ETF

Any_Way_5245

Saylor is really good at PR control and big money in the BTC bank scene/ETF have no idea what a ColdCard is lol

Any_Way_5245

Ask any of the ETF people what a ColdCard is. No idea what it even is.

BigvalBROski

Use a passphrase or buy the ETF….. anyone who says different doesn’t have a clue…

Remarkable_Wish_5106

A financial advisor buying a BTC ETF for a client is not institutional money, that's still retail. Institutional money does not own crypto assets. Please show me what Blackrock or any other big money management allocating to crypto?

KateR_H0l1day

It’s really positive that grandpa has been studying the market, and things that could and do effect Crypto. The fact that his initial conclusion highlights the resilience of BTC, even in the middle of the bear market and significant influences is very promising. His ultimate and final conclusion will result in his recognition that BTC is a solid buy, with little downside from here. Plus the fact that TradFi is overheating, and a potential downside from here is a real possibility. Will also funnel his movement from TradFi into Crypto, particularly BTC in the 2nd half of 2026. I’m a grandma, and that’s exactly the conclusion I got to a short time ago! Those records being hit on the S&P500 over the last month have seen me selling and buying more CRYPTO based ETF’s. Additionally, this month has seen me change the staking rewards from reinvesting/compounding said Alt; to having the Alt rewards in BTC. It’s not much, but it’s a start, the stars are aligning slowly. So, in reality, it’s a positive post, and just one you have to understand where the breadcrumbs are pointing in this game we’re all playing. 🤷‍♀️

Tostonn

Look up Stonkbrokers on Robinhood chain. New NFT tech that could possibly lead the something. Lowkey close to an ETF and I feel like maybe in some legal gray area but they are popping off rn

AidenTai

Bitcoin is trading with low volume as is negative on all the major timeframes. If you look at prediction markets and open interest almost every indicator is we will at minimum revisit the bottom and most likely break it by 3–15% with the middle of that range being favoured. You can't really predict like this with precision, but between historically weak Septembers, current low volume, current structural weakness, low ETF flows / outflows, sell pressure whenever we break 65... None of that points to recovery soon. Instead we probably have a couple months of weakness during which we'll have opportunities to slip lower and see how low we can push it. It's anyone's guess what the bottom will actually be though.

Remarkable_Wish_5106

Wall Street isn't buying BTC. The ETF's are mainly retail and hedge funds for trading.

LargeSnorlax

Ok, so, if you're asking for real advice, there are three answers: **The easy, sensible answer - Answer 1:** Sell your crypto, get the fuck out of the the space, and either get crypto custodial in an ETF or don't get involved in it at all ever again. If you don't want to do any security checks or properly manage your money like a bank would, you **will** end up losing all your money one way or another, either from laziness, inattentiveness or simply lack of knowledge. If this sounds like you, sell it all and never look back. **The "it's really not that hard" answer - Answer 2:** Go buy a Trezor, put your crypto on it and never use it again until you want to add to it or sell it. **The paranoid crypto rabbit hole - Answer 3:** You've chosen the hard path. Being your own bank LITERALLY means being your own bank, which means you have to do everything a bank does. Security, protection, proper storage, proper backups. You are literally the only barrier between yourself and a criminal wanting to take your money, and in the world of today, everyone wants it. So what do you do? - Your computer and every device you have is now an attack vector. Act like it. Install adblockers and browsers that make sure every move you make online is safe. Get a password manager and rotate passwords often. - Assemble a new computer, from parts you got yourself. This is the only way you will access crypto from now on, and there will be no web browsing, no installing games, mods, or files on it. Hot wallets have their seeds written on paper or stamped, and nothing EVER touches this computer in terms of your passwords or phrases. No copy paste, no files on the desktop, no phrases in your emails. Nothing. On paper, secured in a separate location, or something like putting the mnemonic in a favourite book of yours that only you know about and will never forget, or whatever works for you. - Websites are access from their pages only. No clicking on google links unless you vet it. No wallets on browsers. No clicking links on webpages, especially from browsers with wallets. No addons. No downloads. Your crypto computer stays entirely clean. - Buy a wallet under a pseudonym and substitute address, it will be linked at some point. Set it up and don't ever use that. If you want to make transactions / trade / do liquid staking / whatever make hot wallets and follow these same procedures. Nothing connected. Nothing together. - Make paper backups of everything you have and move them places you trust. Nothing in your house. If you get wrench attacked you don't want to lose all your money and you don't want to be tempted to say where anything is. The probability of it happening is basically negative but that doesn't mean its impossible. Where you put them is up to you. Being your own bank is a hard warning, you literally have to do everything a bank does to keep your money safe. A bank has hundreds or thousands of employees for a reason, and that's you now. You're thousands of employees, and you're the only thing standing between you losing 100% of your money and everyone who wants it. Take it serious.

ubermensch1001

Honestly, man, this last cycle was pretty boring and there was barely any euphoria, little retail interest, etc. You could chalk up a lot of this to tight monetary policy, but I think in an environment that was frothier we easily would have been at 150k+. RSI peaked with the ETF hype in Q1 of 2024. We had a nice pump after the '24 election where alts ran pretty hard but after that and going into 2025 the market slowly fizzled away. BTC did set a new all time high last October, barely, but no one gave a damn. In contrast, now we are seeing loosening monetary policy and the right setup for something more akin to 2021. I personally wouldn't be surprised to see BTC at 250k+ as we go into 2028 and I also think that the alt season that we never got this last cycle will come into full swing and make up for what we missed.

crooks4hire

We can both occupy the middle ground 😁 You’re right too, wars are definitely fought with money long before they’re fought with guns. There’s a LOT of new blood moving into bitcoin, and many people view it as a safe haven rather than a tool. They’re understandably scared and just want their money to maintain its value over time. ETF’s, exchanges, etc are a decent enough avenue for that; but folks need to be aware that they’re still at undefinable risk when taking those routes due to the trust necessary to use them.

Itslotanna

I trade ETF flows, and right now data is pointing towards 71k target price. In case it's something you wanna watch for.

