What are the risks of investing in crypto?
Crypto can lose most of its value fast and has no deposit protection. Only buy what you could afford to lose entirely.
New to this?
Cryptocurrency, or crypto, is digital money recorded on a shared online ledger called a blockchain, not issued by any government. People buy it on apps and exchanges, hoping the price rises. Its price depends on what others will pay, so it can rise or fall sharply. It has none of the protections of a bank account.
Read first
Myth
Crypto is the future, so putting a big chunk of my savings in it is smart.
Truth
Nobody knows where crypto prices go next. If crypto falls 70%, a $500 position loses $350, but a $5,000 position loses $3,500. Keep it to an amount you could lose entirely.
Worth memorizing
- 1
Crypto has no FDIC or SIPC protection.
If a crypto platform fails or is breached, no government insurance pays you back. Banks and brokerages have protections that crypto lacks.
- 2
Only scammers demand payment in crypto.
The FTC says no real business, agency or bank will ask you to pay or protect your money in crypto.
- 3
Selling or spending crypto is a taxable event.
The IRS treats crypto as property. Selling it, trading it or buying something with it can create a capital gain.
If you're curious, I'd cap crypto at a small amount you could lose without changing your plans, and only after the 401(k) match and emergency fund are done. And I'd never send crypto to anyone who contacted me first.
Do this today
If you own crypto, add up what you paid and what it is worth now, and write down the most you are willing to hold. If you don't own any, check that your emergency fund and 401(k) match are done before you consider it.
Practice
1 of 3
You put $800 into crypto and the price falls 60%. How much is it worth?
The loss is $800 × 60% = $480, so $800 − $480 = $320 is left.
2 of 3
Someone says you must pay a fine in crypto or be arrested. What is it?
The FTC says only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency. No real agency or business will ask for it.
3 of 3
What protects crypto held on an exchange if the exchange fails?
Crypto is not FDIC insured, and SIPC does not cover crypto that isn't a registered security. Customers of failed platforms may not get their money back.
Tips
Size it to lose it
Pick an amount you could lose all of without missing a bill or a retirement contribution. Write the number down before you buy, so excitement doesn't raise it later.
Finish the basics first
Get the full employer 401(k) match, build an emergency fund and pay off high-interest debt before buying crypto. Those steps have known payoffs.
Ignore promised returns
Anyone who promises big or steady returns on crypto is a red flag. The FTC warns that nobody can make those promises, much less in a short time.
Keep records of every trade
Save the date, amount, price and fees for each purchase and sale. You need them to work out your gain or loss at tax time.
A worked example: a small position vs a large one
Jordan has $10,000 in index funds and wants to try crypto. He compares buying $500 or $5,000, assuming crypto falls 70% soon after he buys.
- With $500, a 70% drop costs $500 × 70% = $350. That is $350 ÷ $10,500 = about 3% of everything he has invested.
- With $5,000, the same drop costs $5,000 × 70% = $3,500. That is $3,500 ÷ $15,000 = about 23% of everything he has invested.
- Same coin, same drop. The amount he chose is what decides whether it is a small setback or a serious one.
- Assumed drop70%
- Small position$500
- Loss at 70%−$350
- Left from $500=$150
- Large position$5,000
- Loss at 70%−$3,500
- Left from $5,000=$1,500
Common mistakes
Buying with money you need
Rent money, your emergency fund or a down payment fund should never go into crypto. A drop right before you need it can't be waited out.
Trusting a stranger's investing tips
Many crypto scams start with a friendly message, a dating match or a social media post. If someone you haven't met in person brings up crypto, stop there.
Skipping the tax records
Every sale, swap and purchase made with crypto can be a taxable event. Without records of what you paid, you can't prove your gain or loss to the IRS.
Going deeper
Crypto is one of the riskiest things you can buy: prices can swing by double digits in a day, there is no FDIC or SIPC protection, platforms have frozen withdrawals and gone bankrupt, and scams are common. If you buy any, treat it as money you could lose entirely, keep it small, and only add it after your emergency fund and retirement savings are on track.
Prices swing hard and fast
The FTC notes that crypto values can change rapidly, even by the hour, and that if a value drops there is no promise it will come back. The SEC calls crypto asset investments exceptionally volatile and speculative.
There is no deposit insurance
Crypto is not insured by the FDIC like money in a bank, and SIPC does not protect crypto that isn't a registered security. If an exchange or app fails, you may not get your money back.
