By Alana Benson

If you want to join the party, but reduce your risk

This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.

Cryptocurrencies are inherently cryptic -- it's right there in the name. And if you follow Warren Buffett's advice to never invest in businesses you can't understand, it may be hard to justify investing in a currency made of math instead of gold.

But it's also hard to ignore some cryptocurrencies' astounding performance: The price of one bitcoin jumped from just under $5,000 in March 2020 to over $60,000 this year.

The excitement surrounding digital currency may leave some investors feeling like the lonely kid at the pool party, wanting to join their friends having fun in the deep end, but too nervous to jump in.

For those investors who are cautiously curious, here are ways to gain exposure to cryptocurrency without buying it, and if you do decide to purchase, how to lower your risk.

Related: Want to Bet on Bitcoin Without Owning Any? Try These Mining Stocks

Invest in companies with cryptocurrency holdings

Think of this strategy as cryptocurrency investing once removed. Some publicly traded companies have cryptocurrency holdings. And because they are betting on its success, you can too, with those companies acting as a buffer.

"When you're thinking about investing in a company because they have exposure to crypto, it really runs the gamut from how direct or indirect you are in terms of that exposure," says Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner and president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York City. "It just depends on how much of their balance sheet is in crypto."

Checking a company's balance sheet can be revealing: As of June 30, 2021, Tesla (TSLA) held $1.31 billion in digital assets. And while the tech giant has received lots of media attention for its investment, that $1.31 billion currently equates to only about 2.4% of Tesla's total assets. But if those assets balloon in value, as cryptocurrency is sometimes wont to do, Tesla's stock value could too.

See:Cathie Wood says institutional buys make bull case for bitcoin reaching $500,000 by 2026

Invest in cryptocurrency infrastructure

Another way to gain exposure is to invest in companies that have a stake in the cryptocurrency industry. Coinbase is a platform where investors can buy and sell cryptocurrency -- and it's publicly traded.

"Just like you have with gold, you can either invest in the commodity itself or the infrastructure around it, the miners, the materials needed for mining, same with energy and oil," Boneparth says. "And there are public companies that are specifically operating in the blockchain space, but there's not many of them."

Riot Blockchain Inc. (RIOT) is one of those few publicly traded companies that focuses on cryptocurrency mining. Riot Blockchain, among others, helps build cryptocurrency infrastructure and provides another cryptocurrency-adjacent investment opportunity.

Invest in a cryptocurrency ETF

So far, the U.S. has approved one cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund, or ETF. This bitcoin ETF (BITO) launched by ProShares doesn't invest directly in bitcoin. Instead it's based on futures contracts tied to the cryptocurrency. Because it's an ETF, investors can likely invest directly from their brokerage accounts instead of having to open a crypto wallet.

Use caution if investing directly

If you're willing to invest in cryptocurrency directly, there are a few ways you can mitigate your risk. One way to do this is to reduce the amount of money you invest. Some credit cards offer cryptocurrency rewards in a similar way as cash back or miles. If you decide to add cryptocurrency to your portfolio by way of rewards, you don't even have to use your own dollars to do so.

Also read: Crypto can 'destabilize nations' and 'undermine' U.S. dollar dominance, Hillary Clinton says

Another way to reduce your risk is to invest in stablecoins, which are similar to traditional cryptocurrencies but are backed by real-world assets, making them less prone to significant drops in value.

This article provides information for educational purposes. NerdWallet does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend specific investments, including stocks, securities or cryptocurrencies.

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Alana Benson writes for NerdWallet. Email: abenson@nerdwallet.com.

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