In March 2024 Bitcoin BTC reached a new all-time high with prices exceeding 73000 USD marking a milestone for the cryptocurrency market This surge was due to the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds ETFs in the United States allowing investors to access Bitcoin without directly holding it This development increased Bitcoin’s credibility and brought fresh demand from institutional investors echoing previous price surges in 2021 when Tesla announced its 15 billion investment in Bitcoin and Coinbase was listed on the Nasdaq By the end of 2022 Bitcoin prices dropped sharply to 15000 USD following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its bankruptcy which caused a loss of confidence in the market By August 2024 Bitcoin rebounded to approximately 64178 USD but remained volatile due to inflation and interest rate hikes Unlike fiat currency like the US dollar Bitcoin’s supply is finite with 21 million coins as its maximum supply By September 2024 over 92 percent of Bitcoin had been mined Bitcoin’s value is tied to its scarcity and its mining process is regulated through halving events which cut the reward for mining every four years making it harder and more energy-intensive to mine The next halving event in 2024 will reduce the reward to 3125 BTC from its current 625 BTC The final Bitcoin is expected to be mined around 2140 The energy required to mine Bitcoin has led to criticisms about its environmental impact with estimates in 2021 suggesting that one Bitcoin transaction used as much energy as Argentina Bitcoin’s future price is difficult to predict due to the influence of large holders known as whales who own about 92 percent of all Bitcoin These whales can cause dramatic market swings by making large trades and many retail investors still dominate the market While institutional interest has grown it remains a small fraction compared to retail Bitcoin is vulnerable to external factors like regulatory changes and economic crises leading some to believe it is in a speculative bubble However others argue that Bitcoin is still in its early stages of adoption and will grow further as more institutions and governments recognize its potential as a hedge against inflation and a store of value 2024 has also seen the rise of Bitcoin Layer 2 technologies like the Lightning Network which improve scalability by enabling faster and cheaper transactions These innovations are crucial for Bitcoin’s wider adoption especially for day-to-day use and cross-border remittances At the same time central bank digital currencies CBDCs are gaining traction as several governments including China and the European Union have accelerated the development of their own state-controlled digital currencies while Bitcoin remains decentralized offering financial sovereignty for those who prefer independence from government control The rise of CBDCs is expected to increase interest in Bitcoin as a hedge against these centralized currencies Bitcoin’s journey in 2024 highlights its growing institutional acceptance alongside its inherent market volatility While the approval of Bitcoin ETFs has significantly boosted interest the market remains sensitive to events like exchange collapses and regulatory decisions With the limited supply of Bitcoin and improvements in its transaction efficiency it is expected to remain a key player in the financial world for years to come Whether Bitcoin is currently in a speculative bubble or on a sustainable path to greater adoption will ultimately be revealed over time.

Interactive historical chart showing the daily U.S. Dollar - Singapore Dollar (USDSGD) exchange rate back to 1991.

Im Jahr 2024 lag der Goldpreis bei durchschnittlich etwa ******** US-Dollar je Feinunze. Damit ist der Preis gegenüber dem Vorjahr um rund **** Prozent gestiegen. Gegenüber dem Jahr 2019 ist der Preis sogar um rund ** Prozent gestiegen. Hauptgründe sind die Corona-Pandemie und der Ukraine-Krieg und die damit einhergehende zunehmende wirtschaftliche Unsicherheit bzw. die Inflation: Viele Investoren flüchteten in den "sicheren Anlagehafen Gold".Die Feinunze ist ein Massemaß für Edelmetalle. Ihr Gewicht entspricht der Apotheker-Unze (1 oz.tr. = 31,1034768 g), bezieht sich aber nur auf den Edelmetallanteil. Das Gewicht eventueller Verunreinigungen wird vom Gesamtgewicht abgezogen. Wie und wo wird der Goldpreis festgelegt? Der Preis für physisches Gold wird am London Bullion Market festgelegt. Zweimal pro Tag – vormittags und nachmittags - wird diese auch als London Gold Fixing bekannte Preisfestlegung durch fünf internationale Großbanken vorgenommen. Dieser Preis gilt als Richtwert für den globalen Goldhandel und beeinflusst somit auch die Goldpreise an den weltweiten Rohstoffbörsen. Hier bestimmt das stetig wechselnde Verhältnis von Angebot und Nachfrage den jeweiligen Goldkurs. Gold als Investment Es gibt zahlreiche Möglichkeiten in Gold zu investieren. Die naheliegendste Option ist sicherlich der Kauf von physischem Gold in Form von Barren und Münzen. Allerdings ist physisches Gold an sich nicht produktiv – es bringt weder Zinsen noch Dividenden oder Ähnliches. Anleger:innen bleibt lediglich die Möglichkeit auf einen steigenden Goldpreis zu hoffen. Dennoch gilt Gold allgemeinhin als krisensicher und solide Geldanlage. Risikoreichere Alternativen wären beispielsweise die Anlage in börsengehandelte Goldprodukte wie ETFs und Zertifikate oder in Aktien von Goldminenbetreibern.