Bitcoin (BTC) starts its first full week of December at three-week highs as bulls and bears battle on. After a weekly close just above $17,000, BTC/USD seems determined to make the most of relief on stocks and a weakening U.S. dollar. As the United States gears up to release November inflation data, the dollar looks to be a key item to watch as BTC price action teases a recovery from the pits of the FTX meltdown. All may not be as straightforward as it seems — miners are facing serious hardship, data shows, and opinions on stocks’ own ability to continue higher are far from unanimous. As the end of the year approaches, will Bitcoin see a “Santa rally” or face a new year nursing fresh losses? Cointelegraph presents five areas worth watching in the coming days when it comes to BTC/USD perfor...
The world is quick to blame inflation for the rising prices at grocery stores and retailers. This was the #1 political issue for recent Election Day voters in the United States. For example, media sources recently reported poll data that 85% of Americans could not afford to spend $200 on a Thanksgiving meal in November 2022, and only 25% could afford $100. However, few recognize inflation is only part of the problem. Higher costs for products and services are also directly attributable to settlement fees paid by transportation providers who are forced to take out the equivalent of payday loans against their freight invoices. Shipper payment terms in the transportation industry are known to be egregious, and most transportation carriers cannot afford to wait 30–180 days to get paid. Wh...
Much like a pandemic, inflation has spread throughout the world, clouding the future with dark uncertainty. Disagreement over how to best manage soaring prices in the United Kingdom nearly caused its economy to collapse and subsequently led to the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss after just 44 days in office. Currently, at least 10 emerging economies are hyperinflationary, with more expected to follow. And the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the part of the U.S. Federal Reserve responsible for keeping prices stable, just announced higher interest rate hikes in the midst of a return to positive gross domestic product — signaling continuing inflation troubles ahead. The worldwide struggle to reduce inflation is tangible evidence that yesterday’s central bank tools are inad...
Bitcoin (BTC) begins a key week of internal and macroeconomic events still trading above $20,000. After its highest weekly close since mid-September, BTC/USD remains tied to higher levels within a macro trading range. The bulls have been keen to shift the trend entirely, while warnings from more conservative market participants continue to call for macro lows to enter next. So far, a tug-of-war between the two parties is what has characterized BTC price action, and any internal or external triggers have only had a temporary effect. What could change that? The first week of November contains a key event that has the potential to shape price behavior going forward — a decision by the United States Federal Reserve on interest rate hikes. In addition to other macroeconomic data, this will form...
Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials want to see crypto become a part of their 401(k) retirement plans, according to an October survey from United States asset manager Charles Schwab. Asking participants what they would like to see added to their 401(k) retirement products, the firm found that 46% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennials said they “wish” they could invest in cryptocurrencies as part of their retirement planning. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the survey also found that 43% of Gen Z and 47% of Millennials are investing in cryptocurrencies outside their 401(k) already, which could suggest the group’s affinity for the asset class. The asset manager surveyed 1,100 401(k) retirement plan participants aged between 21 to 70 to complete the 10-minut...
Despite the ongoing cryptocurrency bear market, investors have been increasingly looking at Bitcoin (BTC) as a safe haven, a new study suggests. The rise in the correlation between Bitcoin and gold (XAU) is one of the major indicators demonstrating investors’ confidence in BTC amid the ongoing economic downturn, according to digital strategists at the Bank of America. Bitcoin’s correlation with gold — which is commonly viewed as an inflation hedge — has been on the rise this year, hitting its highest yearly levels in early October. The growing correlation trend started on Sept. 5 after remaining close to zero from June 2021 and turning negative in March 2022, BofA strategists Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss said in the report. “Bitcoin is a fixed-supply asset that may eventually become an infl...
Ethereum has witnessed a substantial drop in its daily active address (DAA) count over the last four months, raising fears about more downside for Ether (ETH) price in the coming weeks. Stagnant Ethereum price spooks investors The number of Ether DAA dropped to 152,000 on Oct. 21, its lowest level since June, according to data provided by Santiment. In other words, the plunge showed fewer unique Ethereum addresses interacting with the network. Ethereum daily active address count on a daily timeframe. Source: Santiment Interestingly, the drop comes after Ether’s 80%-plus correction from its November 2021 high of around $4,850. This coincidence could mean two things: Ethereum users decided to leave the market and/or paused their interaction with the blockchain network after the market’s...
Bitcoin (BTC) and other riskier assets slipped on Oct. 21 as traders scrutinized macro indicators that suggest the Federal Reserve would continue to hike rates. Nonetheless, the BTC/USD pair remains rangebound inside the $18,000–$20,000 price range, showing a strong bias conflict in the market. BTC price holding above $18K since June Notably, BTC’s price has been unable to dive deeper below $18,000 since it first tested the support level in June 2022. As a result, some analysts believe that the cryptocurrency is bottoming out, given it has already corrected by over 70% from its record high of $69,000, established almost a year ago. BTC/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView “During the 2018 bear market, BTC saw a max drawdown from peak to trough of 84%, lasting 364 days, wh...
Remittance payments, fiat fears, and profit-chasing have been the three most significant drivers of crypto adoption in Latin America, according to a new report. The seventh-largest crypto market in the world saw the value of cryptocurrencies received by individuals rocket 40% between July 2021 to June 2022, reaching $562 billion, according to an Oct. 20 report from Chainalysis. Part of the surge was attributed to remittances, with the region’s overall remittance market estimated to have reached $150 billion in 2022. Chainalysis noted that crypto-based service adoption was “uneven, but swift.” The firm pointed to one Mexican exchange operating in the “world’s largest crypto remittance corridor” which processed over $1 billion in remittances between Mexico and the Unite...
Bitcoin (BTC) sagged with United States equities at the Oct. 19 Wall Street open as markets awaited tech earnings. BTC/USD 1-hour candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView Eurozone sees fresh all-time high inflation Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD circling $19,000 after falling steadily overnight. Still trapped in a tight range, the pair offered few cues to traders seeking advantageous short-term plays, while some sources argued that overall, current levels represented solid buy levels. “With little calendar events till the next FOMC in early November, crypto continuing to lag behind equities, and skews near flat, protective downside structures are the cheapest levels they have been since June,” trading firm QCP Capital concluded to Telegram channel su...
Prices in the United Kingdom continue to rise, hitting another 40-year high of 10.1%. According to figures from the U.K’s Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 10.1% in the 12 months to September 2022, up from 9.9% in August. The 10.1% figure mirrors July’s recent high. The Bank of England is 8% off the inflation target, while interest rates are 2.25%. Source: Bankofengland.co.uk According to ONS data, “Rising food prices made the largest upward contribution to the change in both the CPIH and CPI annual inflation rates between August and September 2022.” The BBC reported that the Ukraine war led to an increase in grain prices, also sharing that dairy products have risen by over 30% in cost in one year. But what do incessant price rises mean for the British...