TheresNoSecondBest

Congrats on the move, it's never too late, [despite new people thinking otherwise](https://old.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/rskpuf/i_have_only_600_bitcoinsi_missed_the_bus/). ONLY INVEST MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE. Invest in your knowledge, learn about Bitcoin as much as you can. The Bitcoin Standard book is a must read. So is Broken Money by Lyn Alden. Also, **don't reply any DMs**, emails, private messages on other social media, promising to buy Bitcoin from them or get rich quick by investing into some website. They all are scammers. Even the hot Asian chick, he's a scammer too. **Price wise, nobody knows what the price will be tomorrow, next week or at the end of the year.** **Try "Bitcoin ONLY" strategy for at least the first 210,000 block cycle**, you'll sleep much better. Newcomers lose so much money, holding tokens just because someone on YT told them to. If you don't like losing money in [failed coins](https://www.coingecko.com/research/publications/how-many-cryptocurrencies-failed), avoid. DCA is probably the best approach. Once a week works best for me, but I'm getting paid weekly. This [DCA calculator](https://21vox.com/dca-calculator) might help to decide what will work best for you. In a few years, even $10 dollars a month can make a massive difference. This [DCA blog](https://er-bybitcoin.com/) is pretty interesting too and compares buying bitcoin VS stocks. Now, don't buy some fake bitcoin at a spot ETF place or similar, **get the real thing** that you can withdraw anytime you want. Register at a proper exchange and buy real Bitcoin. Any of these will do [https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin](https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin) Install (or buy - in case you're getting Bitcoin in Thousands of $) one or more of these wallets. **Good wallet choices:** [https://blockstream.com/app/](https://blockstream.com/app/) \- Top Security Features, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://bluewallet.io](https://bluewallet.io/) \- excellent, easy to use wallet, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://www.sparrowwallet.com](https://www.sparrowwallet.com) - top desktop wallet [https://electrum.org](https://electrum.org/) \- Solid choice, Open Source and Non-Custodial, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin Wallets. I prefer the desktop version but it works on mobile too. **Lightning wallets** to consider (cheaper and faster transactions, great for small amounts): [https://phoenix.acinq.co/](https://phoenix.acinq.co/) \- Phoenix - very good wallet, uses Tor for extra privacy, easy for anyone new [https://blixtwallet.github.io/](https://blixtwallet.github.io/) \- Blixt - great UI, fast and clean. The app runs a full LND node on your phone and you have the ability to easily open channels to whatever nodes you like. [https://zeusln.com/](https://zeusln.com/) Zeus - impressive wallet with many features, can even generate Nostr keys [https://breez.technology](https://breez.technology/) \- Breez - excellent POS for small business owners as well as integrated Bitrefill Note: Breez does also a hybrid liquid/LN wallet called Misty Breez - the sats being on liquid means no need for channels although the payments take a few extra seconds. You'll also can get a free customable LN address. While talking about hybrid wallets, there's also Aqua Wallet although not IMHO as good as Misty Breez. There are also custodial LN wallet but I would honestly avoid using them because you have to trust the wallet operator not to steal your money. Their only advantage is that they are incredibly easy to use, although it might cost you big one day. To keep up to date with spending wallets, visit r/TheLightningNetwork at least once a while and perhaps r/RGB in the future. **Hardware Wallets** (to store larger amounts): [Trezor](https://trezor.io/) \- Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're. If you can afford it, opt for Safe 7 (**air-gapped**) and use the Bitcoin only firmware as it's safer than a multi coin software. [BitBox02](https://bitbox.swiss/bitbox02/bitcoin-only/) - another great little device, opt for the more secure Bitcoin ONLY version (less coins = less code = less chance for a hidden bug or a backdoor). Sadly, this device is **not air-gapped**. [Jade](https://blockstream.com/jade) - air gapped, fully open source, Bitcoin only, great features. There's a newer version called Jade Plus, it has much better camera and overall is a better build. I would go stateless instead of using their servers. You can even [build it on your own](https://github.com/Blockstream/jade/), if you feel adventurous. [Seedsigner](https://github.com/SeedSigner/seedsigner) - another DIY, fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, not for you if you're just starting up but something to consider later. [Krux wallet](https://selfcustody.github.io/krux/) - one more DIY hardware device, I love this one for many reasons. Similar to Seedsigner, it's fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, that is not for you right now if you're just starting up, but something to consider at a later stage and/or to up the security of your bitcoin. There's also Ledger, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not fully open source, keep and already leaked customers' details, recently said they're capable of sending customers' keys out just with a firmware update, making is an expensive hot wallet. The opposite of what you want from a cold wallet. **Stay away**, save yourself a headache in the future. The same goes for many other hardware wallets that are too new or filled with too much of unnecessary shitcoin code. Stay away. There's also ColdCard, great features but recently had a massive duckup, I would wait until all of their code is fully open source, preferably rewritten by the community before touching it. Whatever wallet you'll decide to buy, purchase DIRECTLY from the manufacturer, no eBay, no Amazon. Make sure the device is NOT preset, and you will generate your own seed words. Write them down on any piece of paper as well as the receiving address. Now wipe the wallet and generate a new wallet. If the seed words are different from the first set, you're safe to use it. Find an option to set a passphrase and use it. This will boost the security to another level. Never store the seed words and passphrase together. Use a different medium if possible. If somebody finds both, they'll be able to steal your coin. This little device will hold the keys to your money, that's the reason why you have to be a bit more careful. Also, no worries, if it breaks, you can replace it - as long as you keep your seed words and passphrase(s) safe. Welcome to the rabbit hole and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions anytime during your Bitcoin journey. Also, [check the sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/about) that's filled with lots of great info and if you have any questions, visit r/BitcoinBeginners or r/Bitcoin and look for the answers.

Itslotanna

My ETF flows strategy says 72k by next week!

SkidMarkShark

Self-custody spreads ownership and removes counterparty risk, making the system more resilient and aligned with Bitcoin’s design as permissionless money without trusted intermediaries. Centralized ETFs and exchanges concentrate coins under a few custodians. That adds systemic risks from failure, seizure, or regulation, weakening the network’s antifragility even though the protocol and hashrate themselves remain unchanged. Putting capital into [$MSTR](https://x.com/search?q=%24MSTR&src=cashtag_click) (and ETF products) funds BTC purchases held with a few institutional custodians rather than individual self-custody. That concentrates counterparty, corporate, and regulatory risks instead of spreading ownership, reducing the network’s antifragility the same way ETFs and exchanges do—even as it supports demand and accumulation.

stanley_fatmax

Apparently this is hard for many people, but I agree. An old laptop with the wireless chipset taken out, Linux, Electrum, a watch-only wallet on your main PC to receive, create, and broadcast transactions. If it's too difficult, you may be better off just using an ETF or custodian. Being your own bank isn't designed to be easy, it's designed to be secure.

unshak3n

Just buy the ETF or let it in Coinbase. Peace and security.

HedgehogGlad9505

Banks costs money. We already have ETF, which is basically an IOU, with zero guarantee of loss from hacking, and costs 0.25% per year. For any possible retail bank, I doubt we'll get a better deal than that.

Suspicious-Holiday42

Isn't that exactly what blackrock is offering, you send them your BTC and they give you the ETF

DyehuthyTV

The 4-year cycle of Bitcoin doesn't depends on TradFi institutions adoption, like Blackrock (*2024 ETF launch*) If they fail, Bitcoin is a more mature asset today than it was five years ago. There will be some volatility, as usual, in the short run when a "big holder of Bitcoin collapse," but it will continue, because it did so at an early age by surviving to a crypto-exchange closures. Bitcoin is more resilient today :D

DyehuthyTV

But that doesn’t solve the 'risk of losing your Bitcoins' An ETF is managed by a third-party entity (*asset management companies*) if they go bankrupt or their ETF no longer has the custody of that Bitcoin (*e.g are hacked*) or they do bad things with it (e.g FTX) investors in these instruments may also lose all their Bitcoins. S,o there is no method or way to custody Bitcoin at zero risk.

ihavenotimeforgames2

Wish there was an option to convert BTC to an ETF so you don't have to deal with the bullshit of cold storage.

Current_Bobcat_9182

I think ETFs have changed the game for crypto . While a Spot ETF itself cannot print "paper Bitcoin," derivatives built on top of those ETFs (options, leveraged funds, and swaps) do introduce paper leverage that significantly alters how Bitcoin price discovery happens.

BigvalBROski

Use a paraphrase or just buy the ETF.

