From reddit. I think this is good advice for a beginner:
Here is what I look at when investing in cryptocurrency
1) is the coin in the top 20? Research the coins in the top 10 first, you can’t really go wrong with projects that have huge market caps. Then check out a few from the top 20. Coins that are outside of the top 50, need time to mature, unless you’re into gambling. Ps it’s harder to pump and dump a coin with a huge market cap.
2) how long has the coin been around? There is a good chance coins that are less than a 1 month old, will 10x in a year, but there is an equal chance that they will go to zero in a year. I look for mature projects, because it provides me a sense of security. I’m not a day trader, so I need to know that when I get home from work my investment didn’t go to shit.
3) what is the purpose of the coin? Make sure you either read the white paper, or have an understanding of the tech behind your picks. Do you think the future will go toward fast micro transactions? Cheap transactions? Hidden transactions? Etc. each cryptocurrency has its own unique vision. Once you start understanding what they are, it’s a little easier to invest in something that resonates with you and others
4) what is the community like? Are people on social media raving about the coin? Or is there only one post per day on their sub. I also look at the mass media, newspapers, news stations, online news sources, what are they talking about? There is a large portion of wealthy people who don’t go on Reddit and are influenced by the media. Activity and enthusiasm is more of an indicator for day traders, but I’ve done pretty well by scoping out the communities forums and sub-Reddit’s
5) who are the developers and creators of the coin? I always make sure to visit their web site and see who these people are. What projects the worked on in the past. Do they seem legit? Are they active in the community? And do they exist? If there isn’t a person who is willing to put their face behind their project I don’t bother to put my money behind it.
6) And don’t throw all of your money into cryptocurrency at one time. Put it into cryptocurrency in small amounts to hedge your bets
Before you invest this much money, I would ask yourself a few questions... what are your goals? How much do you plan to make? What other investments are you diversified into? Are you willing to lose the money you are putting into cryptocurrency?
These are questions that should be asked before you invest this much money into something. If you have already done that, then welcome to the club and good luck.