Platforms can freeze or fail
Some crypto companies have stopped customers from withdrawing and later filed for bankruptcy, and it has been unclear how much customers would recover. The SEC warns that depositing crypto on a platform might mean you no longer legally own it.
Scams are everywhere
Crypto payments are usually not reversible, which makes them a favorite of scammers. Romance scams, fake investment sites and impostors asking for crypto are common.
It is taxed as property
The IRS treats crypto as property, not currency. Each sale, trade or purchase with crypto can create a capital gain or loss, and your tax return asks whether you had any crypto transactions.
What you are actually buying
A cryptocurrency is a digital token whose ownership is recorded on a blockchain, a shared record kept by many computers. Most tokens have no company, profits or interest payments behind them. Their price is set by what the next buyer will pay.
That makes crypto different from a stock or bond. A share of stock is a piece of a business that earns money, and a bond pays interest. With most crypto, the only way to make money is for the price to rise, so there is no underlying value to fall back on in a drop.
Price risk
Crypto prices can rise or fall by large amounts in a single day. A coin can lose most of its value and never recover, and the SEC warns that the market for a particular crypto asset can disappear altogether. Past gains, however large, say nothing about what comes next.
This is why the size of your position matters more than which coin you pick. A big drop on a small amount is a bad week. The same drop on a large share of your savings can set your plans back years.
Platform and custody risk
When you buy crypto on an app or exchange, the company usually holds it for you. If that company is breached, mismanaged or goes bankrupt, the SEC warns that customers may not be able to get their assets back. Bank deposits have FDIC insurance and brokerage accounts have SIPC protection. Crypto accounts have neither.
Holding crypto yourself in a private wallet avoids the platform, but adds a new risk. If you lose the password or recovery phrase, nobody can reset it for you, and the crypto is gone for good.
Scam risk
The FTC says only scammers demand payment in crypto. A real business, government agency or utility will never ask you to send crypto to pay a bill, avoid arrest or keep your money safe.
Other warning signs include someone you met online or on a dating app who wants to teach you to invest, a site that shows huge gains but won't let you withdraw, and any promise of a sure or quick profit. Once crypto is sent, you can usually only get it back if the person you paid returns it.
How crypto is taxed
The IRS treats crypto as property. When you sell it, trade it for another coin or use it to buy something, you have a capital gain or loss equal to what you got minus what you paid. Held 1 year or less, a gain is taxed at your regular rate. Held longer, it gets the lower long-term rates.
Crypto you earn from work or mining is taxed as income. Your Form 1040 asks a yes or no question about digital asset transactions, and brokers now report crypto sales to you and the IRS on Form 1099-DA.
If you decide to buy some
Set a limit first, as a small dollar amount or a small share of your investments, and only use money you won't need for any goal. Buy through a well-known, US-based platform, and never move funds because someone reached out to you.
Then leave it alone and don't add more after a big rise because it feels like you are missing out. Keep your main investments in broad, low-cost funds, so your long-term plan doesn't depend on what crypto does.
Questions people ask
Is crypto a good investment?
Nobody knows. It has had huge gains and huge losses, and most coins have no earnings behind them. Treat it as speculation, not as part of your core savings, and size it so a total loss would not change your plans.
How much of my portfolio should be in crypto?
There is no official rule. Many people who own it keep it to a small amount they could lose entirely. If you have no emergency fund, high-interest debt or no retirement savings yet, the answer is none for now.
Do I have to pay taxes on crypto if I didn't cash out?
Swapping one coin for another or buying something with crypto counts as selling it, so it can be taxable even without cash. Simply buying and holding is not a taxable event.
Are stablecoins safe?
A stablecoin tries to stay at $1, but it is not a bank deposit. It is not FDIC insured, SIPC does not cover it, and its value depends on the company behind it. Keep emergency cash in an insured account.
Printable worksheet with answer key, free for classrooms. Lesson plan for this unit.
Sources
- SEC Investor.gov: Exercise caution with crypto asset securities
- FTC: What to know about cryptocurrency and scams
- IRS: Digital assets
- SIPC: What SIPC protects
Updated October 4, 2026. General education, not personalized financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are examples. Check current rates and limits before you act.
Terms on this page
Related lessons
Get your money plan by email
One step each morning: what to do, why it comes in that order, and one small thing to try. About 5 minutes. Then one short note a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.