NorthHaverbrookNate

Tldr at bottom, my middle school English teacher once said I was "too wordy", and she was right. As in what do I think about where BTC and crypto generally are in the lifecycle, or something else? I think it's hard to say for certain whether something novel like a decentralized and globally available currency is early or not, and harder still for me than people here or in related subs. I have been looking at crypto from a social sciences standpoint rather than tech, and it's quite possible the tech is not yet been appreciated or applied in a way that will bring crypto into maturity. I think about the gap between the invention of the metal food can and can opener a bit in relation to this, something that has a lot of utility but the tools to make it accessible to the broader public didn't exist. It seems possible that crypto has not had that (things like Trezor/Ledger and Binance/Coinbase seem to move things in that direction, but not enough if the broader plan is a decentralized and practical currency for general consumptive purposes. Personally, just opinion and not opinion based on data but more feel and conversations with folks in, to use the parlance of the late 90s/early 00s scifi action series The Matrix, the real, I think crypto is no longer early and the general share of the public with active participation (the not your keys/not your coins and longtime exchange trader groups, rather than loose ETF holders at Schwab who have it as novelty relative to the rest of their portfolios) is probably about at the largest share it will be. Again, this is not based on anything rigorous, except maybe some observations about the number of active wallets over time, but I just don't see many people talking about crypto in real life and those I do tend to be pretty skeptical. As a caveat, most folks I talked to fall into three broad camps - my coworkers who work in Democratic (the American political party) campaigning, generally conservative (again, American political sense) guys (mostly men) in places like gun ranges, tobacco shops, etc, and people in the service industry, mostly bartenders, front of house staff at restaurants, and a couple people in security. Disclosure - for my last I only hold a small amount of BTC and a bit less of some alts (we're talking real small, I think the current value collectively is ~$80) Tldr I don't think it's early, and while I think it's likely the "peak" (adoption, not pricing) has passed I don't know what I don't know, and I don't know for sure if the use case has not been demonstrated yet.

No-Average3202

Went through something similar with self custody a while back, and around the time IBIT launched I moved everything over to the ETF instead. Honestly glad I made that switch, because if I got an email like this today about my physical address getting leaked, with my anxiety I'd probably be a wreck for days. Hope everyone affected stays safe, that kind of exposure is no joke.

BigvalBROski

Use a passphrase or just buy the ETF

TheresNoSecondBest

Congrats on the move, it's never too late, [despite new people thinking otherwise](https://old.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/rskpuf/i_have_only_600_bitcoinsi_missed_the_bus/). ONLY INVEST MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE. Invest in your knowledge, learn about Bitcoin as much as you can. The Bitcoin Standard book is a must read. So is Broken Money by Lyn Alden. Also, **don't reply any DMs**, emails, private messages on other social media, promising to buy Bitcoin from them or get rich quick by investing into some website. They all are scammers. Even the hot Asian chick, he's a scammer too. **Price wise, nobody knows what the price will be tomorrow, next week or at the end of the year.** **Try "Bitcoin ONLY" strategy for at least the first 210,000 block cycle**, you'll sleep much better. Newcomers lose so much money, holding tokens just because someone on YT told them to. If you don't like losing money in [failed coins](https://www.coingecko.com/research/publications/how-many-cryptocurrencies-failed), avoid. DCA is probably the best approach. Once a week works best for me, but I'm getting paid weekly. This [DCA calculator](https://21vox.com/dca-calculator) might help to decide what will work best for you. In a few years, even $10 dollars a month can make a massive difference. This [DCA blog](https://er-bybitcoin.com/) is pretty interesting too and compares buying bitcoin VS stocks. Now, don't buy some fake bitcoin at a spot ETF place or similar, **get the real thing** that you can withdraw anytime you want. Register at a proper exchange and buy real Bitcoin. Any of these will do [https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin](https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin) Install (or buy - in case you're getting Bitcoin in Thousands of $) one or more of these wallets. **Good wallet choices:** [https://blockstream.com/app/](https://blockstream.com/app/) \- Top Security Features, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://bluewallet.io](https://bluewallet.io/) \- excellent, easy to use wallet, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://www.sparrowwallet.com](https://www.sparrowwallet.com) - top desktop wallet [https://electrum.org](https://electrum.org/) \- Solid choice, Open Source and Non-Custodial, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin Wallets. I prefer the desktop version but it works on mobile too. **Lightning wallets** to consider (cheaper and faster transactions, great for small amounts): [https://phoenix.acinq.co/](https://phoenix.acinq.co/) \- Phoenix - very good wallet, uses Tor for extra privacy, easy for anyone new [https://blixtwallet.github.io/](https://blixtwallet.github.io/) \- Blixt - great UI, fast and clean. The app runs a full LND node on your phone and you have the ability to easily open channels to whatever nodes you like. [https://zeusln.com/](https://zeusln.com/) Zeus - impressive wallet with many features, can even generate Nostr keys [https://breez.technology](https://breez.technology/) \- Breez - excellent POS for small business owners as well as integrated Bitrefill Note: Breez does also a hybrid liquid/LN wallet called Misty Breez - the sats being on liquid means no need for channels although the payments take a few extra seconds. You'll also can get a free customable LN address. While talking about hybrid wallets, there's also Aqua Wallet although not IMHO as good as Misty Breez. There are also custodial LN wallet but I would honestly avoid using them because you have to trust the wallet operator not to steal your money. Their only advantage is that they are incredibly easy to use, although it might cost you big one day. To keep up to date with spending wallets, visit r/TheLightningNetwork at least once a while and perhaps r/RGB in the future. **Hardware Wallets** (to store larger amounts): [Trezor](https://trezor.io/) \- Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're. If you can afford it, opt for Safe 7 (**air-gapped**) and use the Bitcoin only firmware as it's safer than a multi coin software. [BitBox02](https://bitbox.swiss/bitbox02/bitcoin-only/) - another great little device, opt for the more secure Bitcoin ONLY version (less coins = less code = less chance for a hidden bug or a backdoor). Sadly, this device is **not air-gapped**. [Jade](https://blockstream.com/jade) - air gapped, fully open source, Bitcoin only, great features. There's a newer version called Jade Plus, it has much better camera and overall is a better build. I would go stateless instead of using their servers. You can even [build it on your own](https://github.com/Blockstream/jade/), if you feel adventurous. [Seedsigner](https://github.com/SeedSigner/seedsigner) - another DIY, fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, not for you if you're just starting up but something to consider later. [Krux wallet](https://selfcustody.github.io/krux/) - one more DIY hardware device, I love this one for many reasons. Similar to Seedsigner, it's fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, that is not for you right now if you're just starting up, but something to consider at a later stage and/or to up the security of your bitcoin. There's also Ledger, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not fully open source, keep and already leaked customers' details, recently said they're capable of sending customers' keys out just with a firmware update, making is an expensive hot wallet. The opposite of what you want from a cold wallet. **Stay away**, save yourself a headache in the future. The same goes for many other hardware wallets that are too new or filled with too much of unnecessary shitcoin code. Stay away. There's also ColdCard, great features but recently had a massive duckup, I would wait until all of their code is fully open source, preferably rewritten by the community before touching it. Whatever wallet you'll decide to buy, purchase DIRECTLY from the manufacturer, no eBay, no Amazon. Make sure the device is NOT preset, and you will generate your own seed words. Write them down on any piece of paper as well as the receiving address. Now wipe the wallet and generate a new wallet. If the seed words are different from the first set, you're safe to use it. Find an option to set a passphrase and use it. This will boost the security to another level. Never store the seed words and passphrase together. Use a different medium if possible. If somebody finds both, they'll be able to steal your coin. This little device will hold the keys to your money, that's the reason why you have to be a bit more careful. Also, no worries, if it breaks, you can replace it - as long as you keep your seed words and passphrase(s) safe. Welcome to the rabbit hole and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions anytime during your Bitcoin journey. Also, [check the sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/about) that's filled with lots of great info and if you have any questions, visit r/BitcoinBeginners or r/Bitcoin and look for the answers.

