If there is any across-the-board similarity for investing that cryptocurrencies fall into, Gary Fullett likens them the most to commodities. And that feeling is shared; the federal government has recently classified crypto as a commodity, particularly in direct digital coin and token trades. And that means that a lot of the principles experienced traders like Gary Fullett are used to with traditional commodity trading also apply to the cryptocurrency markets as well.

Decentralized Supply & Demand Markets

The most important thing to understand about commodity trading, Gary Fullett notes, is that there is no one key player that dominates the market as a product or a service. Instead, the fundamental unit of trade, the commodity, moves by raw supply and demand. That, in turn, drives price upward when supply is scarce and price downward when supply becomes plentiful. Just like pork bellies and crops, the digital currency loses luster when there are lots of sellers, but when everyone wants a piece of the pie, the value skyrockets. Add in the fact that much of the price-changing is managed by computers working at split-second speeds, and it’s quite possible for crypto markets to engage in what Gary Fullett refers to as flash sales. These moments when computers are moving so hard on trades, prices skyrocket dramatically or drop in deep, painful spikes before settling down again.

Completely Unregulated Trading, Caveat Emptor

However, Gary Fullett warns, cryptocurrencies are missing a key element in their commodity trading that occurs with traditional markets – namely, regulation. Public commodity markets on the stock exchanges are regulated by the government to make sure that all players are licensed and vetted. That’s not the case in the crypto universe. It is international, runs 24/7, and there is no regulatory body managing the players involved. The blockchain technology and design keep much of the price-fixing fraud out of the picture as any blockchain cheats are corrected and eliminated by the decentralized processing of the crypto’s blockchain. However, Gary Fullett points out, pump and dumps are alive and well, and the “fear of missing out” factor, or FOMO, can drive a lot of folks to throw money in and watch it burn up in losses quickly.

Don’t Get Personal with the Inventory

Gary Fullett notes approaching the crypto markets today as what they really are, unregulated commodity trading, is pretty much the smartest strategy towards digital investing. That infers not assuming anything more than what the commodity position actually involves, i.e. the coin itself does not infer any particular value or future return beyond raw demand. Gary Fullett also points out folks should be ready to objectively move in and out of crypto coins as the market dictates versus hoping that somehow a given coin or token will inherently rise over time. That’s simply not how commodities work. They have no appreciation value versus something like real estate, for example.

Objectivity is a Virtue

When people approach cryptocurrency trading correctly, Gary Fullett expects, losses tend to be minimized and gains tend to be far more consistent and realistic. But one has to spend time and experience to learn the crypto commodity markets well and, Gary Fullett warns, still be prepared to take a beating once in a while with sudden market twists that happen often by sheer market panic or rushes. It’s simply the nature of commodity trading in its raw form.