Many lament and brood about having missed the so-called "Bitcoin Boat". You either didn't know about it or wrote it off as bullshit that would have the lifespan of a housefly in our modern fast-paced World of tech. However, you missed it is beside the point and certainly no reason to allow your hopes of blockchain success to be dashed.

First, Bitcoin is not the only valuable cryptocurrency, it is simply top dog for the moment. There are many altcoins worthy of consideration and investment. Let's take a look at a few possible ways to earn, grow and use all these cryptocurrencies. We will examine how someone with little to no currency of any type may be able to advance their holdings in time.

earn

[ərn]

VERB

earning (present participle)

(of a person) obtain (money) in return for labor or services:

"they earn $35 per hour" · [more]

synonyms: be paid · take home · gross · net · receive · get · make · obtain · collect · bring in · pocket · bank · rake in

(of an activity or action) cause (someone) to obtain (money):

"this latest win earned them $50,000 in prize money"

(of capital invested) gain (money) as interest or profit.

gain or incur deservedly in return for one's behavior or achievements:

"through the years she has earned affection and esteem"

synonyms: deserve · merit · warrant · justify · be worthy of · gain · win · secure · establish · obtain · procure · get · acquire · clinch

*Credit earn definition-Bing.com

FAUCETS: Reward-based and often advertisement driven systems of websites or apps that dispense small amounts of cryptocurrency (usually $0.01 USD or less) for completing a captcha, completing a task or clicking ads. The rate of pay is low and these are a very slow way to make crypto but they can be fun and can give one an insight into how crypto, wallets, blockchains etc work. Faucets, if you have time to kill. Most offer affiliate/referral programs to earn extra money. Risk is minimal.

GAMES/LOTTERIES: Somewhat like faucets in being reward based and advertisement driven but these games are at their base gambling. Gambling, in any form carries its own set of risks. The main difference is that there is always the chance that one can win much more than faucets offer but again it's gambling and odds are always with the house. Remember it's all fun and games until someone loses all their Bitcoin! Most offer affiliate/referral programs. Risk is activity and investment dependent.

freebitcoin

freedogecoin

CRYPTO RELATED INVESTMENTS/CROWDFUNDING: Cryptocurrency has brought about a whole new crop of investment opportunities and put a new spin on some familiar ones. There are now crypto based small business loans and other funding sources for startups and other business related expenses. Investors can invest in these using crypto or converted fiat currency. There are even new ways to invest in crypto trading. Most offer affiliate/referral programs. Risk is activity, market and investment dependent.

BitBond

BitConnect

MINING: Cloud Mining is a still a viable option to acquire crypto. Mining, can be a DIY project but is probably most cost effective and profitable if done through a dedicated mining firm. One of the oldest and best known is Genesis Mining. Most offer an affiliate/referral program. Risk is market and investment dependent.

Genesis Mining USE CODE xthqU2 (Save 3% on hashpower)

CRYPTO BANKING/FINTECH RELATED: Bitcoin and altcoin ATM's and POS (Point Of Sale) terminals would be a good example of this type of investment. If you can't purchase these items dig deeper, these things are made of components, there may be prime penny stocks in their suppliers. Don't forget the related software these things need. With traditional stock firms like Fidelity taking notice of crypto you will soon be able to integrate your traditional and digital assets should you so choose. Risk is market and investment dependent.

Genesis Coin Inc. (Not affiliated with Genesis Mining)

Lamassu

General Bytes

FREELANCING/GIGS: In our increasingly gig driven economy we can't forget good ole fashioned hard work as a way to earn crypto. Several sites listing jobs that pay in Bitcoin have sprung up recently. I'm pretty sure it won't be long before ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft as well as other industries offer compensation in Bitcoin as well.

Jobs2Bitcoins

bitgigs

XBTFreelancer

SOCIAL MEDIA: Last but certainly not least is social media like this very site we're on. Steemit, is a pioneer in merging social media and blockchain technology. It's still new to me but I can appreciate the potential. Risk activity and creativity dependent.

Most of us can chalk up money we have lost or didn't make to something we didn't know. Learn all you can about all you can.

*DISCLAIMER This post is in no way intended to be financial advice. Do your own research. Caveat Emptor