SpecificArugula9909

Good analysis but I feel like whole cycle pattern thing has changed now as ETF money is involved. wall street spot buying doesn't really care about historical retail chart patterns from 2018

Klutzy-Sea-4857

Cycles have been dead since the ETF approval in my opinion. Everything moves differently now. Still bullish long term though.

Calm_Recognition_940

How? I’m ashamed you’re part of the BTC community. It’s a currency not an ETF

MSmithRD

That really sucks. I'm sorry. Hearing this and hearing the other stories in this thread and hearing the coldcard stories I am now convinced more than ever that cold storage is not the way to go. Fidelity crypto or Spot ETF is the safest move IMO. I've heard too many problems with Coinbase to recommend storing it there.

DifficultSquash1517

Hardware wallets are so 2019 🤷 If you're in it for the price action and the money and not the tech just by the ETF Not only will Fidelity or Schwab or Black Rock or SIPC make good if your ETF gets hacked... You can also make 1 to 2% on your money every month by writing covered calls which is a substantial amount of money 😮 But if you're already so rich that you don't care about 2% or if you just anti-money then ignore this post

Typical-Snow3034

Hey. CoinRabbit team here. An account takeover matters in both cases, but the exit paths are not identical. With custodial Bitcoin, an attacker may be able to withdraw the asset to an external blockchain address. Once confirmed, that transfer is generally irreversible. With an ETF, the attacker would first have to sell the position and then move the cash through the brokerage and banking system, where account-name checks, settlement periods and withdrawal restrictions may create additional barriers. That does not make every ETF account automatically safer. Both options still depend on account security, recovery procedures and the provider’s controls. Custodial crypto additionally requires questions about reserves, asset reuse and authorization of external addresses. CoinRabbit is also a custodial crypto platform, which is why we use 2FA and passkeys together with withdrawal address whitelisting. The useful comparison is not simply “ETF versus app,” but what an attacker could actually do after gaining access and which controls would interrupt that path.

Texican61

HWW and ETF. I use Coinomi for a hot wallet when I need to do transactions

Majestic-Penalty-433

Everyone stressing over BTC getting rejected at $65k again needs to log off and get a coffee. With oil surging past $81 and CPI data dropping later this week, institutional spot ETF demand is just getting swallowed by macro sellers. I'm just leaving limit orders at $61k and touching grass today. Anyone actually trading this chop?

Laukess

If you are a hardcore bitcoiner I think you should self-custody. It's one of the major selling points of bitcoin. If everyone used their bitcoin through a 3rd party, it would be far to easy to capture. That said, I think there's a larger and larger portion of bitcoin holders, that don't really care about the underlying asset, and mostly see it as an investment. If this is you, the I think a 3rd party custodian is a valid option. Yes, your chances of loss are higher compared to a proper self-custody setup, but if you're going to half ass your self-custody solution, you might be worse off. I would imagine you would be better off with an ETF compared to an exchange, but that's mostly me guessing. I find it quite scary that most of them use Coinbase as a custodian. They've become quite the honey pot, and I'm not sure what the ETF providers would do if Coinbase lost access or the bitcoin was stolen. Also, make sure it's not easy for a 3rd party to access your exchange account. Remove the phone verification and add 2FA. You can also use hardware security keys like yubikey, but that introduces additional risk if you lose them.

Futurebeachbumz

As mentioned i use a major exchange where i dont feel this should be a main concern and resonate with the core principle of being able to trade it no matter where i go and dont feel an ETF serves that purpose but also dont know much about them so am willing to learn otherwise

HedgehogGlad9505

Two things could happen to your coins at the exchange. The business owner can rug pull you, or a hacker can login with your password and drain your account before you can call the customer service. If you really need someone else to hold your coins, ETF may be better.

PeaceAgitated1978

Exactly. Nice resume. All we shall look at is, first before anything else, does they plan to print money to debase the national debt. Yes. Then when? Then is the legislations, laws, support from Big money, clarity act is something.. but even without it. We still go up like moonshot if the last correction hit the reset has they wishes. Recovery will be spectacular. Can't happen without a finale. One last fireworks. And how they time it. With the flood's gates of newly minted stablescoin and $$.. is the true how fast will the recovery be. Just wait and see. Macro economics is financing BTC rise.. nothing else. That last cycle was lame because of how adoption been. And because not the same players were in the arena.. ETF and MSTR, versus gamblers over leveraged.. whales has been made in 2021.. now they ain't acting the same. They adapted to who is the biggest fish in the ponds. And it's not them, for most of them. 800 000 BTC all to one single entity. The same for ETF. Even bigger if you group them .. ok, it's just 20% of the 21 millions total supply. But don't forget the 4 millions BTC that never have moved and are estimated lost. Market volatility adapted .. these big entities are feeling bigger since we got some deads account loaded. In % of the whole. They understood that years ago. They control and manipulate BTC. Just by a lack of organization on our side. We totally still can GameStop the chart against them 🤣 only most of us don't share the same language.

