Ethereum pauses at record high, bitcoin's rally stalls, DOGE Moons
Ether (ETH) prices were lower after surging 10% on Wednesday to a new record, climbing past $1,600 for the first time.
The recent gains appeared driven by signs of growth on the cryptocurrencys underlying Ethereum blockchain network, as well as interest from institutional investors starting to venture beyond bitcoin, the oldest and largest cryptocurrency.
Ethereum is in such high demand because the asset is undergoing changes to make it even more decentralized and even more secure, said Simon Peters, an analyst for the trading platform eToro. This is attracting buyers from both the institutional and retail world.
Bitcoin (BTC) appeared to lose momentum after its steady rise over the past week from $30,000 to about $38,000.
The price level of $38,190 proved tough to pierce, according to Matt Blom, head of sales and trading for the cryptocurrency exchange firm EQUOS.
Once it hit that level, prices seem to struggle and actually just retraced lower, overtaken by massive sell orders on both spot and derivatives exchanges, Blom wrote. Stagnation in the $34K-$38K range probably cant be avoided, and eager bulls might be cooled down by relentless sellers before BTC progresses higher again.
And dogecoin (DOGE)? The digital token launched in 2013 as little more than a joke is up about 50% in just the past two days, for a market value of more than $6 billion. Elon Musk, the electric-vehicle and private-spaceflight entrepreneur whos also reportedly the worlds richest man, tweeted about it early Thursday. There was also heavy chatter about the token on social media forums, and probably a lot of speculation about the chatter.
In traditional markets, the Reddit-fueled whiplash in shares of meme stocks like GameStop (GME) appeared to subside, but the regulatory fallout might just be getting going: U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who heads the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said Wednesday she wants Reddit user Keith DeepF***ingValue Gill to testify at a Feb. 18 hearing along with executives from the retail trading platform Robinhood and the hedge funds Melvin Capital and Citadel.
Stocks were pointing higher whilegold weakened 1.1% to $1,814 an ounce.
Visa's plans push crypto industry closer to point of no return
With 3.3 billion payment cards in use, Visa (V) is a household name. Its also one of the biggest players in the global financial infrastructure, processing some 188.1 billion transactions a year.
Thats why it was such big news for the cryptocurrency industry on Wednesday when Visa announced it is piloting a new program that will allow banks to offer bitcoin services. Previously, Visa had been focused on helping crypto companies issue bank cards and has partnered with 35 crypto firms to date, but this is the first time the company has offered crypto services to banks.
The market impact? Edward Moya, senior market analyst for the brokerage Oanda, wrote Wednesday the news may have helped to push up bitcoins price. Bitcoins acceptance continues to improve, Moya wrote.
Another takeaway might be that Visas splashy move could make it harder for U.S. lawmakers or regulators to thwart bitcoins growth. Ray Dalio, of the giant hedge fund Bridgewater, and former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein have suggested that authorities might look to crack down on the fast-emerging cryptocurrency if it really starts to take off.
Think of the operational, technological and marketing expenses involved in Visas new project. The chances are low that a big, heavily regulated financial company would push forward without some assurances that theres no turning back from crypto. Or that Visa would make this move before heavy consultations with key corporate customers, including big credit-card lenders such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America.
The more investments established companies make in the business, the less likely authorities are to force write-offs.
Ether rally spreads beyond ether. Dogecoin has nothing to do with it.
The average fee for sending a transaction on the Ethereum blockchain has climbed above $20 for the first time, in a sign of just how popular the network is becoming.
Its not just ether rallying to a new all-time high this week: Also rising were major digital tokens from the realm of decentralized finance, or DeFi, where entrepreneurs are building software-automated versions of banks and trading platforms atop decentralized, Internet-based networks, mainly the Ethereum blockchain, CoinDesks Muyao Shen reported Wednesday.
DeFi tokens including price-feed-provider Chainlinks LINK, the decentralized exchange SushiSwaps SUSHI and the DeFi lender Aaves AAVE have logged new historic highs.
