CRYPTOCURRENCIES AS A SUBJECT OF FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS. RISK ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS ON THE EXAMPLE OF BITCOIN

The cryptocurrency market has been developing dynamically in recent years. The rapid development of the market is the result of increased interest in cryptocurrencies both from the entities treating it as a means of payment and from investors acquiring cryptocurrency for speculative purposes. Blockchain technology, on the basis of which cryptocurrencies are created, has gained acceptance in the financial industry and many entities are conducting advanced work on its use in their operations. On the other hand, numerous supervisors, including the European Banking Authority, the European Central Bank, the National Bank of Poland, and the Polish Financial Supervision Authority warn against investing in cryptocurrencies, indicating the numerous risks associated with such investments. The aim of the article is to analyze the potential risks and benefits of investing in cryptocurrencies. The main risks related to investments in cryptocurrency were analyzed on the example of bitcoin, and the rate of return and correlations with changes in the currency prices of other financial instruments were analyzed.