BigvalBROski

Use a 20 character passphrase or just buy the ETF

TheresNoSecondBest

Suggested Strike, River or Swan are good options. Anyway, congrats on the move, it's never too late, [despite new people thinking otherwise](https://old.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/rskpuf/i_have_only_600_bitcoinsi_missed_the_bus/). ONLY INVEST MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE. Invest in your knowledge, learn about Bitcoin as much as you can. The Bitcoin Standard book is a must read. So is Broken Money by Lyn Alden. Also, **don't reply any DMs**, emails, private messages on other social media, promising to buy Bitcoin from them or get rich quick by investing into some website. They all are scammers. Even the hot Asian chick, he's a scammer too. **Price wise, nobody knows what the price will be tomorrow, next week or at the end of the year.** **Try "Bitcoin ONLY" strategy for at least the first 210,000 block cycle**, you'll sleep much better. Newcomers lose so much money, holding tokens just because someone on YT told them to. If you don't like losing money in [failed coins](https://www.coingecko.com/research/publications/how-many-cryptocurrencies-failed), avoid. DCA is probably the best approach. Once a week works best for me, but I'm getting paid weekly. This [DCA calculator](https://21vox.com/dca-calculator) might help to decide what will work best for you. In a few years, even $10 dollars a month can make a massive difference. This [DCA blog](https://er-bybitcoin.com/) is pretty interesting too and compares buying bitcoin VS stocks. Now, don't buy some fake bitcoin at a spot ETF place or similar, **get the real thing** that you can withdraw anytime you want. Register at a proper exchange and buy real Bitcoin. Any of these will do [https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin](https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin) Install (or buy - in case you're getting Bitcoin in Thousands of $) one or more of these wallets. **Good wallet choices:** [https://blockstream.com/app/](https://blockstream.com/app/) \- Top Security Features, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://bluewallet.io](https://bluewallet.io/) \- excellent, easy to use wallet, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://www.sparrowwallet.com](https://www.sparrowwallet.com) - top desktop wallet [https://electrum.org](https://electrum.org/) \- Solid choice, Open Source and Non-Custodial, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin Wallets. I prefer the desktop version but it works on mobile too. **Lightning wallets** to consider (cheaper and faster transactions, great for small amounts): [https://phoenix.acinq.co/](https://phoenix.acinq.co/) \- Phoenix - very good wallet, uses Tor for extra privacy, easy for anyone new [https://blixtwallet.github.io/](https://blixtwallet.github.io/) \- Blixt - great UI, fast and clean. The app runs a full LND node on your phone and you have the ability to easily open channels to whatever nodes you like. [https://zeusln.com/](https://zeusln.com/) Zeus - impressive wallet with many features, can even generate Nostr keys [https://breez.technology](https://breez.technology/) \- Breez - excellent POS for small business owners as well as integrated Bitrefill Note: Breez does also a hybrid liquid/LN wallet called Misty Breez - the sats being on liquid means no need for channels although the payments take a few extra seconds. You'll also can get a free customable LN address. While talking about hybrid wallets, there's also Aqua Wallet although not IMHO as good as Misty Breez. There are also custodial LN wallet but I would honestly avoid using them because you have to trust the wallet operator not to steal your money. Their only advantage is that they are incredibly easy to use, although it might cost you big one day. To keep up to date with spending wallets, visit r/TheLightningNetwork at least once a while and perhaps r/RGB in the future. **Hardware Wallets** (to store larger amounts): [Trezor](https://trezor.io/) \- Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're. If you can afford it, opt for Safe 7 (**air-gapped**) and use the Bitcoin only firmware as it's safer than a multi coin software. [BitBox02](https://bitbox.swiss/bitbox02/bitcoin-only/) - another great little device, opt for the more secure Bitcoin ONLY version (less coins = less code = less chance for a hidden bug or a backdoor). Sadly, this device is **not air-gapped**. [Jade](https://blockstream.com/jade) - air gapped, fully open source, Bitcoin only, great features. There's a newer version called Jade Plus, it has much better camera and overall is a better build. I would go stateless instead of using their servers. You can even [build it on your own](https://github.com/Blockstream/jade/), if you feel adventurous. [Seedsigner](https://github.com/SeedSigner/seedsigner) - another DIY, fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, not for you if you're just starting up but something to consider later. [Krux wallet](https://selfcustody.github.io/krux/) - one more DIY hardware device, I love this one for many reasons. Similar to Seedsigner, it's fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, that is not for you right now if you're just starting up, but something to consider at a later stage and/or to up the security of your bitcoin. There's also Ledger, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not fully open source, keep and already leaked customers' details, recently said they're capable of sending customers' keys out just with a firmware update, making is an expensive hot wallet. The opposite of what you want from a cold wallet. **Stay away**, save yourself a headache in the future. The same goes for many other hardware wallets that are too new or filled with too much of unnecessary shitcoin code. Stay away. There's also ColdCard, great features but recently had a massive duckup, I would wait until all of their code is fully open source, preferably rewritten by the community before touching it. Whatever wallet you'll decide to buy, purchase DIRECTLY from the manufacturer, no eBay, no Amazon. Make sure the device is NOT preset, and you will generate your own seed words. Write them down on any piece of paper as well as the receiving address. Now wipe the wallet and generate a new wallet. If the seed words are different from the first set, you're safe to use it. Find an option to set a passphrase and use it. This will boost the security to another level. Never store the seed words and passphrase together. Use a different medium if possible. If somebody finds both, they'll be able to steal your coin. This little device will hold the keys to your money, that's the reason why you have to be a bit more careful. Also, no worries, if it breaks, you can replace it - as long as you keep your seed words and passphrase(s) safe. Welcome to the rabbit hole and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions anytime during your Bitcoin journey. Also, [check the sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/about) that's filled with lots of great info and if you have any questions, visit r/BitcoinBeginners or r/Bitcoin and look for the answers.

Remarkable_Wish_5106

They don't directly own any BTC as far as I know of, they do offer a BTC ETF for investors.

JumpProfessional3372

Yeah I agree, but in this situation, i think it might be better to just buy an ETF based on Bitcoin. Anyone can go self-custody, but if they do not want to spend time to mitigate the risks, then is going to be risky.

Romanizer

If Bitcoin literally disappeared tomorrow, ~$1.3T of market value would disappear with it. ETF investors, public companies with BTC treasuries, miners, exchanges, custodians, lenders, derivatives traders and millions of holders would notice immediately. Entire businesses and balance sheets would be impaired overnight. Would your local supermarket stop working? No. But “civilization would continue” is an extraordinarily low bar for claiming an asset has no relevance. Apple, Microsoft or basically everything else you invest in could disappear tomorrow and most humans could still eat their breakfast.

TheresNoSecondBest

Congrats on the move, it's never too late, [despite new people thinking otherwise](https://old.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/rskpuf/i_have_only_600_bitcoinsi_missed_the_bus/). ONLY INVEST MONEY YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE. Invest in your knowledge, learn about Bitcoin as much as you can. The Bitcoin Standard book is a must read. So is Broken Money by Lyn Alden. Also, **don't reply any DMs**, emails, private messages on other social media, promising to buy Bitcoin from them or get rich quick by investing into some website. They all are scammers. Even the hot Asian chick, he's a scammer too. **Price wise, nobody knows what the price will be tomorrow, next week or at the end of the year.** **Try "Bitcoin ONLY" strategy for at least the first 210,000 block cycle**, you'll sleep much better. Newcomers lose so much money, holding tokens just because someone on YT told them to. If you don't like losing money in [failed coins](https://www.coingecko.com/research/publications/how-many-cryptocurrencies-failed), avoid. DCA is probably the best approach. Once a week works best for me, but I'm getting paid weekly. This [DCA calculator](https://21vox.com/dca-calculator) might help to decide what will work best for you. In a few years, even $10 dollars a month can make a massive difference. This [DCA blog](https://er-bybitcoin.com/) is pretty interesting too and compares buying bitcoin VS stocks. Now, don't buy some fake bitcoin at a spot ETF place or similar, **get the real thing** that you can withdraw anytime you want. Register at a proper exchange and buy real Bitcoin. Any of these will do [https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin](https://bitcoin-only.com/get-bitcoin) Install (or buy - in case you're getting Bitcoin in Thousands of $) one or more of these wallets. **Good wallet choices:** [https://blockstream.com/app/](https://blockstream.com/app/) \- Top Security Features, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://bluewallet.io](https://bluewallet.io/) \- excellent, easy to use wallet, Open Source and Non-Custodial [https://www.sparrowwallet.com](https://www.sparrowwallet.com) - top desktop wallet [https://electrum.org](https://electrum.org/) \- Solid choice, Open Source and Non-Custodial, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin Wallets. I prefer the desktop version but it works on mobile too. **Lightning wallets** to consider (cheaper and faster transactions, great for small amounts): [https://phoenix.acinq.co/](https://phoenix.acinq.co/) \- Phoenix - very good wallet, uses Tor for extra privacy, easy for anyone new [https://blixtwallet.github.io/](https://blixtwallet.github.io/) \- Blixt - great UI, fast and clean. The app runs a full LND node on your phone and you have the ability to easily open channels to whatever nodes you like. [https://zeusln.com/](https://zeusln.com/) Zeus - impressive wallet with many features, can even generate Nostr keys [https://breez.technology](https://breez.technology/) \- Breez - excellent POS for small business owners as well as integrated Bitrefill Note: Breez does also a hybrid liquid/LN wallet called Misty Breez - the sats being on liquid means no need for channels although the payments take a few extra seconds. You'll also can get a free customable LN address. While talking about hybrid wallets, there's also Aqua Wallet although not IMHO as good as Misty Breez. There are also custodial LN wallet but I would honestly avoid using them because you have to trust the wallet operator not to steal your money. Their only advantage is that they are incredibly easy to use, although it might cost you big one day. To keep up to date with spending wallets, visit r/TheLightningNetwork at least once a while and perhaps r/RGB in the future. **Hardware Wallets** (to store larger amounts): [Trezor](https://trezor.io/) \- Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're. If you can afford it, opt for Safe 7 (**air-gapped**) and use the Bitcoin only firmware as it's safer than a multi coin software. [BitBox02](https://bitbox.swiss/bitbox02/bitcoin-only/) - another great little device, opt for the more secure Bitcoin ONLY version (less coins = less code = less chance for a hidden bug or a backdoor). Sadly, this device is **not air-gapped**. [Jade](https://blockstream.com/jade) - air gapped, fully open source, Bitcoin only, great features. There's a newer version called Jade Plus, it has much better camera and overall is a better build. I would go stateless instead of using their servers. You can even [build it on your own](https://github.com/Blockstream/jade/), if you feel adventurous. [Seedsigner](https://github.com/SeedSigner/seedsigner) - another DIY, fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, not for you if you're just starting up but something to consider later. [Krux wallet](https://selfcustody.github.io/krux/) - one more DIY hardware device, I love this one for many reasons. Similar to Seedsigner, it's fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, that is not for you right now if you're just starting up, but something to consider at a later stage and/or to up the security of your bitcoin. There's also Ledger, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not fully open source, keep and already leaked customers' details, recently said they're capable of sending customers' keys out just with a firmware update, making is an expensive hot wallet. The opposite of what you want from a cold wallet. **Stay away**, save yourself a headache in the future. The same goes for many other hardware wallets that are too new or filled with too much of unnecessary shitcoin code. Stay away. There's also ColdCard, great features but recently had a massive duckup, I would wait until all of their code is fully open source, preferably rewritten by the community before touching it. Whatever wallet you'll decide to buy, purchase DIRECTLY from the manufacturer, no eBay, no Amazon. Make sure the device is NOT preset, and you will generate your own seed words. Write them down on any piece of paper as well as the receiving address. Now wipe the wallet and generate a new wallet. If the seed words are different from the first set, you're safe to use it. Find an option to set a passphrase and use it. This will boost the security to another level. Never store the seed words and passphrase together. Use a different medium if possible. If somebody finds both, they'll be able to steal your coin. This little device will hold the keys to your money, that's the reason why you have to be a bit more careful. Also, no worries, if it breaks, you can replace it - as long as you keep your seed words and passphrase(s) safe. Welcome to the rabbit hole and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions anytime during your Bitcoin journey. Also, [check the sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/about) that's filled with lots of great info and if you have any questions, visit r/BitcoinBeginners or r/Bitcoin and look for the answers.

