the price gaps across exchanges and markets. 

 across exchanges or within a single exchange. Keep in mind that if you opt to arbitrage trade across different platforms, accessing your profits may prove to be complex, due to the need to transfer your assets between the exchanges, which can take up to several days to complete. On the other hand, arbitrage trading on a single platform is more straightforward — but more competitive as well.

There are multiple arbitrage trading strategies, but the most common ones in the crypto market include funding rates arbitrage, spot-futures arbitrage and futures arbitrage. 

Funding rates arbitrage allows traders to profit from variations in funding rates between 

 contracts. In contrast, spot-futures arbitrage enables traders to profit from price disparities between the spot and 

 for the same asset. Meanwhile, futures arbitrage involves profiting from price discrepancies between futures contracts with different expiration dates.

Bybit Arbitrage is a trading tool that helps traders identify arbitrage trading opportunities in two ways: funding rate and spread. 

The user-friendly interface organizes trading pairs based on either funding rates or spreads in different markets, so that traders can easily spot disparities in funding rate or price across the markets at a glance. 

Bybit Arbitrage is exclusively available to 

 mode. It facilitates arbitrage trading for USDT Perpetual, USDC Perpetual and USDC Futures contracts, thereby allowing you to enjoy arbitrage trading opportunities between USDT 

Spot pairs and USDT Perpetual pairs, or USDC Spot pairs and USDC Perpetual/Futures pairs. 

The Funding Rate Arbitrage feature exploits differences in funding rates between the Spot and Perpetual/Futures markets on the Bybit exchange. With the Funding Rate feature, traders can earn funding fees while simultaneously managing their positions in order to minimize potential losses and maximize gains through positive and negative arbitrage strategies.

Funding rates for the different trading pairs are listed in descending order. This helps traders to easily leverage the interest rate differential between Spot and Perpetual/Futures contracts.

The Funding Rate feature also allows you to 

 orders (with the same amount, but in different directions) in both Spot and Perpetual/Futures, which enables you to earn funding fees while mitigating potential losses (with potential gains).

holders in Futures/Perpetual contracts pay short position holders. You can leverage this situation by executing a positive arbitrage, which involves

 buying a Spot pair and taking a short position in 

Perpetual to earn steady funding fees. Alternatively, if the funding fee is negative, short position holders pay long position holders. In this case, you would perform a negative arbitrage by shorting a Spot pair and going long in a 

The Spread Arbitrage feature helps traders capitalize on price discrepancies between different markets for the same cryptocurrency asset. With this feature, you can easily compare the market prices of an asset traded across various trading pairs and contracts. While Spread Arbitrage may be similar to spot-futures arbitrage, it offers more arbitrage opportunities since it covers a broader range of markets, unlike spot-futures arbitrage, which targets specific markets

With Spread Arbitrage, the aim is to profit from the eventual price convergence as you buy the crypto asset at a lower price in one market (e.g., Spot) and sell it at a higher price in another market (e.g., Futures). 

As the futures price will eventually align with the Spot price when the contract expires, you’ll be able to take advantage of the simultaneous price disparity for the same asset.

In order to trade with Bybit Arbitrage, you’ll first need to 

. Currently, Bybit Arbitrage is exclusively accessible via the 

 for the web version, which will be launched soon!

Bybit Arbitrage offers multiple advantages.

Bybit Arbitrage is a powerful tool for traders seeking low-risk gains in the volatile crypto market. With its intuitive interface and exclusive features, traders can effectively leverage funding rate and price differences to maximize profits while minimizing risks. Bybit Arbitrage offers diverse benefits that make arbitrage trading more accessible and profitable than ever before.

