In 2017, Bitcoin's value soared from $1200 to around $25,000 before dropping down to around $16,000 at the end of the year. Since then, it's value has risen and dropped sporadically from day to day, dragging smaller cryptocurrencies such as Ether and Ripple along with it.

Early this year, I decided to set up a cryptocurrency investment portfolio, using money I could afford to lose. Since then, the total value of my portfolio has fallen by 60 per cent. Here's why I'm holding on - and why you might want to consider buying bitcoin while prices are cheap. (Emphasis on 'might'.)

Bitcoin's price dropped sharply overnight, twice falling below $5000 per coin. At 6.30am AEDT, the benchmark cryptocurrency was trading lower by around 11.5% at $US4990. The collapse is being described by analysts as "like a house of cards." Yikes. Here are the details.

A mysterious, anonymous entity known as “Satoshi Nakamoto” posted a white paper on October 31 2008 entitled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”. It was the first time that the concept of Bitcoin entered the world.

A 'stablecoin' is a cryptocurrency that's price is pegged to a real-world asset like gold or the dollar. Here's a guide to what they're used for, how they work, and why people are excited about them.

As the cost to mine cryptocurrencies continues to increase, people are looking for ways to boost their mining bang for buck. With energy costs rising, it actually costs more to mine many coins than their current face value. As a result, some recent data points to cryptojacking software - that mines for cryptocurrencies without your consent or knowledge - becoming increasingly prevalent and impacting about a quarter of businesses in the ANZ region. What can you do about it.

Cryptocurrencies are either going to be the biggest investment opportunity of the 21st century or represent the biggest financial fraud in history depending on who you ask. Almost everything you read about cryptocurrencies is focused on one particular coin; Bitcoin. Currently trading at around US$6600, is the price set to plummet or could it reach reach $50,000 or even $100,000?

So you're ready to buy some cryptocurrency. Maybe you've been reading up on blockchain technology and you're convinced it really is the future. Or maybe you watched a friend get rich off Bitcoin and you're still kicking yourself for not doing the same.

The ATO is gunning for cryptocurrency traders this year. After lots of discussion, the ATO has ruled that cryptocurrency is an asset so any windfalls you might have cashed in must be declared. And if you're planning to hide your gains, beware. The tax man has ways of finding out what crypto you have and whether you're hiding cash.

Video: We've already told you how to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. But should you?

I've lost almost $400,000 worth of bitcoin so far. Now's the bit where I'm supposed to tell you it's all fake and I only lost it in the cryptocurrency trading simulation game Bitcoin Flip. But no, I actually bought $500 worth of bitcoin back when it was cheap, then left it in the hands of the Mt. Gox online exchange, which then lost it.

This week our guests are the hosts of Coin Talk, a podcast about Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and the blockchain. Journalists Aaron Lammer and Jay Caspian Kang talk to us about their show, their own adventures trading crypto, and the weird culture of ICOs, conmen and speculators that Aaron calls "Coinworld".

Cryptocurrency-tracker CoinMarketCap is one of the most popular websites around -- both for Blockchain enthusiasts and financially minded folk. Today, the site is celebrating its fifth birthday by launching a (long overdue) iPhone app to help you check the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the go.

You may have heard some of the stories about how websites can, without your knowledge, harvest your computer's processing power to mine cryptocurrency.

UNICEF Australia want to use that technique for good: To generate cryptocurrency they can turn into real funds.

I'm not a financial genius. I'm not a qualified financial advisor, an accountant or professional in the financial services industry and I'm not offering any advice. What follows is one person's meandering through the sometimes confusing world of cryptocurrency trading. What I wanted to share is the experience I went through entering this sometimes opaque maze.

If you aren't an expert coder but have been a keen armchair observer of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and every other increasingly niche cryptocurrency, you might be wondering if it's feasible to create your own.

In short: yes. But there are quite a few different options to consider - and caveats to keep in mind - before you dive in.

Bitcoin has been on a volatile ride in recent times, its value rising and falling like a kite caught in variable winds.

Its future will likely be as unpredictable as its past given that it’s a currency propped up by risk-takers, a target of lawmakers and tied to nothing more substantial than an algorithm.

But there are certain variables and concurrent conditions that are signals worth watching when considering Bitcoin’s future.

One of the major stumbling blocks when it comes to cryptocurrencies is just how convoluted the process of sending and receiving is.

Yesterday, German fintech powerhouse The NAGA Group AG released a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency wallet that looks set to change the way people interact with their digital 'money'. Known as the NAGA Wallet, it is promising fast, cheap transactions and the ability to send and receive crypto payments just by using an email address rather than the complex cryptocurrency addresses that are commonplace with blockchain services.

You've read the news - Bitcoin is up, Bitcoin is down, Bitcoin is this, Bitcoin is that and... now Bitcoin really is down. You've likely already decided whether or not it's something you're interested in. But it's not the only cryptocurrency you should be keeping an eye on. There are plenty of altcoins that are looking to do big things in the space in 2018 and we've got five you should definitely keep an eye on.