Prices for SUSHI, whose launch last year met with immediate controversy, have quadrupled already in 2021 amid bullish speculation over the future of DeFi. Based on data from the analysis firm Messari, thats the second-highest gain among digital assets with a market capitalization of at least $1 billion after dogecoin (DOGE), which offers little more than meme-y yuks to its adoring fans. (Dogecoin has nearly sextupled this year, for those keeping track.)
Also getting a lift were prices for cryptocurrencies associated with blockchains that are competing with Ethereum to become dominant platforms for decentralized computer applications. Sometimes referred to colloquially as Ethereum killers, they include Polkadots DOT token and Solanas SOL.
Ether made a significant push, and that is causing projects linked to the DeFi space to rise, said Hunain Naseer, senior content editor at crypto exchange OKEXs research unit, OKEx Insights.
One downside from the flurry of activity on the Ethereum blockchain might be elevated fees for sending transactions over the network, since the rate paid rises with increasing congestion. As reported by CoinDesks Will Foxley, the average transaction fee early Thursday climbed above $20 for the first time, reflecting growing demand for tokens launched atop the Ethereum blockchain. Those include the dollar-linked digital tokens known as stablecoins as well as DeFi-related tokens.
A catalyst for further price action might come from the Chicago-based CMEs launch of a new futures contract on ether next week. The listing should give more institutional investors a way to bet on the second-largest cryptocurrency after they took positions in bitcoinlast year.
The institutions are buying ether, Ryan Sean Adams, founder of newsletter Bankless,wrote in a tweet.And theyre just getting started.
Bond traders are increasing their expectations for inflation
So-called breakeven inflation rates, or the pace of price increases implied by U.S. government bond markets, have reached an eight-year high and are climbing fast.
The Federal Reserves mantra over the past year as the coronavirus wreaked a devastating toll on the economy is that theres no need to worry about inflation; in fact, as Chair Jerome Powell was quick to point out, recessions often lead to deflation because flagging consumer demand can prompt businesses to cut prices while elevated unemployment mutes upward pressures on wages.
Despite the assurances, big investors and corporations have piled into bitcoin over the past year, betting the cryptocurrency, whose supply is limited under the blockchain networks underlying programming, could serve as a hedge against loose monetary policy, aka near-zero interest rates and trillions of dollars of money printing.
But now there are signs another key market segment might be getting more concerned about inflation: bond traders.
The five-year breakeven inflation rate, which can be derived by examining the yields on various U.S. government bonds, is now signaling a 2.2% average rate over the next five years. Thats the highest in eight years, and its also above the Feds long-term target of 2%. Whats more, the figure appears to be rising fast: As recently as September, the breakeven inflation rate was below 1.5%.
As noted this week by First Mover, economists are already starting to sketch out how fast the economy might heat up as more people get vaccines and consumers start to get their confidence back. Bank of America estimates theres some $1.6 trillion of excess savings on consumer balance sheets, which could quickly translate to pent-up spending demand. And the economy has yet to feel the impact of the stimulus package now being debated in U.S. Congress, likely to total at least $1 trillion.
The national employment situation will become clearer on Friday when the U.S. Labor Departments Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its jobs report for the month of January. On Wednesday, Pantheon, a macroeconomic forecasting firm, revised its projection to an increase of 200,000; previously the firm was expecting a decline of 100,000 in the nonfarm payrolls. The average expectation of Wall Street economists is for an increase of 100,000, according to Bloomberg. (U.S. jobless claims were lower than expected last week, at 779,000, according to a report early Thursday.)
The reflationary trends we are seeing in markets are likely to continue throughout 2021, according to a report Wednesday from the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
Bitcoin Watch: Increasing signs of demand from institutional investors
Although bitcoin has failed to sustainably push past the psychologically important $40,000 price level, signs continue to mount of growing interest in the cryptocurrency from big institutional buyers.
Sign up to receive First Mover in your inbox, every weekday.