Beginner

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How to Use Bybit Arbitrage to Achieve Funding Rate and Price Difference Arbitrage

An Ethereum Spot ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the real-time price of Ether and allows investment through traditional stock markets. Learn more.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave the green light to a number of Bitcoin Spot exchange-traded funds (

), sparking optimism that similar approval might be extended to Ethereum Spot ETFs. Adding to the excitement, news of Ethereum Spot ETF approval in Asia’s first region has heightened anticipation for a potential approval and launch in the U.S. However, despite the buzz, some industry observers remain skeptical. This article explores the potential impact of Ethereum Spot ETF approval on the broader crypto market.

An Ethereum Spot ETF is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the real-time price of 

 and allows investment through traditional stock markets. It offers investors a way to invest in Ether without having to actually buy or hold the asset itself.

An Ethereum Spot ETF operates by pooling investor funds to purchase Ether, which is held in reserves by the ETF.

Rather than navigating the complexities of 

 and exchanges, investors buy shares of the ETF through regular brokerage accounts, just as they would with traditional stocks. These shares represent a stake in the Ether held by the ETF, providing a simple and regulated way to own Ethereum indirectly.

In order to create ETF shares, authorized participants — usually financial institutions — purchase Ether in exchange for ETF shares of equal value, which are then sold onto the market. An authorized participant can also redeem shares by buying enough ETF shares and exchanging them for Spot Ether and taking those shares away from the market.

As a result, the price of ETF shares tends to fluctuate in line with Ethereum's Spot market price. If it didn’t, there would be an 

 opportunity to profit from any mispricings in the ETF price. However, it’s still theoretically possible for the ETF to trade at different prices simply because of supply-and-demand factors.

ETFs as securities are regulated by the SEC, so an Ethereum Spot ETF provides a regulated product that investors can purchase. By contrast, Spot Ether is being investigated by the SEC to determine whether it should be classified as a security, and currently lacks regulatory clarity. 

This setup offers numerous benefits for investors. It simplifies the investment process, allowing anyone with a brokerage account to invest in Ethereum without setting up a crypto exchange account or managing storage. This can save time and give some investors greater peace of mind. An ETF structure also provides the regulatory clarity that institutional investors need, which can enhance liquidity and trading volumes.

Security is paramount in the realm of cryptocurrency, and the ETF provider takes it seriously. To safeguard Ether holdings, ETF providers employ a combination of 

 and insured custodial services. As a result, they could potentially minimize the risk of theft or loss that individual crypto investors may encounter.

The Ethereum Spot ETF bridges traditional finance (TradFi) and the exciting (but still growing) cryptocurrency space. It offers the security and ease of trading associated with traditional financial markets while opening up investment opportunities in Ethereum for a broader audience.

Both excitement and regulatory scrutiny characterize the current landscape of Ethereum Spot ETFs. Major financial institutions like 

 and Fidelity have submitted applications for these ETFs to the SEC. Still, decisions have been delayed, with the next 

If applicants begin updating their filings by April, this may indicate they’re incorporating feedback from the regulator, which could be interpreted as a positive sign. However, a lack of updates to filings could indicate that the SEC isn’t maintaining the same level of discussions with issuers that led to its 

Another challenge is that the SEC is still investigating whether Ether should be classified as a security, especially since it transferred its consensus mechanism to 

. Earning rewards through staking could meet criteria that determine whether an asset is a security. Ethereum also provides a foundation for 

 (DeFi), which could add to the complexity of the review. 

Analysts' opinions vary regarding the likelihood of ETH ETF approval. One Bloomberg analyst, for instance, 

 chance of approval by May. However, the SEC's recent silence might hint at a less favorable outcome.

The approval of Ethereum Spot ETFs is eagerly awaited because it could mirror the impact of Bitcoin Spot ETF approval, which led to an influx of capital in the market. It would mark a pivotal milestone, likely to attract increased investment and further validate cryptocurrency. The crypto community is closely monitoring these developments, as the coming months will be crucial in shaping the future of Ethereum investment opportunities.

 was recently given to the first Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in one of the Asian regions. This landmark decision positions the city as a trailblazer in the Asian financial landscape, embracing the integration of popular cryptocurrencies into mainstream investment avenues.

