Bitcoin rightly gets attention as the original cryptocurrency, but investors shouldn't forget Dogecoin (DOGE +5.71%). It may come as a surprise that the dog-themed digital asset was born as far back as 2013. It's actually one of the early members of this new asset class, and it has clearly stayed relevant for a long time.
Looking at this meme token with a 10-year time horizon, should investors buy, hold, or avoid Dogecoin?
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A downward trend with extreme volatility
Investors who follow the crypto market know just how volatile things can get. Dogecoin is the perfect example of the industry's wild ups and downs, which can make owning these assets extremely difficult.
As of Jan. 26, Dogecoin is trading a gut-wrenching 82% below its peak, which was established during the crypto boom of May 2021. This was when there was heightened interest in decentralized applications, most notably non-fungible tokens. Speculative behavior certainly lifted Dogecoin.
However, the fact that the price has tanked since then is a telltale sign that perhaps Dogecoin's greatest asset, its community, is starting to weaken. This is happening with its cousin, Shiba Inu, as well, which is 91% off its all-time record. Despite there being so many digital assets available, the market appears to be more critical these days about the value proposition that most of them offer.
Dogecoin has failed to add real-world utility in any meaningful way over the years. When it comes to payments, it's accepted at more than 2,100 merchants, according to cryptwerk.com. But these are very obscure businesses. There's not much reason to be optimistic, especially since the developer community is so small.
It doesn't help that Dogecoin faces stiff competition from Bitcoin. People would rather own a crypto that has the strongest brand name, a fixed supply cap, powerful network effects, and recognition from political and financial power players. This setup will keep working against Dogecoin.
CRYPTO: DOGE
Key Data Points
The answer is clear for long-term investors
Market participants can certainly make money from Dogecoin. But you must be a highly successful trader who can perfectly time when hype cycles are about to start and end. This is an impossible task for nearly everyone, and it will likely lead to losses.
Betting on short-lived trends is not a smart way to allocate your hard-earned savings. Assuming Dogecoin survives over the next decade, there will undoubtedly be periods of time when its price skyrockets. This is how markets work. I'd bet that the price falls just as fast as it climbed in those instances.
Long-term investors are better off avoiding Dogecoin altogether. This is a high-risk asset with an uncertain future.