See original here:
Ethereum, DOGE on Own Journeys as Inflation Bets Fuel Bitcoin - CoinDesk - CoinDesk
- Bitcoin Reaches Record High of $69,000, Recovering from 2022 Meltdown - The New York Times - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Is Bitcoin headed for $100k? What it could mean for US dollar. - IG - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Rallies To Record $70K, Prompts Coinbase Upgrade; BlackRock To Add BTC Exposure To $17.83 Billion Fund - Investor's Business Daily - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- What Is Bitcoin 'Halving' and Does It Push Up the Cryptocurrency's Price? - Bloomberg - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- What to Know About Bitcoins Record High in Latest Crypto Surge - The New York Times - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- SEC's Gensler says crypto 'rife with abuses and fraud' as bitcoin surges to new all-time record - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Rich Dad Poor Dad Author Robert Kiyosaki: Bitcoin 'on Fire' BTC Headed for $300K This Year Markets and Prices ... - Bitcoin.com News - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin can top $150000 in the next 12-18 months, says Fundstrat's Tom Lee - CNBC - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Is This The Real $90 Trillion Reason Behind BlackRocks Huge Bitcoin ETF Flip That Triggered The Price Boom? - Forbes - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin's Test of All-Time Highs Means Old Miners Are Cashing Out - CoinDesk - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Price Prediction: Can BTC Reach $100000? Forbes Advisor - Forbes - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin hits new all-time high near $69,000 before tumbling - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin spikes above $70K, a record high, before fading - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Ordinals Wallet Oyl Raises $3M With Arthur Hayes, BRC-20 Creator Domo Among Investors - CoinDesk - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Fear of bitcoin price 'triple top' dismissed by analysts following all-time high - TheStreet - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Here's why gold, bitcoin and stocks are all hitting new highs - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: Which Is the Better Buy? - U.S News & World Report Money - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Crypto Analyst Predicts Bitcoin Could Surpass $330000, Breaking Historical Growth Patterns Markets and Prices ... - Bitcoin.com News - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin is running out of enemies - Fortune - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Why is Bitcoin at an all-time high? - BBC.com - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin tops $68,000 as it nears 2021 all-time high - CNBC - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- BlackRock's Global Allocation Fund Eyes Spot Bitcoin ETFs, Expects Institutional Uptake to Drive BTC Above $600k - TradingView - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- FT Cryptofinance: This time isn't different for bitcoin rally - Financial Times - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Coinbase Stock vs. Bitcoin: Which Should You Invest In? - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- ETC Group CEO on Bitcoin's wild ride to a new high and why Ethereum could be the next big thing - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Miners continue money-conscious moves ahead of the Bitcoin halving - Blockworks - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Warren Buffett's danger to Apple, the truth about Bitcoin's record, and Nvidia's bubble: Markets news roundup - Quartz - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Warren Buffett Says He Wouldn't Pay $25 For All The Bitcoin In The World He Considers Crypto 'Rat Poison' And ... - Yahoo Finance - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin breaks record: Will the crypto rally sustain? - DW (English) - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Hit a Record High. Here's What Might Happen Next - CoinDesk - March 10th, 2024 [March 10th, 2024]
- Bitcoin price falls below $39,000 as indicators suggest risk of a deeper correction, according to Bitfinex - The Block - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin down 20% since ETFs approval, but may still see record high this year - MarketWatch - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin briefly falls below $39,000 as post-ETF selling pressure continues - CNBC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin trims its losses after breaking below $39,000 to lowest level in 7 weeks - CNBC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitwise publishes bitcoin ETF holdings address after on-chain sleuths uncover BlackRock's - Blockworks - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- AI Agents Are Coming For CryptoPalantir Cofounder Issues Very Important Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana And XRP Price Prediction - Forbes - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- This Investing Phenomenon Could Be Why Bitcoin Prices Are Down After ETF Approval - Money - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Under $39K as ETF Debut Continues to Be a Sell-the-News Event - CoinDesk - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Blockchain, the tech behind bitcoin, may have found its 'killer use case' by keeping AI in check - CNBC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Why Aren't There Options on the