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It has been quite a long time since I wrote a blog that was crypto-related. But today feels like the right day to change that. And this time I wanted to put together a few things for myself about how you can stay better informed about the latest developments in the crypto-verse, and how you might be able to spot a new gem. We all know that a day can seem like an eternity when it comes to crypto and that every day sees the launch of a new project and perhaps the demise of an older one, so it's important to stay informed especially now that the expectation is that we are slowly heading towards the next bull run.

Finding Gems, But How?

First of all, there is of course the crypto news. That's important if you want to keep up with the latest happenings. I think Cryptopanic is a great place to start. Although I read English articles just as easily, my mother tongue is and remains Dutch, and for some time now it has also been available on Cryptopanic. Ideal for me. Regularly following the news does have a few advantages, you get a better understanding of what is going on, although you do have to take some articles with a big grain of salt. But you could also pay attention to the latest launches of ICOs, new coins, and, not unimportantly, the latest news about regulations. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the latter is especially important to keep an eye on. It will come as no surprise that all these developments can have an impact on the crypto market in general.

Plenty Websites

If you prefer to visit websites directly instead of somewhere where you can find a bunch of links to articles, there are plenty of those too. The most famous are of course CoinDesk, Crypto Insiders, and Cointelegraph, but don't let that stop you from continuing to visit your favorite website. All in all, you can say that the better you follow the latest news, the better informed you are and the chance you have of spotting a new gem.

Follow (F)Influencers

Are there more things you can do? Yes, following one or more influencers can also be very useful. They didn't become influencers for nothing. This means that they have made their mark within the crypto community. And they are usually very well-informed. You can also learn from many influencers, they often tell you what they invest in and why. They do analyze and talk about everything related to crypto and finance. Very helpful in choosing a few good ones. There's a catch here because not all of them are equally good. Of course, they cannot see into the future either, and of course, every influencer can be wrong at some point, but as is always the case, some are wrong more often than others.

Use The Internet

We have already established that there is a lot of information on the internet, so take advantage of it! In addition to websites, you will also find a lot of other information. Think of whitepapers from crypto projects, blogs, and forums. By consulting all these sources you can get a good idea of the market and make better decisions about your investments.

Writing

Keeping a diary or notebook can also be a good habit. Writing down all your thoughts, observations, and analyses can help you track your thought process and recognize patterns in your investment strategies. This can help you learn from your mistakes and adjust your approach in the future.

Analyses, Technical & Fundamental

Finally, and this is important, but not for everyone. Study the market data yourself. Technical analyses are and remain an important tool for understanding. It can help you recognize trends and as you get better at it, you could get an idea of how the market might develop. This may help you make a better decision when to buy or when to sell. Although crypto remains unpredictable, understanding a technical analysis and being able to make one yourself can certainly help you. By studying the data such as price charts, market capitalization, trading volumes, etc. you can also know which coins are popular NOW. That can also help you decide what to invest in... or spot that new gem.

Not only a technical analysis is important. Fundamental analysis should also not be missing. If you have done a good fundamental analysis, you will at least know WHAT you are investing in. You understand the project, who is behind it, and what the use cases are, if any. If you know all this, it is normally easier to estimate whether the coin in question has growth potential, or whether it is better to say immediately ... "No, never mind!”

Chatting In Discord & Telegram

Okay, I lied, there's one more thing you can do. Most of us do this daily. Talking to other people within the crypto industry. Social Media is of course the best place for this, and let's now pretty much consider Discord as our "digital home". Telegram cannot be ignored in this piece. Although I have never been a fan of Telegram myself, I cannot ignore that it is a home for many crypto projects. And that automatically means that there are also many important influencers hanging around, and that also means that there is a lot of information for you and me. Do not underestimate this information and take advantage of it.

Know When It Is A Trend

And what you probably want to know now is how you know whether a certain development is a trend. And that can be difficult to determine. You have a few indicators to look out for in general. The first thing I would mention is sustainability. You can see this as follows; if a certain development continues for a longer period. And even continues to grow, then this can certainly be an indication that it is a real trend. And next, the size of the trend is an important factor. If a trend is popular not only within a specific group but also outside of it, then it is more likely to be here to stay.

Don't Be Stupid

Now I have written an entire blog about how to stay better informed about crypto news and perhaps even spot gems, but I would like to give a final warning. We all know it, we are talking about crypto here. Yet many of us forget all wise advice at the first signs of the bull. So again, whatever happens, invest responsibly, never invest more than you can afford to lose, and never forget to take profits!