Why is Bitcoin important to traders?
Launched in 2009, Bitcoin was the first decentralised cryptocurrency. It is the leading cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalisation as well as the most expensive. Bitcoin comprises approximately half of the total cryptocurrency market cap.

Bitcoin trading hours
You can trade Bitcoin CFDs on Capital.com 24/7.
How to start trading Bitcoin CFDs: Investing in Bitcoin CFDs and buying vs. trading Bitcoin CFDs
You have two options when trading in the cryptocurrency market. Firstly, you can buy actual cryptocurrency on exchanges, such as purchasing Bitcoin on an exchange like Currency.com. This way, you own the Bitcoin yourself. This is considered a long-term investment, as you are waiting for the price to rise significantly so you can sell their crypto coins on an exchange.
Alternatively, you can trade a contract for difference (CFD) on a particular cryptocurrency, and speculate on the price difference. A CFD is a financial instrument or a contract, typically between a broker and an investor, where one party agrees to pay the other the difference in the value of a security – often known as the Buy/Sell spread. You can either hold a long position (speculating that the price will rise) or a short position (speculating that the price will fall). This is considered a short-term investment, as CFDs are usually used within shorter timeframes. For instance, when trading Bitcoin CFDs, you are also speculating on the rise and falls of the BTC/USD pairing.
There are pivotal differences between buying a cryptocurrency and trading a CFD in a crypto market. When buying cryptocurrency, it is stored in a wallet, but when trading CFDs the position is held in your trading account, which is regulated by a financial authority. You have more flexibility when you trade using CFDs because you are not tied to the asset; you have merely bought or sold the underlying contract. Additionally, CFDs are a more established and regulated financial product.
Trade Bitcoin to US Dollar - BTC/USD CFD
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What is Bitcoin? What is cryptocurrency?
Bitcoin was the first decentralised cryptocurrency, which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, and it has since paved the way for many other cryptocurrencies. Indeed, it was Bitcoin that shaped the cryptocurrency market as we know it today.
Cryptocurrency is stored in a ‘wallet’, which can take various forms. For instance, Bitcoin can be stored in an online or offline electronic wallet.
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset conceived for use as a medium of exchange, which uses cryptography to secure transactions, control the supply of additional units and corroborate transfers. In short, cryptocurrency is a decentralised electronic currency.
Why trade Bitcoin CFDs with Capital.com
Advanced AI technology at its core: a Facebook-like news feed provides users with personalised and unique content depending on their preferences. If a trader makes decisions based on biases, the innovative SmartFeed offers a range of materials to put him back on the right track. The neural network analyses in-app behaviour and recommends videos, articles, news to polish your investment strategy.
Trading on margin: providing trading on margin (up to 1:2 for cryptocurrencies), Capital.com gives you access to the cryptocurrency market with the help of CFDs.
Trading the difference: when trading a Bitcoin CFD, you don’t buy the underlying asset itself, meaning you are not tied to it. You only speculate on the rise or fall of its price. CFD trading is nothing different from traditional trading in terms of strategies. A CFD investor can go short or long, set stop and limit losses and apply trading scenarios that align with his or her objectives.
All-round trading analysis: the browser-based platform allows traders to shape their own market analysis and forecasts with sleek technical indicators. Capital.com provides live market updates and various chart formats, available on desktop, iOS, and Android.
Focus on safety: Capital.com puts a special emphasis on safety. Licensed by CySEC and FCA, it complies with all regulations and ensures that its clients’ data security comes first. The company allows to withdraw money 24/7 and keeps traders’ funds across segregated bank accounts.
History of Bitcoin
Although Bitcoin was first launched in 2009, it wasn’t until 17 March 2010 that the first Bitcoin exchange started operating on the now-defunct BitcoinMarket.com. Later that year, in May, Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world transaction by buying two pizzas in Jacksonville, Florida for 10,000 BTC.
Bitcoin price history

Bitcoin hit the $1,000 mark in 2017, 7 years after it was first exchanged. But by May that year, Bitcoin surpassed the $2,000 mark. By September 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK financial regulatory body, had issued a warning to consumers, and JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon claimed that Bitcoin is a “fraud”. In December 2017 Bitcoin passed the $20,000 mark, before falling back around 17-18%. After the unprecedented boom in 2017, Bitcoin suffered a crash between January and February 2018, where the price fell as low as $6,510. It has been relatively stable since the crash.
Common FAQ
Most traded
BTC/USD Bitcoin to US Dollar | - +0.394% | Trade |
XRP/USD Ripple to US Dollar | - -0.370% | Trade |
ETH/USD Ethereum to US Dollar | - -0.493% | Trade |
TRX/BTC TRON to Bitcoin | - +1.053% | Trade |
TRX/USD TRON to US Dollar | - +1.405% | Trade |