Cryptocurrencies are in essence, digital money. The difference between cryptocurrencies and other forms of digital money, like central bank digital currency, are that cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology to make them safe from counterfeit or double spend. 

Due to their widely reported security, self-custody aspects, and ‘digital gold’ comparisons, the popularity of cryptocurrencies is skyrocketing. Cryptocurrencies surge to the mainstream is so great that it has left brand new investors weighing up which is the best cryptocurrency to invest in 2021.

In this blog we’ve narrowed down the 7 best cryptocurrencies to invest in for new investors, and we’ve included one to watch. If you’re looking to start a career in trading cryptocurrency markets meanwhile, take a look at our funded cryptocurrency trader programme.

In trading terminology, indices is a just plural form of the word index. So when asking, what are indices in trading, what we really mean is “what are indexes in trading?”

For new and experienced traders alike, the first index that is bound to come to mind is a type of stock market index (e.g. S&P 500 or FTSE 100).

Trading stock market indexes, or indices, has long been a popular option for traders because it is considered one of the best markets to trade on and is often spoken about on popular financial media (e.g. Bloomberg). Index markets often have clearer charts than other markets, and also possess high volatility meaning that their trend is often much easier to identify. 

So for traders looking to get started trading the index market, here’s everything you need to know about trading indices.

Advancements in digital technology have changed the landscape of a number of industries, and trading is no different.

In today’s trading environment, traders are likely to encounter quantitative trading at some point. Quantitative trading includes high frequency trading and algorithmic trading and involves learning coding languages and programming.

This has set new traders on a path to learn coding for trading, but has also sparked a debate about the best programming language for financial trading.

Commodity trading is one of the earliest types of trading to exist. Trading commodities can be dated as far back as 4500 BCE in Sumer – the city we now call Iraq – where a commodity market exchanged clay tokens for goats. 

Commodity trading even helped establish successful historical empires who were found to have implemented trading systems to facilitate the trading and exchange of commodities. 

Significant technological advancements in trading and the financial markets have paved the way for a whole new type of trading: Algorithmic trading.

Around 80% of the daily moves made in both the United States Stock Exchange and Forex markets are made by machine-led algorithmic traders. At Alphachain Academy, we are one of the only trading firms offering a comprehensive Algorithmic trading programme. You can check out our course here 

In this guide to algorithmic trading, we’re going to explore the concepts of algorithmic trading as well as detail the potential steps new traders can take to forge their career in algorithmic trading.

There are a multitude of elements that make up a successful trader: Dedication, focus, intelligence, motivation and risk management, just to name a few.

However, whilst these and many more attributes make up a percentage of what makes for a good trader, there is another thing: Mindset, and the trading psychology.

To become a truly successful trader, a trader must possess the right trading mindset and that comes from having a true understanding of Trading Psychology.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at why trading psychology is so important for new, and even experienced traders.

Proprietary Trading is a sought-after trading role job for both beginners and professional traders alike. 

This is because there is no significant amount of capital needed to begin – as traders trade on behalf of a firm’s capital – and because the opportunity for advancement is much faster than other trading types due to the potential profits available.

If you’re a graduate fresh from University, or a beginner trader that can’t afford to part with the copious amounts of capital required to begin trading the financial markets, you may be wanting to start your trading career in Proprietary Trading.

When Twitter first broke onto the social networking scene it was viewed as a fun, microblogging platform where users could share updates about their lives with their friends and family.

Now valued at over $32 billion, Twitter has greatly evolved. It provides breaking news around the clock, and has become a place where celebrities, activists and politicians can connect, inform and educate their audiences. 

But what some traders don’t know is that there’s a hidden side to Twitter, especially reserved for them. Enter: “Fintwit”.

Fintwit is an acronym that stands for financial Twitter. It’s the name given to the online community that primarily uses Twitter to discuss all things financial, from investing to stock trading.

The answer to the question, “Can day trading become a career?” is absolutely, with one hundred percent certainty, yes.

However before you rush to quit your job to day trade, it’s important to consider a number of factors. 

The first is how much experience you have in trading. Ideally, to make the jump from trading as a hobby to trading as a career, you should have been trading for a substantial amount of time. We would not advise making such a lifestyle change based off of a singular successful trade, for example!

You should also have good experience of different market situations, and should know how to trade successfully in these. Different market conditions require different strategies, so it’s important that you have knowledge of these.