Romanizer

This institution has many different owners/investors so it's more like an ETF at this point. 4% of a global asset it also a very low concentration comparing to other assets.

RoundChampionship840

Literally anyone who wants exposure to Bitcoin can just buy an ETF. It's definitely not "early".

Remarkable_Wish_5106

Exactly, but the moon boys never explain that small detail to the retail crowd. It's retail and hedge funds are use the ETF's for trading. Large institutions never bought into crypto,

DifficultSquash1517

Speak for yourself.. my IBIT ETF is 100% covered 🤷

Turdfurgsn

100mil sold Same day BTC ETF purchases were 800mil Move on

gizram84

> In the cryptocurrency space, MSTR is the last place you should be putting your money If argue it goes: Bitcoin (self custody), Bitcoin ETF, Bitcoin (exchange), MSTR, STRK, Ethereum, all other shitcoins. In that order. Yes MSTR sucks, but the average person will make so much more money in MSTR than any of the shitcoins they "iNvESt" in

BitPulse_

Cycle timing looks compelling, but institutional ETF inflows changed how liquidity flows compared to past cycles. To evaluate whether now is a good entry window, I usually look at on-chain metrics like the MVRV Z-Score to see if price is near realized value rather than relying strictly on the calendar...

DifficultSquash1517

Most of us are aware of the risks in self-custody Tell us some of the risks of having an ETF on Robinhood

BitPulse_

Cycle timing looks compelling, but institutional ETF inflows changed how liquidity flows compared to past cycles. To evaluate whether now is a good entry window, I usually look at on-chain metrics like the MVRV Z-Score to see if price is near realized value rather than relying strictly on the calendar.

Ok_Specialist1911

This saddens/infuriates me. While I have not lost anything in this catastrophe, I took huge losses in the stock market in my mid 20’s and did not think I would ever recover. You have to get back in at some point, now is as good a time as any as we still remain near a cycle low. Put in what you can, when you can. Look into Seedsigner, Jade plus from Blockstream, Trezor. Multi-sig if you can, only go up to your abilities, or just buy the ETF’s. It will take time, but you will recover.

ImperialPotentate

ETFs are fine unless you're some conspiracy kook. I have almost as much in my Bitcoin ETF as I do in my cold wallet, difference being the ETF is in a tax-free account so I won't be bent over for capital gains taxes when I go to sell.

piejlucas

This may not help but many years back I too suffered a loss. Nearly 12 BTC gone to someone who installed a key logger on my PC. It was an $11k loss at the time. Instead of resigning myself to Bitcoin I got a hardware wallet and repurchased the lost coins as soon as I was able. Those coins ended up costing me nearly 2x what the lost batch did. But the years passed and my investment went on to eclipse the loss. Today I would advise the same except I would suggest you consider an ETF or custody at Fidelity. Those options did not exist for me back then.

DifficultSquash1517

Problem in these threads is that a lot of people try to downplay the risk and always blame the user for making some kind of mistake and that this would never happen if they didn't make the mistake Well that's what makes self custody so dangerous as it's easy to make mistakes 🤷 And for some reason when everyone talks about keeping it on an exchange or buying the ETF it gets downvoted. LOL🤣 If everyone's ETFs got hacked they would have to put up with all those risky pesky bankers from BlackRock and Schwab calling them and bothering them to try to give them their money back

Romanizer

The biggest change isn’t the price, it’s legitimacy and access. Five years ago Bitcoin was still largely a retail/crypto-native asset. Today US spot ETFs from BlackRock, Fidelity etc. hold roughly 1.2 million BTC, close to 6% of total supply, giving institutions exposure through normal brokerage, custody and portfolio infrastructure. Institutional adoption is no longer theoretical either. 13F filings now show exposure from asset managers, hedge funds, pension funds, university endowments and sovereign wealth funds. Even after a rough Q1 2026, professional investors still reported about $17.8B in US Bitcoin ETF holdings. Politically, the shift is arguably even bigger: the US created a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in 2025, while comprehensive market-structure legislation (CLARITY) has passed the House and cleared Senate Banking, although it still isn’t law. So I’d describe Bitcoin today as having moved from “Can this survive?” to “How deeply does this become integrated into the global financial system?” The protocol itself hasn’t changed much. The world is adapting to it.

Turbulent-Camp7382

ETF’s killed the crypto market, perhaps irreversably

Certified_Outcast

Thank you so much! It seems like the ETFs are insured which at least offers some safety, for a fee of course. I have no intention to self custody and it looks like the general consensus is that robinhood is not trustworthy so I will just go the ETF route, and the fees are not too bad unless it ends up being a large amount of equity.

