Stock markets in India are presently trading marginally higher. Sectoral indices are trading on a positive note with stocks in the healthcare sector and FMCG sector witnessing maximum buying interest.

The BSE Sensex is trading up 122 points (up 0.4%) and the NSE Nifty is trading up 35 points (up 0.3%). The BSE Mid Cap index is trading up by 0.2%, while the BSE Small Cap index is trading up by 0.5%. The rupee is trading at 64.36 to the US dollar.

As per an article in the Economic Times, foreign investors have pulled out more than Rs 40 billion from India’s stock market this month so far.

This was seen mainly on the back of rising crude oil prices and widening fiscal deficit.

The above outflow followed an inflow of Rs 197 billion in November, mainly due to the government’s plan to recapitalize PSU banks and surge in India’s ranking in the World Bank’s ease of doing business.

In the news from cryptocurrency space, the first-ever Bitcoin future began trading Sunday as the increasingly popular virtual currency made its debut on a major US exchange.

The futures contract expiring in January rose from US$ 15,460 to US$ 16,000 in its first hours of trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are a curious bunch. They have no central bank backing and have not yet been regulated. Yet, these seem to have found favor among a large number of people, with demand growing every day. There are over 800 cryptocurrencies in existence today, with new ones being added to the list every day.

While the world of digital currencies is intriguing, it can get very confusing for the layman. Our team member, Ankit Shah, Research Analyst, has decided to study cryptocurrencies and help our readers understand them.

Here’s Ankit’s thoughts: