The cryptocurrency frenzy dominated the headlines in 2017 as investors were hooked when bitcoin's value skyrocketed from US$330 (10,524 baht) to around $7,500 (238,935 baht) in just 24 months, sparking a gold rush in the virtual world.
While cryptocurrency investment could ignite your investment appetite, one should keep in mind that high investment returns are associated with high risk. Despite the use of the revolutionary blockchain technology, which records all confirmed transactions, digital assets and exchanges are not immune to scams and cyberhacking.
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) have also been on investors' radar, with several tech companies and startups opting to raise funds through this method. ICO transactions are similar to crowdfunding, whereby an issuer presents a business model to investors. The difference is that the raised funds are in the form of digital currencies using blockchain, and the deals are enforced using smart contracts.