This milestone has sparked excitement within the crypto community, indicating a positive reception toward digital assets in that region. Analysts believe this move could set a precedent for other jurisdictions to follow, potentially leading to broader acceptance and recognition of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class.

These newly approved ETFs are expected to attract a wave of fresh investors — both retail and institutional — by offering a regulated and familiar investment option for exposure to cryptocurrencies. This growth of interest could increase stability in the crypto markets, possibly influencing the price movements of Bitcoin and Ethereum in the region.

The timing of this approval is noteworthy, considering that the U.S. could also be on the cusp of approval of an Ethereum Spot ETF. If this proactive approach inspires other financial centers beyond the U.S. to consider similar approvals, it will palpably contribute to the global expansion and maturation of the cryptocurrency market.

Current Impact of Ethereum Spot ETF Applications on the Crypto Market

The buzz surrounding Ethereum Spot ETF applications is noticeably affecting the crypto market, particularly Ethereum's price and overall sentiment. Submission of new ETF applications to the SEC has coincided with an 

, pushing it to around $3,700. This uptick reflects the market's optimism and positive sentiment regarding the potential for easier access to Ethereum. However, the market has exhibited some volatility as well, with Ether dropping over 14% in a week in early April. 

Despite these fluctuations, there's a general expectation that ETF developments would significantly impact Ethereum's price dynamics, similar to what was observed with the recent Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals. Moreover, the recent approval of cryptocurrency ETFs has further fueled optimism and positive expectations for increased investment inflows and a broader recognition of cryptocurrencies.

To sum up, the current impact of Ethereum Spot ETF applications on the crypto market is marked by heightened anticipation along with some volatility. Ethereum's price is responding to changes in the regulatory landscape and the potential for broader adoption of cryptocurrency-based investment products.

What Will It Mean if an Ethereum Spot ETF Application Is Approved?

The approval of an Ethereum Spot ETF application by the SEC would mark a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency market, especially for Ethereum. Following are some of the potential benefits.

Drawing parallels to the earlier Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals, some pundits expect an initial surge in Ethereum's price following the expected announcement, reflecting renewed confidence and interest in Ether as an asset. Over the long term, Ethereum Spot ETFs could contribute to growth and stability, similar to the impact that Bitcoin Spot ETFs have had on BTC’s price.

However, there are key differences to consider. The SEC's cautious stance on Ethereum — notably because of its PoS consensus mechanism — could influence the approval process and subsequent market reactions. In addition, Ethereum's unique ecosystem, including its role in DeFi and 

, could lead to different market responses as compared to those following the Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals.

The potential approval of Ethereum Spot ETFs is a crucial turning point for the crypto market, promising easier access, increased investment and greater legitimacy. Although short-term price fluctuations may occur, the long-term effects could echo the positive growth recently witnessed with Bitcoin Spot ETFs, promoting a more mature investment environment for Ethereum.

Intermediate

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Ethereum Spot ETF Approval: Its Impact on Crypto Markets

Grayscale Investments has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC to register shares of its Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) as part of efforts to uplist the trust to a spot Ethereum ETF on the NYSE Arca.

Daily Top Performer — Automata Network (ATA)

The SPX index is up 0.02%, investor focus on earnings and U.S. interest rates continues. The broader cryptocurrency market is down, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 3.78% and 2.41%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today’s outperformer is ATA, which jumped 8.9% after Automata launched Multi-Prover AVS on Eigenlayer Holesky Testnet to boost decentralized security.

