After an extraordinary period of growth Bitcoin lives, since the beginning of the year, a crash that has made him lose more than half of its value. Not to worry the 200 000 French who have chosen to invest in this virtual currency, much to the chagrin of financial institutions.
Gains generated by cryptocurrencies must be considered as "capital gains". The decision taken by the Council of State on April 26 th excited the 200,000 French Bitcoin holders. This turnaround of the highest French administrative court concerning the tax regime applied since July 2014 to the sale of cryptocurrencies will have a direct impact on the wallet of investors online. They will no longer be taxed under the income tax (which can be up to 45%) but at a flat rate of 19% (to which must be added, in both cases, 17.2% of social security contributions). ).
This decision comes in a context of "crisis" that currently runs Bitcoin and with him the other 1,500 cryptocurrencies that follow the same curve. Its value fell from € 16,376 on December 16, 2017 to € 5,480 on February 5, 2018. For the neo-investors, baited by the recent media exposure of the virtual currency, the beginning of the year 2018 took on the appearance of a shower cold.
In the image of Nicolas, controller management in the Paris region, who feels "disappointed" with the experience. This thirty has invested 1,500 euros in the Ripple (Another cryptocurrency ed) in January. "I thought it would be more stable than Bitcoin," he says. At current prices, its capital loss exceeds 1,000 euros, or more than two-thirds of its capital. "I assumed that this money was sacrificed for the test," he admits. If he does not feel "regret", he regrets not having diversified his portfolio, that is to say having invested all his money in the same virtual currency.
"As long as you do not sell, you do not lose"
Stéphane works in the audiovisual industry. If he invested a year ago 200 euros in Bitcoin it was first to "buy the weed on the dark net". At the time, the BTC evolves between 1,000 and 1,400 euros. "I did not spend all my bitcoins and in a few weeks, my bet was multiplied, I felt I could make money." For a time he gives up the fumette to learn and read everything that comes to hand on the subject. Unfortunately, when he decides to invest 7,000 euros in Bitcoins, Ethereums & Litecoins, the course of Bitcoin has already jumped to 15,000 dollars. Since then, he gnawed his brakes: "At each little 'crash', I did the bullshit of reselling and so I lost a lot because of the commissions retained each time, maugrée-it-he. the big crash of the beginning of the year in the face. " As a result, the value of his portfolio has been halved. "But I did not sell anything and, as the saying goes: 'As long as you do not sell, you do not lose.'"
"The number one rule with Bitcoin is simple," says David, "invest only what you are willing to lose." Tired of the low yields offered by traditional banking services (Livret A, PEL), this thirty-something has become interested in crypto-currencies. "Very quickly, I realized that many other currencies existed and progressed more quickly." Last September, he invested 750 euros in a dozen different currencies. At its peak, its portfolio posted a positive differential of 500 euros, which has now melted to 100 euros. "I knew the risks," he says, "our generation is saturated with frozen wages, declining purchasing power, and we're all looking for a way out, including crypto-currencies."
2017, the Bitcoin boom
The volatility of Bitcoin is one of the main reasons for its popularity. A kind of gold rush of the 21st century, where one could multiply his starting bet by 10, 20 or a hundred in a short time would be possible. "In fact, Bitcoin has been making waves for several years, mainly because it has been the motto chosen by many hackers with the emergence of ransomware-type viruses," Gaël informs us. talk about Bitcoin early 2017, with the documentary Banking of Bitcoin on Netflix. "
The result is obvious when we look at a Bitcoin price chart since its creation. The second half of 2017 sees the value of the BTC climb exponentially. Which is not safe: "The market is disrupted by the big names, says Khalid who placed 300 euros in the Litecoin in November 2017. He multiplies his starting bet by four I followed John's tweets a lot McAffee: As soon as he recommended a currency, it climbed in. I played the game until Nabilla spoke on Bitcoin, and I thought, 'Ok, that's dangerous.'