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China facing deflation may be bad news for Bitcoin

Cointelegraph analyst and writer Marcel Pechman breaks down the Federal Reserve balance sheet and explains why China’s deflation can negatively impact Bitcoin.

On the latest episode of Macro Markets, analyst Marcel Pechman explains the impacts of the United States Federal Reserve’s balance sheet, breaking down how the Fed inflated its assets by $5 trillion between December 2019 and April 2022. Pechman notes that the expansion period coincides with a 38% crash in the S&P 500 index. Moreover, the Federal Reserve balance sheet surpassed the $8.9 trillion mark right as the stock market index reached its 4,800-point all-time high.

The problem, according to Pechman, is that the U.S. Treasury Department has a huge deficit, as the government spends more than it gets from revenues and taxes. Consequently, it needs to start rolling some of the debt instead of letting it expire, so odds are it won’t be able to continue reducing the balance sheet any longer — something that has been a huge contributor to lowering inflation.

Ultimately, inflation will feel the biggest impact once the Federal Reserve is forced to expand its balance sheet again, Pechman argues. He advises that those holding scarce assets such as Apple shares, land, gold and Bitcoin (BTC) should hang on tight and not be fooled by the momentary period of reduced inflation.

In the show’s next segment, Pechman covers deflation in China, which economists believe is an issue. Domestic consumption is decreasing, and it seems investors expect a miracle from their central bank’s expansion of the balance sheet.

In essence, Pechman argues there are many red flags coming from China. If you want to know whether Pechman believes this is a risk for international economies and what will happen to stock markets and Bitcoin, watch the latest episode of Macro Marke on the Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube channel.

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Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Spot Bitcoin ETF approved, but not in the US

This week’s episode of The Market Report discusses the spot Bitcoin ETF that just launched in Europe and why the U.S. still lags behind.

In the latest episode of Cointelegraph’s The Market Report, analyst Marcel Pechman discusses the first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approved in the European Union, which went live on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange on Aug. 15. Despite the seemingly unconventional choice of the Guernsey regulator for its constitution, the fund’s listing on Euronext suggests a strategic maneuver, though its meager 1 million euro launch and unfamiliar management casts a shadow over its appeal.

Moving on, Pechman shifts focus to the United States Bitcoin ETF landscape, where the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again delayed its decision on approving a spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF, setting a potential deadline for early 2024. This recurrent cycle of postponements echoes the challenges faced over the past decade.

The lack of regulatory clarity in the U.S. cryptocurrency market underscores the SEC’s reluctance to endorse a spot crypto ETF.

Pechman also discusses Bitcoin’s price trajectory. According to Bitcoin investor Jesse Myers, breaking the $100,000 barrier is intricately tied to the block subsidy halving in mid-2024. Myers challenges the efficient market hypothesis, positing that the market will take 12 to 18 months post-halving to fully assimilate the implications.

Pechman conveys skepticism about predicting market outcomes, acknowledging many factors that can sway Bitcoin’s trajectory, including Federal Reserve decisions, banking liquidity, economic conditions and unforeseen events.

Pechman concludes by circling back to the primary drivers of Bitcoin’s value: the abundance of fiat currency and government debt. He foresees Bitcoin surpassing $100,000, but the real-world purchasing power of that sum might be diminished due to inflation.

Listen to the full episode of The Market Report on the new Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube channel, and don’t forget to click “Like” and “Subscribe” to keep up-to-date with all our latest content.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Was Sam Bankman-Fried behind a scam project?

This week’s episode of The Market Report explores allegations that SBF was behind the recent BALD token rug pull and dissects why Bitcoin is falling below $29,000.

In the latest episode of “The Market Report,” analyst and writer Marcel Pechman discusses the BALD token rug pull and the allegations pointing toward FTX founder Sam “SBF’ Bankman-Fried as the culprit. The token launched on Coinbase’s Base network, which is currently under development, and witnessed incredible gains between July 30 and 31.

Pechman notes that it is impossible to know how much fake volume and how many trades involving the same entity or small groups were used to prop up BALD’s price on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Further evidence for this hypothesis is the 85% price plunge shortly after BALD’s developer removed the liquidity deposited in DEX pools.