Automata Network (ATA), founded in 2019, is a Web3 platform providing private web services for decentralized applications, focusing on secure, anonymous transactions and governance. Key features include a private voting system and MEV minimization to enhance user privacy and security. Automata's Multi-Prover AVS, which utilizes TEE Coprocessors to enhance security, is now available on the Eigenlayer Holesky testnet. This system employs the TEE Prover as a secondary security measure in decentralized systems. Operators, restakers, and developers are encouraged to learn more about this advancement on their website.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

Grayscale Investments, the world's largest crypto asset manager, has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC to register shares of its Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) as part of efforts to uplist the trust to a spot Ethereum ETF on the NYSE Arca. This filing follows NYSE Arca’s application and is a crucial step in the regulatory process required for offering shares continuously upon approval. The shares will not be sold until the registration is declared effective, and this offering is subject to the Securities Act of 1933. Grayscale emphasizes that the trust, not registered under the 1940 Act, involves high risk and volatility, is focused solely on Ethereum, and does not offer direct investment in Ethereum.

BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF, IBIT, has significantly impacted the firm's overall ETF flows, comprising 24% of its total. Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg's Senior ETF Analyst, highlighted the fund's success during a panel on Hong Kong's newly approved spot crypto ETFs. Since its launch in January, IBIT has attracted consistent inflows for over 70 days, accumulating more than $18 billion in assets under management and becoming one of the most successful ETFs in history. The IBIT fund is second only to Grayscale's ETF in terms of assets but has seen remarkable trading volume along with other spot bitcoin ETFs, totaling nearly $230 billion.

Gamium, supported by Parachain Ventures, DAO Maker, and Mr. Beast among others, has its token $GMM listed on major exchanges with a fully diluted valuation of around $43M. The platform is promoting a beta points airdrop to reward early users, where participants can sign up and earn points through various activities like launching an MST, trading, daily logins, and referrals. Details on point earning and distribution are available in a dedicated blog post. However, potential users are cautioned to research due to the inherent risks associated with DeFi protocols and trading.

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Grayscale Files for SEC Registration to Convert Ethereum Trust into a Spot ETF on NYSE Arca

Sharky is a Solana-based lending and borrowing DeFi solution that utilizes NFTs as loan collateral.

Cryptocurrency lending and borrowing has always been a prominent niche of the decentralized finance (

) industry, championed by platforms like Aave (

). A much rarer variant of DeFi borrowing and lending is based on non-fungible tokens (

Sharky.fi, or simply Sharky, is a Solana-based lending and borrowing protocol that uses NFTs as collateral to facilitate the DeFi processes on the network. By putting up NFTs as collateral, users can borrow funds via short-term loans in Solana's native SOL tokens. For lenders, the platform is also a great way to earn high APY rates in just 7 to 14 days, while having their loaned funds protected by the NFTs.

Having established itself as the leader of NFT-based lending and borrowing on Solana, the Sharky project has ambitious plans to integrate two more highly popular crypto asset types — Ordinals and real-world assets (RWAs).

 (SHARK) is a lending and borrowing app on the 

 (SOL) blockchain that lets users provide NFTs as collateral to access short-term loans in SOL tokens.

 Lenders can view NFTs offered as collateral, and make loan offers secured by their preferred NFTs.

Although Sharky's public launch on the Solana mainnet dates back to April 2022, the platform operated without its 

, SHARK, for its first two years in the market. The SHARK token was eventually launched in mid-April 2024.

Using its innovative business concept, Sharky quickly established itself as the leader of NFT lending. According to the project’s team, Sharky has a 90% share of the NFT lending market on Solana and has issued more than 1.4 million NFT loans.

Following the recent launch of its SHARK token, the project aims to integrate additional crypto asset types in the future. These include 

 (RWAs). Another ambitious product type considered for future implementation on the platform is uncollateralized consumer loans.

As a lender on Sharky.fi, you can browse NFTs from a variety of collections offered on the platform and make a loan offer for potential borrowers. The collections available on Sharky include the platform's own 

 collection, Mad Labs, Solana Monkey Business (SMB), Tensorians, Namaste and more. Lenders’ offers are shown to potential borrowers on the platform, who then choose the best offer based on their borrowing needs.