Useful_Calendar_6274

ETF

Thin_Database3002

Neither answer as an absolute is the right one. The smart move is to divide up one's holdings so there is never a 100% risk of loss. Or put it in an ETF with a large heavily-regulated brokerage like Fidelity, Blackrock, etc, especially if investing with retirement holdings.

lives_in_a_pineapple

You are a fool for believing this. Please do some research before spouting off. "Exchange hacks dominate in total dollars stolen by a wide margin—multiple orders of magnitude larger for confirmed third-party remote thefts of significant size." We are talking 8.5 BILLION PLUS lost to exchanges vs an extremely rare fringe case hardware hack. Coldcard is one of the first significant cases of a hardware exploit. If you think any of these exchanges are too big to fail, thats on you. Again, if youre too incompetent for self custody, stay home and buy an ETF or something. You dont belong on the blockchain.

abitofcoinOTC

Good questions. If you hold cryptocurrency at Robinhood Crypto, you're trusting Robinhood Crypto to custody your bitcoins. You own actual bitcoins that you are free to withdraw if Robinhood Crypto permits it. Your risks are account compromise or Robinhood Crypto insolvency. If you hold a bitcoin ETF, you don't quite own actual bitcoin. Your primary risk is that the custodian the ETF issuer is using loses the coins. The ETF does not insulate you from the realities of holding cryptocurrency. If the ETF issuer loses the cryptocurrency, you're still left holding the bag. You're still at risk of account compromise, although potentially to a slightly lesser extent depending on what brokerage you're using, and somewhat less at risk of brokerage insolvency because the equities you own in your brokerage account typically are not part of a bankruptcy estate (in most cases of cryptocurrency exchange insolvency, customer cryptocurrency balances were part of the bankruptcy estate) and because of SIPC protection. It's also important to consider fees: I would expect Robinhood Crypto to charge you more for buying and selling, but they won't charge you anything for holding, whereas the ETF won't cost as much to trade but will have an annual fee.

Laukess

You'll have to pay the taxes on your sale either way. If you don't care about self custody, the ETF will be fine. Maybe in the future we'll see in-kind redemption for retail.

Xnove

Opensource, or something that can be hold accountable, like an ETF if you are not tech educated

Certified_Outcast

The only work around for the ETFs are when you put them in the retirement fund for tax advantages. I dont know if I will ever self custody but thanks for mentioning the tax aspects. The ETF has maintainence fees and tax implications so there is a downside. I guess the safety of the ETF comes with a price. My biggest concern is storing crypto long term on the exchange. Most people say that it should be moved to cold storage and not left on the exchange. Being that I dont want to self custody at the moment, ill just have to go the ETF route and pay the taxes later which will suck but its whatever. Thanks again for your insight!

Laukess

As i said, I don't own any ETF's so I don't follow the space that closely. One trade-off is that if you want to self custody later, with the ETF's you'll have to sell, pay tax, and then buy the bitcoin. By holding bitcoin on an exchange/app you can always just move them to self custody without paying any taxes, as there was no sales event, if they allow you to withdraw your bitcoin, that is. I don't know if there's any workaround for the ETF's. I think I heard about some service where you could avoid it, but I haven't looked into it.

Certified_Outcast

Thank you! It definitely seems like storing cyrpto on the robinhood exchange might be too risky. I will be going the ETF route.

DifficultSquash1517

A better DCA would be to spread out among a few months If you're only interested in the price action just buy the ETF it's a lot safer and as a added bonus you could make one to 2% every month just writing calls on it 😮

fan_of_hakiksexydays

Long list of reasons. But to summarize, risk of custody vs risk of a broker account, and get benefit of self custody vs the benefits of an ETF. Basically enjoying the benefits of both, but not putting all eggs in one.

Certified_Outcast

Wow that sucks. What is the good reason? Did they suspect fraud? And it seems like they froze both your brokerage and your crypto exchange, so if that happened to me, the ETF would also be frozen because I would be using robinhood as my brokerage for the ETF as well. It seems like the freezing is why most ppl hate robinhood.

SallyYoung1

Why would you buy an ETH etf and also ETH? Surely just choose one or the other... And even then, why an ETF when you can gain direct exposure?

aznpridesu

If you decided to go with ETF make sure to diversify. like spread your investments among IBIT, FBTC , ARKB tickers.

fan_of_hakiksexydays

25% actual BTC 30% BTC ETF 10% actual ETH 15% ETH ETF 10% BTC perp long 5% ETH perp long 5% ADA perp long

Certified_Outcast

Lol im mostly a long term investor but I get it. When everyone is trying to make trades they can freeze it and you cant make the trades you want. Im definitely going to get the ETF because I dont want to get a self custody wallet. And I am realizing the robinhood exchange is not insured and they can freeze us out during high volatility periods.

Certified_Outcast

Thank you so much! Ive been trying to find YouTube videos that explain this and no one really mentions this. They only talk about ETF vs self custody. Im now learning that storing the crypto on the exchange is not safe due to lack of regulations and insurance protections. I will definitely be going the ETF route since im not interested in storing it in a self custody wallet.

wolfofone

I would trust Fidelity or Schwab and a BTC ETF before I would trust Robinhood anything much less Robinhood Crypto. I would go ETF with the SIPC peace of mind or buy on Strike etc and self custody. I wouldnt half ass this. Just look at all the crypto custodial platforms that have failed.

Informal-Height7138

Your instinct on holding both is better than the reasoning most of this thread is using. Notice what actually failed here. It wasn’t a stolen device, it wasn’t phishing, it wasn’t your operational discipline. Key generation itself was weak, silently, for years, in a way no user could have inspected or tested. That’s a supply-chain and firmware risk, and it’s a category most people never priced in because the whole appeal of the device was that it removed risk. Which is why replacing one hardware wallet with a different hardware wallet isn’t diversification. It’s the same failure mode with a different logo — you’re just betting that this manufacturer’s engineering held where the other one didn’t, and you have no way to check that either. What you’re describing with an ETF alongside self-custody is different, and it’s the part worth thinking about. Those two fail for unrelated reasons: one is exposed to counterparty, custodian and regulatory risk, the other to firmware and your own operational error. Neither is safer in the abstract. But they’re unlikely to break on the same day for the same cause, and after this week that’s the property actually worth having.

Dutchpapersilver666

ETF garbage is what killed it. Brilliant plan to create bagholders holding about 10.000 different "tokens" each with 5-50 M in marketcap.... $500 billion in "dead" money easy. Glad I got out with a little in cash profits back in early 25....After losing 75% of the initial profits. I would be at -90% of original purchasing price if I had HODLed...jeezzz. So? This is so dead for a reason

Zestyclose_Ad2462

Proposed BTC holdings: 10% in a cold wallet w/multisig or 2FA 10% left on a reputable exchange 40% in one ETF using one custodian 40% in another using another custodian This minimizes the possibility you'll get Cold Carded. Even if you do and it's a complete loss, you still have 90% of your portfolio. Ditto if your exchange goes under. ETF's aren't guaranteed but I'd bet good $ Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab etc employ better (and far more) cyber-security nerds than any cold wallet. Let's look at Fidelity. They're the largest custodian in the US, with over 17 TRILLION assets under management. There's at least a CHANCE they'd make people whole. Otherwise, why would people keep their money with them? They'd forever be known as the custodian who got hacked and people lost everything. Conversely if they stepped up and made people whole, I bet they'd see a LOT of new customers. And few, if any existing customers leaving. Just my opinion

zenethics

You're right. The only option for storage in 2026 is some startup with 3.5 million in revenue and 5 employees. You _have_ to use coldcard because your favorite podcaster told you to. Nevermind Trezor, Ledger, Coinbase, the ETF, MSTR. When it comes to self custody for substantial funds, the only real choice is to go off the beaten path and to use something a bootstrapped startup made with low funding. The podcast cold storage startup was the smartest choice. The only choice, when you think about it.

MetaGryphon

Considering crypto is 1% only of all money invested globally so it is advised to own not more than 10% of your portfolio in crypto. Everything else in world ETF or into judicious stock picking.