According to internet sleuths, the evidence pointing to SBF being the mastermind of the rug pull includes funding from wallets associated with FTX and Alameda Research, the fact that BALD’s developer was one of the first voters on proposals for decentralized finance project SushiSwap, language used in tweets, and DYDX farming activity.

While Pechman believes SBF certainly has the technical knowledge to issue tokens and offering liquidity pools on DEXs, there is no way to know what sort of devices and internet access he currently has while under house arrest.

Now, on to the show’s next topic: Pechman explores why the U.S. Dollar Index’s recent gains from a one-year low could be the leading cause for Bitcoin’s (BTC) drop below $29,000. For Pechman, this illustrates investors’ confidence in a soft landing by the United States Federal Reserve, meaning the recession will be mild.

Want to know if Pechman thinks the U.S. government will be able to roll over and issue new debt in the second half of 2023 and what the consequences will be for Bitcoin’s price? Get answers to those answers on the latest episode of The Market Report, which runs exclusively on the new Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube channel.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Bitcoin’s pre-halving rally may start soon — Here’s why

On this week’s episode of The Market Report, Cointelegraph’s resident expert discusses if this is your last chance to buy Bitcoin on the cheap as the Bitcoin pre-halving rally may be right around the corner.

In the latest episode of The Market Report, Cointelegraph analyst and writer Marcel Pechman discusses Standard Chartered bank’s $120,000 Bitcoin price expectation based on the halving impact. According to the report, increased miner profitability due to a pre-halving rally would “reduce the net BTC supply.”

Pechman, on the other hand, doesn’t acknowledge the thesis, given that the mining difficulty will continue to increase and the news confirming Riot Platform’s investment in new ASIC equipment. In fact, the mining difficulty increased by 73% in the last 12 months, while the Bitcoin (BTC) price increased by 58%.

Regarding the $50,000 Bitcoin year-end price prediction, Pechman believes the number is too optimistic, given the low odds of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval by then. However, if the ETF is approved within the next six months, an estimated $5 billion potential inflow could catapult Bitcoin’s price above $70,000.

For 2024, Pechman increases his odds of a spot Bitcoin ETF approval to 30%, while Bloomberg analysts expect even higher chances at 50%. Given the sheer size of BlackRock and Fidelity, Pechman believes a $10 billion inflow in the first couple of months following the ETF launch is feasible, suggesting Standard Chartered’s $120,000 expectation could be on the conservative side.

The expectation of an ETF approval may impact the pre-halving rally, according to Pechman, who also explains why investors may be anticipating the movement. Consequently, the pre-halving effect may get longer or shorter if investors dump before the event happens. Pechman’s recommendation is to avoid the fear of missing out or FOMO. If you missed an entry spot, traders should either wait for the dollar cost average or sit and wait.

Lastly, Pechman analyzes the latest Glassnode on-chain analysis report on re-accumulation at $30,000. According to Pechman, “return to mean” is also widespread in traditional markets. When investors are lost without the necessary conviction to move the price, they will refer to the previous two-year or three-year average levels.

To hear more about Pechman’s strategy for the Bitcoin halving and the impact of a spot Bitcoin ETF approval, listen to The Market Report, exclusively on the new Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube channel.

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Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

BlackRock Bitcoin ETF could unlock $30 trillion worth of wealth, Bloomberg analyst says

Following the Blackrock application, a Bitcoin spot ETF was never so close to being approved and it could be a game changer for the crypto industry, explains ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

$30 trillion worth of capital could suddenly unlock for the Bitcoin market if a Bitcoin spot ETF is approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. 

That is the estimated amount of assets controlled by financial advisors in the U.S., who would be willing to get exposure to Bitcoin through a regulated exchange-traded fund.  

"ETF is the format in which the boomers and the financial advisors prefer their investments delivered in”, Balchunas explained in an exclusive Cointelegraph interview. 

Blackrock's application for a Bitcoin spot ETF last month sparked a new wave of optimism around the crypto market which led other major firms such as ARK Investment, Valkyrie, and Fidelity to file their own applications for a Bitcoin ETF. 

The involvement of Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, was enough to raise the chances of a Bitcoin spot ETF approval from 1% to 50%, according to Balchunas. 

