Why and how to invest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies

With a degree in corporate finance and management, Christopher Brenier is passionate about economics and the history of money. He has no professional activity related to the crypto-asset sector.

In the first part of this article, we looked at what Bitcoin, the blockchain and cryptocurrencies are.

We will now look at why to invest in this sector and how to do so.

Note: this article does not constitute investment advice. Its sole purpose is to offer readers food for thought. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile assets; only invest funds you can afford to lose.

Bitcoin, by far one of the best-performing assets from 2015 to 2025

The value of one Bitcoin (BTC) has risen phenomenally, from an average of $300 in 2015 to a peak of more than $126,000 in October 2025 [1]!

It is by far one of the assets that has grown the most over the period, with a cumulative return of almost 29,000%, compared with around 260% for gold and the S&P 500 [2].

Today, Bitcoin is no longer just an investment for ‘geeks’, but an asset regarded as strategic by many fund managers, major banks and even some countries, which do not hesitate to buy BTC through their sovereign wealth funds.

This institutionalisation materialised in 2024 with the arrival of spot Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds): investment funds that hold BTC directly and whose shares are traded on traditional financial markets.

This increase is largely explained by the growth of the global money supply. The fastest expansion of the M2 money supply in modern times took place in 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In short, central banks, particularly those in the United States and Europe, ran the printing presses at full speed. The amount of money in circulation grew far faster than the economy.

Faced with this debasement of fiat currency, Bitcoin has benefited from its absolute scarcity (it is capped at 21 million units) to capture part of the available capital, which explains why its value has risen [3].

As well as being a bet on the future of blockchain technology, investing in Bitcoin and its limited supply therefore offers protection against the risk of inflation. When it comes to investing, diversification is key. Any serious investor should therefore consider allocating part of their wealth to Bitcoin.

The different ways to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies

Traditional financial products

Several companies offer products that allow you to invest in Bitcoin and a few other cryptocurrencies through traditional financial markets.

The advantage: these products are easily accessible, highly liquid and require no specific technical knowledge.

The main drawback is that the exposure is indirect: you own a financial security, not actual BTC. This runs counter to the original philosophy of a decentralised peer-to-peer currency.

Buying through a bank or neobank

As proof of mass adoption, several banks offer the possibility of buying cryptocurrencies directly from your account. Revolut, Santander and Raiffeisen have done so for several years.

In France, the BPCE group allows its customers to buy four cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, directly through its banking app.

This can be a very convenient option if you already have an account with one of these providers. However, the number of cryptocurrencies available is limited and fees can be high.

Exchanges

Exchanges allow you to swap fiat currencies such as the euro for cryptocurrencies. They match buyers and sellers in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You fund your account on the platform by bank transfer or card, and you can then buy any of the cryptocurrencies available.

Most offer advanced trading tools. Fees are generally fairly low, and you can withdraw your cryptocurrencies to wallets that you hold yourself.

Indeed, as long as your funds are held on the platform, there is a certain risk: the platform may go bankrupt or be hacked. In that case, recovering your assets can prove difficult.

Bull Bitcoin, a company founded and run by the libertarian Francis Pouliot, takes a different approach. When you buy Bitcoin with Bull Bitcoin (the platform offers no other cryptocurrency), the coins are sent directly to your personal wallet once the transaction is complete.

This principle of self-custody is the most consistent with the spirit of Bitcoin, but it requires you to accept full responsibility for managing your funds.

Important note: since the European MiCA regulation (Markets in Crypto-Assets) came into force, only exchanges authorised for the European market may serve customers in the European Union.

Cash and peer-to-peer transactions

It is possible to exchange cash for Bitcoin in Europe through several physical and digital methods.

Bitcoin ATMs let you insert banknotes to receive cryptocurrency in a digital wallet. Prepaid cards and vouchers are another option. Services such as Bitnovo allow you to buy vouchers with cash at thousands of physical outlets and then redeem the codes online for BTC.

Another method is peer-to-peer (P2P) trading with individuals through dedicated platforms such as HodlHodl.

An alternative is to accept payment in BTC when you sell second-hand items or rent out your spare room. The DTravel website works in a similar way to Airbnb, but is built around payment in cryptocurrency.

This is the very heart of the Bitcoin concept: to be not only a reserve asset but also, and above all, a genuine decentralised means of exchange.

The advantage of these methods is that they reduce KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements and therefore offer greater privacy. However, they require great vigilance to avoid scams, and they do not exempt you from your tax obligations.

Conclusion: from theory to action

Investing in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies is not simply a matter of following a market trend. Whether for reasons of wealth management or individual sovereignty, it is a strategic decision that forms part of a long-term vision.

It is not a race for quick profits, but an opportunity to take part in a major transformation of the global economic system.

1. CoinGecko, Bitcoin price chart. ↩
2. Historical prices of the S&P 500 index and gold (31/12/2014 to 31/12/2025, closing prices, excluding dividends for the S&P 500). Investopedia, Bitcoin's price history; Yahoo Finance, S&P 500 historical data; PriceGold.net, gold price on 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2025. ↩
3. Editor's note: since mid-July 2025, the price of BTC no longer tracks the increase in the M2 money supply in a linear way. ↩