Greetings Steemians (and others who might find this page),

For the masses that are just now tuning into the power of the cryptocurrency market, I wanted to offer the approach that one seasoned stock investor -- and crypto-newbie -- is taking: putting a little bit of skin-in-the-game now, and adding to positions over time. Because most of us have missed the enormous run-up, I think it's the most prudent approach.

As a very short intro: After six years as an inner-city teacher in Washington, DC, my wife and I decided to move to Costa Rica before we were 30 and I have primarily been focused on maximizing my time with her and my 4 year-old daughter since.

For half of a year, we live in a container home (below) on an organic coffee farm in Costa Rica. It's a pretty amazing place.

Because I want to maximize my time with these amazing women, I've been trying my hand at investing and have (thankfully) been pretty successful: averaging a time-weighted return of 20.4% per year -- beating the market by over 5 percentage points per year.

I am still very green when it comes to cryptocurrency, and am trying to learn as much as I can from people smarter than me. Those that have more experience -- and earlier investments -- with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and (of course) Steem might have different approaches. But I think this is the prudent course.

The Dot-Com Boom, 2.0

I've noticed a lot of angst amongst Steemians who compare the recent run-up in cryptocurrencies to the Dot-Com bust of 2000.

The underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies will change the world, and need to be priced as such.

This is the typical argument I hear from many, and it makes sense. But, of course, so did the argument in 2000 that the Internet would change the world. That didn't prevent the Dot-Com bust from occurring and most investors from losing most of their money.

Here, for example, is one stock that lost an astounding 92% of its value between December 1999 and April 2001.

I think investors in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and the like should expect just the same to happen at one point or another over the next three years.

But it's not all bad news

At the same time, however, I think that these investors should not consider selling their stake in these crypto assets. Here's why.

That stock chart I showed above is for a little company many of you may know as Amazon.com. Since April 2001, here's what the stock chart has looked like:

That's right, returns of over 7,300%. That's because the Internet really was a game-changer. We just needed time to see who was really serious, and who was just a Cars.com wannabe. I think if investors buy a very small basket of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin (among others) over time, adding as the proof of their value-add becomes more and more apparent, they'll be able to enjoy outstanding returns while not over-exposing themselves to risk.

What I'll Be Doing

Over the coming year, I'll be taking out very small positions in Ethereum to start, and then other currencies as I learn more. Of course, much of my cryto-assets will be held in Steem, but I don't think that alone is the best approach. More than anything, it's important to note that as we reach for more of these volatile assets, we take on more risk, and should approach such transactions with the requisite care.

For many newbies like myself that are just getting used to The Brave New World, I suggest we accept we might not be the newly mined super-rich. Grasping for such things will only lead to heart-ache. And if we know what is truly important in life, taking this prudent approach will yield returns that are more than enough to guarantee our financial security

This is very basic advice, but if you appreciate the input, please let me know in the comments below.