The NFT provided by the borrower is used as collateral, and the lender makes their funds available in SOL tokens. Lenders earn interest on the funds, with the loan duration typically between 7 and 14 days. Interest rates, naturally, will vary depending upon on-platform activity. Usually, 

 for active loans range between 120% and 220%, though they can go up to 360%. As such, Sharky loans are an excellent way for lenders to earn some serious interest quickly. If a borrower fails to repay the loan in full, the NFT used as collateral is transferred to the lender.

For borrowers, the Sharky platform is an excellent opportunity to access SOL funds for short-term needs quickly and flexibly using their NFTs, rather than cryptocurrency, as collateral. The best part of the platform's borrowing mechanism is that you remain in possession of your NFT during the loan period as a borrower. While your NFT is used as collateral, its ownership isn't transferred to the lender while the loan is active. The ownership transfer may only happen at the end of the loan period if you fail to repay the loan in full.

Maintaining the ownership of your NFT allows you to keep using it on various DeFi and other apps for purposes such as staking or satisfying 

 eligibility requirements, among other potential uses.

Sharx is the platform's own NFT collection. One of the most popular collections used in Sharky's lending and borrowing operations, sharx is made up of 10,111 adorable shark characters. Purchasing a sharx NFT not only opens up borrowing opportunities but also entitles you to upgrade or boost your Chowder points, rewards that are used in Sharky's loyalty program. 

As a sharx holder, you're entitled to the airdrop of Sharky.fi’s governance token, SHARK, and you can also stake sharx to earn FISHY tokens.

The newly launched SHARK token is envisioned as the platform's governance asset, with a total supply of 100 million. As of the time of writing in late April 2024, only some specific details on the actual governance processes powered by SHARK are available. Thus, the token's actual use in on-platform governance is expected to be outlined in the future.

SHARK will be airdropped in two phases, with 4.25% set aside for the first phase and 3.5% for the second. Of the former, 70% is allocated to its community, with the remaining 30% is distributed to partner communities. Meanwhile, the second phase is held as a staking pool event with a lockup duration of 30 to 60 days exclusively for OG, new users and sharx holders.

 of Sharky. Unlike the brand-new SHARK token, FISHY was issued back in 2022 at the start of the platform's operations. FISHY can be earned by staking sharx NFTs, accumulating reward points and participating in Sharky's social media campaigns. The token can be used to boost sharx NFTs, which in turn can earn you additional Chowder points. FISHY also gives you access to NFT raffles and auctions held on Sharky.

The SHARK token can be bought on Bybit through a Spot pair with USDT (

). Additionally, you can also take part in Bybit's current campaigns for the token for the chance to grab a share of the 

, which includes a Token Splash event featuring 456,000 SHARK through Apr 30, 2024, 9AM UTC, and a Lucky Draw with 58,000 SHARK in rewards through Apr 30, 2024, 9:59AM UTC.

Lending and borrowing using NFTs as collateral is a novel concept that has earned Sharky leadership positions in this niche. As more platforms adopting this business model emerge, the competition in the field is likely to intensify. However, as of now, Sharky remains the absolute leader of the Solana-based NFT lending and borrowing market. 

As NFTs experience a resurgence in popularity following the post-2021 dip, DeFi solutions that make innovative use of these assets, such as Sharky, stand to benefit. Later in 2024 and beyond, we’ll likely hear more about NFTs being used as legitimate collateral in crypto finance — a new trend helped to no small degree by the Sharky platform.

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Sharky.fi (SHARK): The Decentralized Platform for Instant NFT Loans

Investing

The best crypto IRA firms to diversify your investments and grow your retirement savings include Bitcoin IRA, iTrustCapital, and BlockMint. Read on to find the best Crypto IRA for you.

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Cryptocurrency as an asset class is finding more ways into traditional investment schemes. It’s now possible to hold crypto under a variety of individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Interest in this option has grown considerably recently when the largest retirement accounts provider, 

, announced plans to offer crypto within its 401(k) accounts. The move is widely viewed as a precursor to making crypto available under the company’s IRAs as well. Boasting significant taxation benefits — such as no capital gains tax, and tax-deductible contributions — crypto IRAs are a new hidden gem for retirement-oriented investors.