"They're very smart and they don't just throw filings out willy nilly”, the analyst said. "They clearly see something out there that they think they can get through the regulators”, he added.

To find out more about the implications of the Blackrock Bitcoin ETF filing, watch the full interview on our YouTube channel, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Bitcoin aligns with Swiss values – Head of Lugano’s Plan ₿

Switzerland continues to drive Bitcoin adoption despite well-developed traditional financial infrastructure.

Switzerland has long been a haven for the wealthy due to its well-established banking secrecy laws, but its citizens have warmed quickly to the self-sovereign ideals behind Bitcoin (BTC).

Giw Zanganeh, head of Lugano’s Plan ₿ initiative, highlighted the growing use of Bitcoin for everyday payments in the Swiss city in conversation with Cointelegraph journalist Joe Hall at the Plan ₿ Bitcoin Summer School.

Giw Zanganeh, head of Lugano’s Plan ₿ initiative, chats to Cointelegraph's Joe Hall at the  Plan B Summer School in Lugano.

Lugano has emerged as an adoption hub for Bitcoin, Tether and its self-styled LVGA stablecoin which can be used to pay for a variety of utility bills, goods and services across the city.

Zanganeh, who head’s up Tether’s Plan ₿, believes that Switzerland has shown remarkable adoption of cryptocurrencies despite its renowned financial and banking infrastructure:

“What I see is a society, which makes me very bullish, a lot of people are interested in Bitcoin, from a philosophical perspective as well. It aligns very well with Swiss values.”

Zanganeh added that the Swiss are typically “strong on individual sovereignty and financial privacy”, which creates overlaps between the values of Swiss culture and those of the Bitcoin movement:

“Considering the amount of Bitcoin-only companies in Switzerland,it probably has one of the highest density per capita of Bitcoin-only companies around the world.”

According to Zanganeh, more politicians, diplomats and members of parliament and Switzerland’s financial commission are becoming Bitcoiners which reaffirms a bullish outlook for BTC adoption in the country.

Related: McDonald’s, pizza and coffee paid in Bitcoin: The Plan B for crypto payments

A contributor to increased Bitcoin usage has been a concerted effort to inform and educate the Swiss populace about the merits of BTC:

“We have regular articles in newspapers where we touch on different aspects of Bitcoin and financial liberty. We try to reach people interested in financial freedom and freedom of speech. Maybe they don't know how Bitcoin plays a role there.”

While the uptake of Plan ₿’s Bitcoin adoption is a “gradual process”, Zanganeh said that the onboarding of merchants across Lugano has been crucial in opening up a new payments paradigm in the region.

Likening the process of Bitcoin adoption to the initial proliferation of bank cards some 50 years ago, Zanganeh said that practical experience with novel transactional methods will continue to onboard more users to the Bitcoin ecosystem:

“If you look at merchants over time, if more and more people go and pay with Bitcoin, you're going to learn.”

As Cointelegraph previously explored, Bitcoin Suisse CEO Dr. Dirk Klee highlighted the country’s potential as a center point for institutional cryptocurrency adoption.

The Canton of Zug is another region of Switzerland that continues to attract cryptocurrency and blockchain firms due to its progressive, government-backed, crypto-friendly initiatives.

The interview is part of an upcoming Cointelegraph documentary about what it’s like to attend a Bitcoin School. Subscribe here (https://www.youtube.com/@cointelegraph) to watch.

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Magazine: Should you ‘orange pill’ children? The case for Bitcoin kids books

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Why a Bitcoin ETF approval would be a big deal

Bitcoin ETFs are back in the spotlight after several companies filed with the SEC. This week’s episode of Market Talks discusses why approval would be a big deal for Bitcoin.

In this week’s episode of Market Talks, Cointelegraph welcomes Natalie Brunell, a podcast host, educator and media commentator in the Bitcoin space. Her podcast, Coin Stories, consistently ranks among the top 50 to 100 on Apple podcasts. She has over 300,000 Twitter followers, and is an award-winning TV journalist and former investigative reporter.

Brunell explains how Bitcoin (BTC) is a tool for the financial empowerment of billions of people worldwide and how the depreciating United States dollar is stripping away people’s economic dignity.

