You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer.The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security.ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating indiv idual securities.If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK.If you do not, click Cancel.Bitcoin prices reached all-time highs on expectations that the Securities and Exchange Commission making a decision about the Winklevoss' Bitcoin Trust exchange-traded fund today.The cryptocurrency hit above $1,300 for the first time on Friday, now higher than where gold is trading.Investors can check prices on CoinDesk.The SEC confirmed that it would make a decision about the Winklevoss' Bitcoin Trust exchange-traded fund today... more than three years following request for approval.The question: will the SEC allow the BATS stock exchange to change its rules to offer the ETF, which would allow investors to buy bitcoin like stock.

This blogger thinks the chances of approval are pretty good, considering Goldman Sachs (GS), Visa (V), and Accenture (ACN) have taken the leap, investing in bitcoin and blockchain, a digital ledger of bitcoin.Early this year, Accenture said that blockchain technology could reduce infrastructure costs for eight of the world's 10 largest banks by an average of 30%.And as Bloomberg reported, even China can't rid the country of bitcoin.Part of the allure of bitcoin is that it allows people to make financial transactions anonymously and government attempts to stamp it out has just added fuel to the fire.CFRA's Todd Rosenbluth warns: If the Bitcoin ETF is approved, we think investors should proceed cautiously.While the potential new product would provide liquidity, the historic volatility of Bitcoin suggests the risks could be high," he says."Unlike other currencies, the demand drivers are less transparent to us."Bitmex blogger Casper Cheng says that the reasons for and against the bitcoin ETF are about even.

He plays out each scenario: If the SEC approves the BATS rule change, all manner of American muppet retail investors can yolo into Bitcoin via a regulated ETF.The pool of eligible money that can easily obtain exposure to Bitcoin will dramatically rise.There are various predictions about the amount of money that could flow into Bitcoin.In short, it will be Yuge... If the rule change is denied, the price will quickly test $1,000.Due to the underlying bullishness of the market, traders will BTFD.If not now, the general consensus is that one of the many ETF applications will be approved.The market will focus on the next application approval deadline for the SolidX or Greyscale ETF.The BitMEX Coin Prediction Futures Contract puts probability at 53%.Though MarketWatch's Joseph Adinolfi smartly points out that the biggest threat to bitcoin is not the SEC.Latest In Focusonfunds BlogAlphaville is completely free.All you have to do is register.Ready to subscribe, View our subscription optionsBuying actual bitcoins has proven dangerous, to say the least.

Just look at the unbelievable turbulence in Bitcoin prices -- the currency's value shot up 6,000% in one year before collapsing in value -- and the alleged fraud at the Mt.bulk sms bitcoinGox Bitcoin exchange that led many investors to lose money.ethereum node requirementsIn theory, an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, that mirrors the price of Bitcoin would offer a somewhat safer alternative.man finds bitcoin fortuneThink: something akin to SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD), which tracks gold prices.bitcoin qt save locationBut no Bitcoin ETFs have been created.bitcoin stampaAn effort by the twins Cameron and Tyle Winklevoss to do just that has been waiting two years to receive approval from regulators.kurs bitcoin chart

The Securities and Exchange Commission is still trying to figure out how to define and oversee Bitcoin.berlin mit bitcoin bezahlenThis week, ARK Investment Management announced a full embrace of the digital currency.how to use electrum bitcoin walletIts ARK Web x.0 ETF (ARKW) became the first ETF to invest in bitcoins.how to use electrum bitcoin wallet"Current prices present an attractive entry point for our investors," Cathie Wood, ARK's founder and chief investment officer, said in a statement.But before taking a leap, it would be smart to read the fine print of the ETF, which trades under the ticker symbol "ARKW."First, it's not a pure play on Bitcoin.Even though it announced the Bitcoin play, the ETF is actually an investment in what it calls disruptive technologies.

The crypto currency represents just a slice of its holdings, packaged along with Netflix (NFLX, Tech30), LinkedIn (LNKD, Tech30) and athenahealth (ATHN), a cloud-based provider of electronic health records.Second, the ARK ETF is not actually investing directly in bitcoins.It's buying shares of something called the Bitcoin Investment Trust.Most people haven't even heard of that.That trust started trading in May on the pink sheets under the ticker symbol "GBTC."It's got a market valuation of under $40 million and very little trading volume.The pink sheets, also known as the over-the-counter market, provide less transparency and oversight from regulators.They're like a Wild West alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.", a research firm.GrayScale, which sponsored the Bitcoin trust, defended the decision to list on the pink sheets and noted that a number of major foreign companies such as Adidas (ADDDF) and Roche (RHHBF) list their U.S.Another problem is that the investment hasn't really mirrored the price of Bitcoin, which defeats the purpose.

At times the trust's shares have spiked or surged -- even though underlying Bitcoin prices were relatively calm."You're not really getting Bitcoin here.You're getting a Bitcoin derivative that kind of tracks the price of Bitcoin -- but not really well," said Hougan."There are a bunch of leaps of faith in that chain of command."The ETF company brushed away these concerns, suggesting that price volatility is actually a good sign.Another risk for the investment is regulatory.The trust warns investors in disclosure documents that its future may be jeopardized by looming regulation from the SEC.All of this is on top of the inherent risk that goes into investing in anything that has volatility of Bitcoin.Founded in 2009, Bitcoin burst onto the financial scene this decade as investors looked for an alternative to traditional currencies.Prices skyrocketed more than 6,000% in 2013 before peaking at nearly $1,250.And then prices collapsed, losing two-thirds of their value last year alone.While Bitcoin has actually calmed down a lot lately, it's still down 27% this year to $230 apiece.