NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) – Now that bitcoin has topped US$20,000 (S$26,550) for the first time, should you shift your hard-earned cash into digital currencies? History suggests caution should be your watchword, no matter how strong the fear of missing out may be.

News last Wednesday that One River Asset Management has set up a fund company that will have about US$1 billion in bitcoin and fellow digital coin ether by early next year suggests that institutional investors are starting to take cryptocurrencies more seriously.

There’s clearly serious money involved. Chief executive Eric Peters told our Bloomberg News colleague Erik Schatzker that billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard is buying a stake in the new business, called One River Digital Asset Management.