IRAs were first introduced by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). They’ve long been the staple of retirement investment for the self-employed, freelancers, small business owners or, in fact, anyone who wants to actively manage their own retirement funds. These accounts differ from the employer-sponsored 401(k), and are based on your own individual contributions. IRAs allow you to invest in a variety of asset classes, typically stocks, bonds, mutual funds and index funds, but also less conventional alternative investments. Cryptocurrency is also a legitimate asset to own under an IRA.

However, traditional IRA providers have long been reluctant to offer crypto or any other high-risk asset class to these accounts. Nevertheless, as often happens, the niche hasn’t remained vacant for too long. Over the last few years, several crypto IRA providers have emerged in the market. These financial companies offer cryptocurrencies within their IRA products. Among the most popular crypto IRA providers are Bitcoin IRA™, iTrustCapital, Alto Solutions and BitIRA™. While the niche of crypto IRA providers is still relatively small, it’s growing fast. Fidelity’s plan to offer crypto in its 401(k) products is also an indicator of traditional IRA providers’ interest in this area.

IRAs have typically been used for the tax advantages they offer. Depending on the type of IRA (of which there are several), your tax benefits will work differently. Out of the variety of IRA types, the two most common ones are standard IRAs, also referred to as traditional IRAs (or simply IRAs), and 

Standard IRAs — IRAs, hereafter — let you make tax-deductible contributions. However, your withdrawals from such an IRA in retirement are not tax-deductible. In contrast, contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax-deductible, but withdrawals you make in retirement are.

The key difference between IRAs and Roth IRAs

The majority of crypto IRA providers offer both IRAs and Roth IRAs. Some providers only have crypto available as an eligible asset class within their retirement account products, while others offer a mix of crypto and various assets.

The market of crypto IRAs is growing by the day, with an increasingly diverse choice of providers and products available to retirement-focused investors. Among this variety, we’ve analyzed and selected the best IRA providers based on six key factors — Bitcoin-specific offers, suitability for beginners, coin variety, suitability for self-directed investments, fees and security — as well as the best overall IRA provider. 

1. Best Overall — Jointly Bitcoin IRA and iTrustCapital

We decided to pick two providers as joint winners for our best overall IRA — 

. In the individual categories below, we’ll take a closer look at these two companies. Bitcoin IRA is our pick in the best Bitcoin-specific investment category, while iTrustCapital is the winner of the low fees category.

We’ve chosen Bitcoin IRA as one of the two best overall IRAs because cryptocurrency investing is still heavily dominated by 

 (BTC). This is particularly relevant for retirement investing, since the majority of 

 are considered more volatile than the world’s first and largest crypto. Thus, it’s not surprising that our best provider for Bitcoin-specific IRAs has been (jointly) crowned as the best overall as well.

As for iTrustCapital, the company’s leadership in the fees category, low barriers to entry for investing and a diversity of assets on offer are its key strengths. These factors help iTrustCapital make crypto IRAs as affordable as possible for diverse segments of investors, something that — in our view — definitely warrants the best overall IRA award.

2. Best For Bitcoin Investors — Bitcoin IRA

Bitcoin IRA is our pick for the best Bitcoin-specific IRA. As a large and well-established provider, Bitcoin IRA is capable of offering a 24/7 trading platform, easy setup, and custody insurance of up to $700 million. You can roll over your existing IRAs, and even 401(k) into an IRA product offered by the company. The company’s main IRA product requires a minimum investment of $3,000.

Bitcoin IRA also features a very secure storage system. Your funds are held in cold storage, and are protected by military-grade security solutions.

due to its balanced combination of key benefits — the platform’s size and established nature, convenient setup, high insurance limits, numerous rollover options, and great security.

