Bitcoin in a TFSA? The Sensible Way I’d Size It

Want Bitcoin upside without going all-in? Use a tiny TFSA slice and TSX options to ride gains while managing risk.

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Key Points
  • Keep Bitcoin a small 1%–5% TFSA allocation, dollar-cost average, and rebalance so volatility doesn’t hijack your portfolio.
  • For simple exposure, consider BTCC, a TSX Bitcoin ETF holding spot BTC in cold storage, TFSA-eligible with around 1% fees and big volatility.
  • Hut 8 adds higher risk and upside, with Bitcoin-linked mining plus growing infrastructure revenues and a sizable BTC reserve for diversification.

Bitcoin continues to be that black sheep of an investment. The one that seems to surge one day and collapse the next. However, while risky, there are certainly some points that many investors may want to consider when it comes to a long-term investment. But, how to do it safely?

One option is to combine Bitcoin-adjacent investments inside a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). So let’s look at the most sensible ways for investors to get in on Bitcoin growth on the TSX today.

Bitcoin

Image source: Getty Images

Getting started

To get started, investors will want to consider a small target allocation. For instance, if you’re beginning with Bitcoin, then you’ll probably only want to allocate around 1% to 5% of your total TFSA, or up to 10% if you handle a large drawdown. After all, cryptocurrency like Bitcoin can fall 50% or more, so keep it as a fun option. Not a core investment.

Furthermore, consider dollar-cost averaging, rebalancing on a regular basis, whether it’s monthly or quarterly. This can reduce timing risk and allow you to trim if your crypto investment starts to take above 25% of your target 5% range. This will help so that a surge or slump doesn’t dominate your TFSA.

Then, use limit orders to trade thoughtfully. Crypto runs 24/7, but the TSX doesn’t, so there can be gaps. But overall, if you follow these strategies, then your TFSA can certainly help by shielding gains from taxes.

BTCC

A good option for getting started could be the Purpose Bitcoin ETF (TSX:BTCC.B). This gives investors direct, physically settled Bitcoin exposure held in cold storage, rather than in futures. It’s TSX-listed, TFSA eligible, with $3.3 billion in assets under management. The management fee is at 1%, with the management expense ratio (MER) capped at 1.5%.

This ETF tracks BTC closely, with the recent one-year performance up 79% as of writing. However, still expect volatility from the price of Bitcoin. What’s more, it’s unhedged, so you can also get USD/CAD currency moves as well. All considered, it’s a simple and regulated investment that’s easy to buy and sell for straightforward Bitcoin investing.

Hut 8

Then we have Hut 8 (TSX:HUT), which is more Bitcoin adjacent, but high beta from its equity leveraged to Bitcoin. However, it’s also developing power and digital infrastructure under its platform. This gives the bitcoin miner more diversification while still providing a connection to the cryptocurrency.

In the second quarter, Hut 8 pivoted towards contracted revenues, with nearly 90% of managed energy under agreements longer than one year. That’s a huge increase from about 30% a year ago. Furthermore, it holds a strategic Bitcoin reserve of about 10,667 BTC, worth around $1.1 billion as of the second quarter. While it too is connected to the cost of Bitcoin, it has support from its infrastructure business as well.

Bottom line

By using your TFSA to put around 5% of your investment into Bitcoin stocks, this keeps it fun and interesting rather than risky and terrifying. Just make sure that percentage range stays constant, moving your core investment into safer options. Overall, a small satellite allocation could be enough to allow investors to benefit, while small enough to shrug off a loss.

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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