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.

Crypto experts have revised their 2018 predictions for bitcoin in 2018. By year's end, the world's most popular cryptocurrency is forecast to hit $27,898 - 400 per cent above today's price. Dogecoin, meanwhile, is still rated the highest potential mover.

After rising from under $1000 to over $25,000 in 2017, Bitcoin crashed spectacularly over the past few months. While there have been peaks and troughs over that time period, analysts and financial experts are increasingly skeptical about the cryptocurrencies true value. The phrase "Ponzi scheme" has been bandied about quite a lot.

This reversal in fortunes has caused many cryptocurrency investors to reassess their incredibly volatile portfolios. Here are the best ways to cash in and get out.

Back in January, we learned that hackers were using YouTube ads to take over computers and force them to mine cryptocurrency. These types of attacks (known as cryptojacking) are only becoming more common, but a closer look at the practice reveals that it's usually tied to one particular currency: Monero.

Here's what you need to know about Monero, where it comes from, where it's headed, and how to buy some.

Very few would have predicted the meteoric rise of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies toward the end of 2017 - fewer still may have predicted the dip that occurred shortly after.

How can you find the next crypto to go 'to the moon'. Recently, finder.com.au enlisted nine panellists to help predict just where twelve of the biggest cryptocurrencies may head in 2018 and, interestingly, Dogecoin is predicted to be one of the biggest movers.

There's no shortage of places to pick up bitcoin if you're keen on having your own slice of cryptocurrency, but it doesn't hurt to have more options. So, as of yesterday, you can now pop down to the newsagency and purchase both bitcoin and ethereum OTC, though it does involve a hoop or two.

Welcome to Lifehacker's weekly round up of all things Bitcoin, altcoin and cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Mania has certainly died down, two months into the year, but there's still plenty of news about regulation, new technology and rival cryptocurrencies to sort through.

Here's the big news in Bitcoin this week.

"New Year, New Me" has been Bitcoin's mantra to start 2018. It's just that 'new' Bitcoin is the worst version of 2017 Bitcoin. After taking a huge tumble in value over the past few months, prospective buyers are now weighing up their options - is it a good time to buy Bitcoin? Should you 'buy the dip'?

Here's what the near-future looks like for Bitcoin and some of the things you need to weigh up if you're considering buying bitcoin now.

If you wish you could go back in time and buy a Bitcoin when it only costs a few bucks, now is your chance - sort of. A new video game (spotted by Motherboard) is offering players a shot at winning a single Bitcoin (currently valued at just over $12,700). All you have to do is buy the game on Steam for $US1.99 ($2.51) and be the first to beat it.

Bitcoin is up more than 5% Thursday, above $US10,000 for the first time in just over two weeks. Other cryptocurrencies are also up as crypto recovers from its early-February slump.

Over the past few months, Lifehacker has written a lot of articles trying to demystify the world of cryptocurrency, but there's still a ton left to cover. You could probably spend the rest of the year reading about cryptocurrency and still have more questions than answers. I'm not recommending anyone actually do that, but if you want to, there's a website you should check out.

For bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to become a viable money option of the future, they need to address two major shortcomings: convenience and volatility.

The salad days of cryptocurrency are fading fast. Yesterday, the price of bitcoin fell below $6000. Some are predicting it could dip through $3000 in the months ahead. This is a far cry from December 2017, when a single bitcoin hovered around $25,000 in value.

During this week's crypto bloodbath, it might be tempting to poke fun at colleagues who invested heavily in bitcoin and wouldn't shut up about the huge profits they were making. Instead, try showing a little empathy.

Bitcoin is crashing, but you probably already knew that. However, if you haven't spent the past few weeks desperately refreshing CoinMarketCap (or one of the other sites that tracks the value of cryptocurrencies) you may have missed a shocking drop that's erased much of the value built up over 2017.

Some of the world's largest banks announced on Friday that customers are now prohibited from buying cryptocurrencies with credit cards, citing market volatility.

All good things must come to an end - and bad things, too. Bitcoin has had a hell of a ride over the last year, but that all seems to be over as almost 60 per cent of its value has vanished in the last month. Enthusiasm in the cryptocurrency market is low as Bitcoin dropped below $10,000 for the first time since November.

It's no secret that the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can be volatile, but on January 9 the entire market took an unprecedented plunge - one that it still hasn't recovered from. At the time, there was no shortage of factors to blame, from the threat of crypto-regulation by national governments to frivolous mainstream investment, but in this case, the drop in Bitcoin's value may have been the work of exactly one person.