Digital technology has given birth to a whole new range of investment opportunities. Many of these investments can be made from home on your PC and can be great sources of passive income. Here are just five lucrative ways to invest your money digitally.
Cryptocurrency
In 2009, a digital currency called Bitcoin was invented, created as a universal currency for getting around foreign currency rates and exchange fees. As the value of Bitcoin started to rise, more people started buying it as an investment. Since 2009, a number of other digital currencies (known formally as cryptocurrencies) have been spawned solely for investment purposes – in fact as of 2018 there are over 1000 cryptocurrencies! Cryptocurrencies are very volatile – often rising and plummeting in value – but this is also part of the appeal as they can rise in value sharply, leading to fast returns. You’re best investing only small amounts to begin with to get into the swing of it.
Domain names
It’s possible to make money by trading website addresses (officially known as domain names). This involves buying a domain name for cheap and then selling it for a profit. The most expensive domain name ever sold was insurance.com in 2010 for $35.6 million. Some domain name investors target specific words and phrases whilst others may look for random combinations of letters in the hope that one day they’re valuable to someone. There are lots of hosting sites for buying cheap domain names from.
Peer-to-peer lending
Many people looking for loans are now skipping traditional lenders and visiting peer-to-peer lending sites. This involves being lent money by another online user. For those giving out the loans, this can be a great investment opportunity as you’re able to make money through interest fees. You’re best always using a trusted peer-to-peer lending site to do this – such sites pair up lenders with people looking for a loan and ensure that both users meet their side of the deal (in other words, you’re guaranteed that your loan will get paid back). These sites set the interest rates, generally taking a small share for themselves but allowing you to make most of the profit.
Automated trading
For those wanting to get involved in stocks and shares, there’s now a new way to invest and that is to use an automated trading system. These are computer programmes that recommend the best stocks to invest in based on calculated risk assessment and the amount of money you’re willing to invest. These can be great tools for making research easy whilst not having to trust a human stockbroker. There are lots of programmes on the market each with different fees and perks.
Online savings accounts
If all these digital investment opportunities sound a little too risky, you can always take the risk-free option of putting your money into an online savings account. Whilst you won’t make nearly the same returns as other digital investments in this list, you’re still likely to make more money than using a regular savings account – online banks tend to offer better interest rates than physical banks. As a result, this digital investment is a good safe option.