eToro: A Review of the Crypto Trading Platform
Right now in the U.S., trading platform eToro only allows you to trade cryptocurrency.
But that may soon change.
Founded in 2007, eToro is an international trading platform with both social and trading components, and is currently available in more than 140 countries. The U.S. crypto platform, however, was introduced only in 2018. With this platform, you can trade a number of different cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.
Among the most popular cryptos available on eToro are ethereum and ripple, but many others are available as well. And they can help you diversify your eToro portfolio.
What Is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that are stored using highly secure cryptography, which makes them difficult to counterfeit.
Popular cryptocurrencies include bitcoin, which runs on a blockchain, ripple, dogecoin and many more. Some of these can be found on eToro’s platform.
As documented by my colleague Rob Otman, crypto is very popular among millennials. There are several reasons for this:
- Millennials have a deep mistrust of the stock market and traditional economy.
- Crypto is the perfect marriage of finance and technology.
- It’s a decentralized market in a shaky global economy.
Plenty of older investors find crypto interesting as well, and may therefore find eToro useful. This isn’t something true just today – it was especially true during the bitcoin bubble.
But while crypto is an interesting and exciting asset, it’s definitely a risky way to diversify your portfolio.
If you’re interested in trading bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, you may find eToro’s platform is a great way to do so. So below is more information about this unique trading platform.
About the eToro Platform
There are a number of different features you can use on the platform. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Build a Watch List
You can build a watch list of currencies that interest you. Let’s say you want to watch several coins like bitcoin, ripple and dash; you can build a dashboard through eToro to do so. For each market you select in eToro, your watch list shows the current market price, as well as its change over time. You can also see the 52-week price range to see how it’s done over the past year.
The platform indicates an analyst consensus of “Buy,” “Hold” or “Sell.” When you’re ready to invest, it’s as easy as the click of a button.
In addition to your currency watch list, you can build one to follow other traders whom you can learn from and imitate. This feature can be especially useful for novice traders new to the world of crypto. More on that later.
Your eToro Portfolio
Once you begin investing with eToro, you can see your portfolio and how it breaks down. Once you invest some of your money into the platform and make trades, the portfolio will show you the following:
- Available Cash
- Total Allocation
- Profit
- Total Equity.
You can also look at your history of trades, as well as any pending activity. The layout is simple, crisp and easy to navigate.
In addition to your portfolio and watch list, you’ll have a news feed. The news feed gives you insight into what other crypto traders are currently seeing and thinking, which can be useful for making your own decisions.
CopyTrader™
Another great feature of the eToro platform is its CopyTrader™ system. CopyTrader™ is so called because it allows you to literally copy the portfolios of other high-profile crypto traders.
Not only does this give you insight into the portfolios of expert traders, but CopyTrader™ also allows you to automatically mimic their trades. In this way, you can easily keep your portfolio matched to theirs.
There are no extra fees for using the CopyTrader™ tool, so you’re essentially getting managed expertise without having to pay extra for it.
Now that’s a good deal.
And because eToro is a social tool in addition to a trading platform, you can interact with these experts and learn from them directly.
Pricing
EToro is quite transparent about its pricing, which is based on the spread of a trade. However, you should note that the spreads listed are minimum spreads, and the true price can differ based on liquidity and market conditions.
For example, its website shows the spreads for each of the cryptos it offers. The website also lists the trading hours that are available for each currency.
For example, if you want to trade bitcoin, that market is open 24/7 and the minimum spread on the trade is 0.75%. Ethereum is also open 24/7 but trades at a spread of 1.90%.
Concluding Thoughts on eToro
If you’re interested in trading cryptocurrency, eToro could be the perfect trading platform for you. It’s easy to use, boasts cool features like its CopyTrader™ tool and gives you access to a number of different currencies.
If you’re interested in learning more about the platform, I recommend you check out eToro’s website here. The website has educational content and a blog that you may find useful for learning more about crypto trading.
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About Brian M. Reiser
Brian M. Reiser has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with a concentration in finance from the School of Management at Binghamton University.
He also holds a B.A. in philosophy from Columbia University and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of South Florida.
His primary interests at Investment U include personal finance, debt, tech stocks and more.