New Bitcoin ETFs Yet? - The Wall Street Journal - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin ETFs to Likely Divert Users and Trading Volumes Away from CEXs, Says Anthony Bevan Bitcoin News - Bitcoin.com News - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Retail investors are worried bitcoin will plunge below $20000 this year, Deutsche Bank survey says - CNBC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- China's Currency Woes to Weigh on Bitcoin: Crypto Observer - CoinDesk - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin ETF fee war spreads to Europe - Financial Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Bulls Buoyed by Report of FTX's $1B GBTC Sale - CoinDesk - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Despite the Bitcoin ETF Hype, Survey Says Investors Are Still Skeptical - Barron's - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin ETFs aren't giving crypto a big boost just yet. Here's where the new funds stand - CNBC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Why Bitcoin's 'relentless' selling will end in weeks - DLNews - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin recovers above $40k amidst GBTC outflows, other ETF inflows - CryptoSlate - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- These two drivers will fuel Bitcoin's rebound: 'It's happened often before' - DLNews - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Top Analyst Says 600 Days of Bullish Momentum Still Ahead for Bitcoin - The Crypto Basic - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Funds Are Here. But You Probably Dont Need Them. - The New York Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitwise releases wallet addresses of spot Bitcoin ETF holdings - Cointelegraph - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Mt. Gox Moves Seemingly Closer to Bitcoin Repayments For 2014 Hack Victims - CoinDesk - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Coinbase faces headwinds as Bitcoin and ETF interest dips, says JPMorgan - crypto.news - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Waning Bitcoin ETF Hype to Drag on Coinbase, JPMorgan Says - Yahoo Finance - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Price At Make-Or-Break Moment, Key Levels To Watch - NewsBTC - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin Mid-Cycle Top? Benjamin Cowen Says One Indicator Suggesting BTC Headed for Downtrend - The Daily Hodl - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Franklin Templeton expects its spot bitcoin ETF to gain traction as financial advisors become more familiar with product - The Block - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Bitcoin ETFs: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - RealMoney - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Cathie Wood Thinks Bitcoin Could Skyrocket 3,356% By 2030. Is She Right? - The Motley Fool - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- JPMorgan says ether to outperform bitcoin next year - The Block - Crypto News - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- XRP Beats Bitcoin, Ethereum in Weekly Fund Flows, Boasts $2.7M Inflow - The Crypto Basic - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Bitcoin Must Hold $32K Support to Prevent Bears from Taking Over: Analyst - CryptoPotato - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- BlackRock Has Quietly Opened The Door To A Trillion-Dollar Plus Wall Street Game-Changer Amid The $700 Billion Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP And Crypto Price... - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Bitcoin Bounces Over $43K, Altcoins, Crypto Stocks Burst Higher as Fed Projects Rate Cuts Next Year - CoinDesk - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- 10 Best Bitcoin Stocks To Invest In - Yahoo Finance - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Why 2023 Is Like 2020 and Bitcoin Is Set to Head Towards $50k - CoinDesk - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Bitcoin About To Take Center Stage Again After BTC Holds $40,000, According to Analyst Heres His Outlook - The Daily Hodl - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Bitcoin rises as investors await vote on tentative debt ceiling agreement - CNBC - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- 'Bitcoin Millionaire' Found Dead a Week After Going Missing - Decrypt - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- US Debt Crisis: Gold and Bitcoin to Soar, Predicts Gromen - CryptoGlobe - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Why Bitcoin Is Falling Today - The Motley Fool - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- At bitcoins annual convention, few feel the chill of crypto winter - Marketplace - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Bitcoin Association for BSV to Serve as Steward of Bitcoin Protocol - PR Newswire - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Former Operator of Payza.com Charged with Laundering 450 Bitcoin - Department of Justice - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Bitcoin is on a collision course with 'Net Zero' promises - Cointelegraph - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Using Bitcoin to build a business - The Unilateral Contract - CoinGeek - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- ChatGPTs Bitcoin Price Prediction is $35,000, Also Backing Wall ... - Finbold - Finance in Bold - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- best-bitcoin-casinos-for-2023-top-rated-btc-casino-sites - Analytics Insight - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]