3. Best for Beginning Crypto Investors — BlockMint

Investing in crypto, especially via IRAs, is an area that is still not intimately familiar to many people. This unfamiliarity creates uncertainty and a lack of understanding about the options and strategies for crypto IRA investments. That’s why suitability for beginners is a key category we’ve considered in our crypto IRA review.

Among the plethora of crypto IRA providers, California-based 

 stands out for its great service and tools available to beginning investors. When you open an IRA at BlockMint, you’re guided in the process by your personal BlockMint agent, who is a qualified consultant. This is an outstanding feature for novice crypto investors to help them select the most suitable product, crypto assets and investment strategy.

Past the account opening stage, BlockMint continues to guide you on the platform via a multi-channel support system that includes email, phone and online chat. This provides an opportunity for less experienced investors to adjust their portfolios and strategies regularly, something that many beginners, particularly in the retirement investment niche, often fail to do.

Besides comprehensive support for novice investors, BlockMint boasts other advantages: Insurance coverage up to $600 million and military-grade security for funds’ storage.

4. Best Variety of Cryptos Supported — Regal Assets

Though Bitcoin is still the king of the cryptocurrency world, many investors don’t want to limit themselves to this crypto when devising their investment strategies. Investing in multiple cryptos is becoming increasingly accepted, with some investors actively looking for products with as wide a choice of coins as possible.

, a provider of crypto and precious metal investment products, reigns supreme. Regal Assets offers IRAs with which you can choose virtually any crypto to invest in. There are over 20 popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple (XRP), and other 

 cryptos listed by Regal Assets as available within its IRAs. Additionally, the company offers the option to add a custom crypto, per your preference — truly a dream for investors keen on holding a diverse bucket of crypto coins.

This provider also offers investment in precious metals — gold, silver, platinum and palladium. You can diversify your IRA investment with Regal Assets by combining cryptocurrencies with these traditional assets. This could be a great option for many retirement-focused portfolios, as precious metals are widely regarded as a “safety net” and a low-risk investment, while crypto is a high-risk/high-growth asset type.

5. Best For Self-Directed Investments — Equity Trust

The majority of IRAs and Roth IRAs offered by traditional retirement investment providers place restrictions on what types of assets you can hold within these products. Typically, IRAs and Roth IRAs invest in cash and cash equivalents, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, index funds and 

 (ETFs). These asset classes are considered to be less risky, and thus more suitable for a retirement portfolio.

However, a special class of IRAs and Roth IRAs — Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRAs) — exists to facilitate investment in a wider assortment of asset classes. An SDIRA may be used to hold 

, such as real estate, private equity, commodities, and even mineral lease rights.

Among crypto IRA providers, our pick for the self-directed investments category is 

, a well-known specialist in the niche of alternative investment products. Equity Trust offers investments in cryptocurrency, as well as in a range of other alternative investment assets which include (but aren’t limited to) real estate, private equity and private lending.

The choice of asset classes offered by Equity Trust is probably more diverse than at any other crypto IRA provider. By talking to the company’s consultants, you may further customize your IRA portfolio and inquire about additional, even more exotic, asset types. SDIRAs often give you complete freedom with regard to your portfolio’s composition. The only asset types explicitly prohibited in an SDIRA are life insurance, collectibles and 

Equity Trust offers both IRAs and Roth IRAs for self-directed investments. Companies may also open 401(k) self-directed accounts for their employees.

Lower fees and other affordability factors — e.g., low minimum investment requirements — are among the most important decision variables for many retirement-focused investors. In this critical category, our choice for the best crypto IRA is iTrustCapital, one of the leading crypto IRA providers in the market.

iTrustCapital charges no monthly fee on individual accounts, which include IRAs and Roth IRAs offered by the company. Very few providers in this market offer zero–account fee IRAs. The company also has some of the lowest minimum investment requirements: You can open a crypto IRA at iTrustCapital with only $1,000. The affordability of the platform is a great opportunity for budget-conscious investors to own a crypto IRA product.

iTrustCapital offers investment in around 60 cryptocurrencies, as well as two precious metals, gold and silver. You may combine crypto and precious metals in your IRA product for further diversification of your retirement portfolio. The transaction fee for purchasing cryptocurrency under an IRA is 1%, also among the lowest in the industry. Precious metal purchase fees are $50/oz. for gold and $2.50/oz. for silver.

iTrustCapital doesn’t compromise on the quality of its offerings, either. The company’s IRAs feature insurance coverage of up to $320 million, secure cold storage, and a 24/7 trading platform.