Squeiner

Im sure thats true for you and no judgement here man, but we have different likes and interests, values, and priorities.  I like this stuff. I listen to podcasts about it when im in the car. I spend my off time reading about it. Im a nerd. You might say an amateur woodworker is way over complicating his life when he builds his own bookshelf at great cost in money, time and effort, instead of just getting a perfectly good free one from marketplace same-day, there are tons in there. But he likes doing it. His interest wasn't just to own a bookshelf, it was to build one, and to learn as much as possible while doing so. Of course there's an easier way, a prepackaged alternative, and I wouldn't discourage you from choosing that or judge you for it, by all means. But I like doing this. Im interested in doing my own thing, it brings me joy, and learning about it is engaging and entertaining and honestly thrilling much of the time. That's most of the reason im here, writing these long as comments. I love talking about it. I value self reliance. Handing over my money to some bank or brokerage for safekeeping because its easier than doing it myself is not a tradeoff I'm keen to make. I value autonomy. Asking blackrock or whoever to open an account for me and then to do this or that with my assets is odious to me when I can create my own keys and broadcast my own transactions without anyone else being involved at all. I value freedom. I much prefer having the ability to send any amount of my coins to anyone anywhere anytime for any reason than to be constrained in all those aspects by the arbitrary rules of an issuer.  We likely have similar ones, but my priorities include things that you probably don't care much about, though I couldn't say for sure, it just sounds like it. We both likely have wealth accumulation pretty close to the tippy top of our lists of priorities, and exposure to bitcoin's price appreciation is therefore something we both want. Your ETFs and my self custodied coins both serve that priority very effectively. But another item very high on my list of priorities is working towards the separation of money and state, and the transition to a global bitcoin standard. Holding BTC in self custody is how I serve these priorities. Holding an ETF is how you work against them. So again, no judgement to you man, by all means, get your ETFs and enjoy your life. This is how I enjoy mine.

DiamondHandsDarrell

BTC absorbed a ridiculous amount of bad news this year: war, the oil shock, a hawkish Fed, 5%+ long bonds, record ETF outflows, Strategy selling below cost, and massive capital flowing into AI, semiconductors and related infrastructure. Yet it held the range. Now oil is substantially lower, long yields are easing, the dollar is softer, rate hike expectations are coming down, ETF inflows are starting to return, and BTC is still sitting around the mid-$60Ks. That doesn’t mean it’s about to moon, and it’s not investment advice. It just means the “Bitcoin is dead” narrative doesn’t really match what the market has actually absorbed. It survived almost everything that should have crushed it. Now the interesting question is what happens if some of those headwinds finally start turning into tailwinds.

devCheckingIn

ETF inflows every day this week! 🤩

UzItOrLuzIt

Too much...just way too much. You are way over complicating your life unnecessarily. Lots of added security I'm sure, but at what point do you stop? No doubt, you will still pine over your how protected you are indefinitely for no reason when you could be enjoying your life instead. Not that I necessarily "like and subscribe", but a .25%/yr ETF pretty much lets you move on without worrying about jackshit anymore.

FreezedPeachNow

Changing the world for the better through Bitcoin is a 50 year+ battle and were only on year 17. If this just becomes an ETF dominated thing and self custody goes away, Bitcoin didn't win. In 30 years you'll look back at this bump in the road and say that it was worth it to self custody

blinkOneEightyBewb

You could use a password manager... Or just buy the ETF. But I guess your brokerage account will need a password too, oh no...

YellowRobeSmith

Happy to help, I recently sold all of my BTC from my wallet and moved it to the Fidelity FBTC ETF so had to follow those same steps.

Laukess

Is that insurance they provide through a 3rd party? Do you pay a premium to use their service? Does this extend to their ETF? (I think they are one of the few providers that does not use Coinbase as a custodian). I'm just curious, because I doubt they'll be able to pay out of pocket, so they would have to use a 3rd party for insurance, and they surely want a to get paid, so Fidelity would have to charge a premium.

YellowRobeSmith

Depends really. If you aren't planning using BTC for buying things on a routine basis, then an ETF is fine for most. Especially for those who have no idea how to be their own bank.

piejlucas

Anyone looking to buy a considerable amount of crypto as a store of value these days is far better off buying an ETF like IBIT. No sense putting your money at risk with self custody especially if one has no clue what proper security looks like. The learning curve was already steep and it just now got steeper with this entropy bs.

ubermensch1001

This is last part you mentioned with complaints about Coinkite going back to 2021 is EXACTLY what I've been talking about that the other poster was completely ignoring. I've been trying to find it to link it, but this past weekend there was a youtuber with a video from late 2021 or so talking about this that was getting a ton of attention after the Cold Card hack. As you said, the company would have heard about this AND ignored it. I'm expecting there to be a lot with this case coming out over the next several months, so it will be interesting. As for my comments about the masses not utilizing self custody, I still stand by that. I'm not saying people should or should not rely on tradfi institutions for their crypto holdings, but the reality is that when this starts becoming more mainstream and regulated this is going to happen naturally. You are going to have a bunch of people at say Charles Schwab or whatever institution with investment portfolios and they are advised to allocate x% into a BTC ETF. That's exactly what's going to happen, doesn't matter if you or I agree with it or not. The reality is that there is a risk with self custody, and the biggest and most common risk is people screwing up the process somehow to where they get locked out of their funds, lose their seeds or expose them to the internet. There are plenty of stories you can find across the internet about this where someone downloads a fake app that asks for them to type in their seeds or where they kept their seeds on a file of some sort on their phone or computer. Again, I'm not saying that people should avoid self custody and utilize tradfi institutions for their holdings, but the reality is that most will go this route. In fact, especially after this Cold Card incident. This Cold Card hack while awful only affected a very tiny number of actual wallets/addresses, but the biggest ramifications of this is people being scared away from self custody and questioning their security measures. Even I've been reflecting upon this and thinking about getting a 3rd wallet and either utilizing a very strong passphrase or even taking the time to learn how to use multi sig. I used to see a simple passphrase as a measure to take in case someone were to get a physical copy of my actual keys/seeds, which would be difficult in itself, but after this Cold Card incident it's made me reevaluate.

Badj83

lol wdym? ColdCard was chilled by everyone as the top best way to self custody. Don’t come acting like people who used it were wreckless or dumb or ill informed. Any other more complicated wallet is just out of reach for the average holder. For me SC just failed to democratize and get safe and easy enough after all those years. I tried it, but swapped it for ETF now (for ease of use and tax incentives) and I am so glad I did.

BrawndoCrave

ETF starting to sound better

Zestyclose_Ad2462

Planes crash all the time. Do people stop flying? No. Why? Because the crash was caused by pilot error, mechanical fault, weather etc and NOT a flaw in flying itself. Crashes are studied and improvements/corrections are made. As a result, flying is safer today than it ever has been. Bitcoin did not fail. On the contrary, it succeeded. The price went UP and will keep doing so. Why? The network still works. Transactions still process. Institutional adoption continues to accelerate. I do agree having your life savings in ANY 1 place/investment is asking for it. But you can self-custody with other safeguards, leave some on a reputable exchange and invest the bulk in ETF's using various custodians. To indict an entire asset class just because ONE cold wallet company was negligent is.... wrong. But I won't stop you from sticking with "safe" investments. There are still people that write snail mail letters, vs email. The world has passed them by, they just don't realize it.

DifficultSquash1517

I don't know what everybody's aversion is to just holding the ETF I mean isn't everybody in for the price action? To those that are reading this that are in for the tech, I apologize How financially illiterate to someone have to be to think that it's safer in a wallet than it is at an institution like Schwab or fidelity and that black rock would not make good on your holdings when THEY don't roll the dice 🤷 And the most obvious play is that you get to write covered calls on your ETF holdings generating one to 2% every month 😮 How much do you have to hate money in order to leave it in your cold storage where it earns 0 when you could be earning 2% monthly?