Bitcoins major advantages include low fees, protection from identity theft, protection from payment fraud, and immediate settlement.   Low fees: Unlike using traditional finance systems, whereby the system itself (like PayPal or a bank) is compensated with a fee, Bitcoin bypasses this entire system. The Bitcoin network is maintained by the "miners", who are compensated with new Bitcoin.  Protection from identity theft: Bitcoin usage does not require a name, or any other personal information, simply an ID for your digital wallet (the means used to send and receive Bitcoin). Unlike a credit card, where the merchant has full access to your ID and credit line, Bitcoin users operate totally anonymously.  Protection against payment fraud: Because Bitcoin are digital, they cannot be counterfeited, which protects against payment fraud. In addition, transactions cannot be reversed, like what occurs with a credit card charge back.  Immediate transfer and settlement. Traditionally when money is transferred, it involves significant delays, holds, or other hassles. The lack of a third party means that money can be transferred directly between people with ease, and it without complexities, delays, and fees associated with making purchases between parties that are using different currencies and providers. With traditional banking, if someone makes a fraudulent transaction on your credit card or your bank goes belly-up, there are laws in place to limit consumer losses. Unlike traditional banks, Bitcoin does not have a safety net in place if your Bitcoins are lost or stolen. There is no intermediary power to reimburse you for any lost or stolen Bitcoins.  Keep in mind the Bitcoin network is not immune to hackers, and the average Bitcoin account is not completely secured against hacking or security breaches.  One study found 18 of 40 businesses offering to exchange bitcoins into other currencies have gone out of business, with only six exchanges reimbursing their customers. Price volatility is also a major downside. This means that the price of Bitcoin in dollars fluctuates wildly. For example, in 2013, 1 Bitcoin was worth about US$13. It then quickly moved to over US$1200, and is now approximately US$18597.99(as of 16/12/2017). This means if you are converting to Bitcoin, it is important to stay in it, as moving back to USD could result in a significant loss of funds. One of Bitcoins popular uses is as an investment, and this deserves a special word of caution before proceeding. The main risk of investing in Bitcoin is it's extreme volatility. With prices moving rapidly up and down, the risk of loss is substantial. In addition, because Bitcoin's value is determined by supply and demand, should Bitcoin end up being subject to government regulation in any form, it could reduce the amount of people who want to use Bitcoin, which could theoretically make the currency worthless.
تعرف على مميزات البيتكوين. تعرف على عيوب وسلبيات البيتكوين. استوعب مخاطرة البيتكوين الاستثمارية.