Opinion: Bitcoin, Ether and other cryptocurrencies may be seeing the beginning of the end

So you’ve made a ton of money from bitcoin, Ether and other cryptocurrencies. Sure, they’ve defied the doomsayers time and again. Which likely makes this week’s shocking plunge in bitcoin and Ether just another buying opportunity. That’s where you may be wrong.
The sudden Chinese crackdown on bitcoin (BTCUSD) that caused the plunge is either the end of the beginning for the crypto-party — or, more likely, the beginning of the end. If you’re holding cryptocurrencies today, remember that no matter how much money you think you’ve made, you haven’t made a nickel until you’ve cashed it out.
And you might want to think twice, or even thrice, about the rising risks.
China took steps on Monday to stop “initial coin offerings” or ICOs. These are the crypto-bubble equivalent of the infamous IPOs during the late 1990s dot-com mania.
Additionally, Hong Kong’s regulator warned that cryptocurrencies may be securities for legal purposes and that these ICOs may be subject to securities laws — echoing similar rumblings from the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.
Marketwatch
By Brett arendes