Our last — though definitely not the least critical — category is security. When it comes to your retirement funds, you don’t want any compromises, do you? So, which crypto IRA provider is the best from a security point of view? The major providers all boast cold storage of funds and generous insurance coverage limits. However, in our view, one provider, 

, goes the extra mile to achieve the best security for your crypto IRA funds.

BitIRA has all the bells and whistles you may find in a leading crypto IRA provider, such as insurance coverage (up to $100 million) and cold storage of funds. Additionally, BitIRA has implemented industry-leading security measures to maximally protect your investment. First, the company’s insurance coverage provides “end-to-end protection.” This means that your investment is fully covered against theft, hacking, physical loss, or any other form of damage or destruction at the stages of purchase, storage and movement of your funds.

This end-to-end coverage is quite different from standard insurance, which normally protects your funds only at the stage of purchase.

Second, BitIRA uses multiple layers of encryption and multi-factor authentication to protect your IRA investment. Malicious actors who may try to hack your funds will find it incredibly hard to penetrate the company’s multi-layer security system.

Finally, BitIRA’s process of creating a digital IRA for a customer must be compliant with Level 2 Cryptocurrency Security Standards (CCSS), a stringent security standard created by a leading crypto security certification body — the 

With all these measures in place, you can be certain that your funds held in an IRA product by BitIRA are guarded 24/7 by some of the best protection mechanisms in the industry.

Crypto IRAs allow you to invest in cryptocurrencies or to mix cryptocurrency and other asset classes under the same account. Some providers focus only on cryptocurrency investments. A number of others — for instance, iTrustCapital, Equity Trust and Regal Assets — have a range of different assets on offer in addition to cryptocurrency.

Providers with different asset classes are a great choice for retirement portfolio diversification. However, if your crypto IRA provider exclusively offers cryptocurrency investments, you can still diversify your IRA holdings. A common way to do so is to open a crypto-based IRA at a specialist provider, and another IRA at a traditional provider that lets you invest in stocks, bonds and other conventional financial assets. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t place any restrictions on the number of IRAs you’re allowed to open or hold. As such, you may open two (or even more) accounts in order to diversify your investments.

When thinking about the multi-account strategy, consider two key factors:

As of late 2022, crypto IRA providers offer only fungible cryptocurrencies as an available investment option. NFTs aren’t on the menu! It is possible that with the further development of the crypto IRA industry, NFTs might become a legitimate form of investment under retirement accounts. As it stands now, the use of 

. Many industry professionals doubt that NFTs will be allowed in IRAs, since the IRS specifically prohibits investment in collectibles under these accounts. While there’s no explicit ruling on NFTs yet, they are likely to be regarded as “digital collectibles” by the IRS, making their use in IRAs problematic.

Crypto IRAs offer some significant advantages to retirement-focused investors. The key pros for these investment accounts include:

Crypto IRAs also have some cons or risks associated with them that you’ll need to consider before opening a crypto-focused retirement account. These include:

Crypto IRAs are no longer an exotic or unheard-of choice for retirement investing. This new class of IRA products is growing fast, offering diversification and growth opportunities that weren’t available to retirement-conscious investors just a few years ago.

The IRAs we’ve included in this article all represent a solid alternative for your crypto investment. Your final IRA choice should be determined by which of the six key factors we’ve covered here that you deem to be the most critical.

7 Best Crypto IRA Companies for Diversifying Your Retirement Plan

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