[data_mine]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I can't fathom investing money on something that only seems to exist in the virtual world.

then don't. everyones risk profile is up to them to decide.

it's equally as vacuous as the stock market or the forex markets - people are trading on predicted value changes. it's all funny money, until you cash out.

you buy shares in company XYZ because you believe (for whatever reason) that tomorrow they'll be worth more, not less). you buy USD because you believe it'll be worth more against the AUD - either AUD goes down, or USD goes up).

in the unlikely event bitcoin disappears tomorrow you'll be left with the same as if in the unlikely event the ASX disappears tomorrow - nothing.

only investments in physical materials (be it gold, oil, wheat, wool etc.) do you actually own 'something'. and then only if you take delivery of said something. trading with paper values of commodities is just as risky as shares/forex/crypto.