The elephant in the room when discussing Bitcoin with someone new to the crypto space is its volatility and risk factor. Brunell describes how to overcome this, and how to explain that Bitcoin might be better than traditional assets, including stocks and real estate.

Brunell offers her take on institutions turning back toward crypto amid multiple spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) filings — despite their love/hate relationship with the sector. Brunell wonders if institutions just want a piece of the pie now that crypto is being taken seriously as an asset class. She also gives her sense of how people feel about the Bitcoin ETF, and why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission might lean toward approval.

Brunell talks about her roots and backstory, describing what it was like growing up under communism, and how her parent’s struggles motivated her to search for something like Bitcoin long before it existed.

For aspiring content creators, Brunell explains how she found success doing it. She also gave tips on making a name for yourself and finding your voice in the crowded content creation space.

Market Talks airs every Thursday, featuring interviews with some of the most influential and inspiring people from the crypto and blockchain industry. So, head over to the Cointelegraph Markets & Research YouTube page, smash those “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons for all future videos and updates, and check out the conversation with Brunell.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Crypto mass adoption is coming, but how fast?

The latest Cointelegraph Report assesses the current growth rate of global cryptocurrency usage and tries to predict when crypto will reach mass adoption.

Cryptocurrencies must reach mass adoption to unlock their maximum potential as a network technology and their value as financial assets. 

As with other technologies, the adoption of crypto follows a classic bell curve: Starting from a small number of innovators, it grows as early adopters embrace it, moving into mass adoption as it expands to the early and late majority. Finally, it reaches those lagging behind in its final phase.

Since its launch 14 years ago, Bitcoin’s (BTC) adoption has dramatically increased. The cryptocurrency has gone from being a fringe technology discussed by a small group of cypherpunks and nerds to being known worldwide, with some nation-states even adopting it as legal tender.

According to most estimates, though, crypto’s global adoption rate is still in the single digits, which means it still remains in the “early majority” phase of global adoption.

To grow further and reach true mass adoption, crypto will need to overcome the “chasm” — the gap separating the early adopters from the early majority. To do so, certain catalysts may be required. 

What are those catalysts, and how far is crypto from reaching mass adoption? To find out, don’t miss the latest Cointelegraph Report on YouTube, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Bitcoin breaks $30,000 and is the center of attention again!

Bitcoin touches $30,000 and is back on everyone’s radar. Find out what is driving the price forward on this week’s episode of Market Talks.

In this week’s episode of Market Talks, Cointelegraph welcomes Mati Greenspan, founder and CEO of Quantum Economics. Greenspan is an experienced financial analyst and a certified consultant who enjoys engaging with his 50,000+ Twitter followers about the latest developments in the cryptocurrency sector. He finds his passion in understanding financial markets and sharing his knowledge with others to help them make better investment decisions.

In today’s discussion, we first find out what Greenspan has been up to since we last had him on the channel — more than five years ago. We also get some insights into his company, Quantum Economics, what they do, their team, and what their vision is.

Without wasting any time, Greenspan dives into some of this hot takes by claiming that we are already in the next “Bitcoin summer” and that prices are just going to go up from here. He shows us his reasoning by going over some Bitcoin (BTC) charts, particularly the Bitcoin dominance chart, and taking us through his thought process.

With everything happening in the markets right now, both in the crypto and stock markets, we ask Greenspan what the most important things happening at the moment are capturing his attention and why. He explains to us why he finds the correlation between the stock market and Bitcoin so interesting and what he thinks that means for the future price of the asset.

There could be a number of reasons why the price of Bitcoin has been going up recently. We ask Greenspan what he thinks is the catalyst behind the recent pump all the way up to $30,000. Does it have anything to do with BlackRock and Fidelity putting more money into Bitcoin?

Next, we discuss what is pushing Bitcoin adoption, especially in developing economies. What benefits does Bitcoin offer that the traditional financial system cannot or chooses not to offer? 

Greenspan also explains to us why stocks are in a bull market at the moment in light of the current macroeconomic environment — especially with interest rates and inflation so high. He also reveals why he only keeps less than $1,000 in his bank account and why he is solely focused on Bitcoin.

A lot has been said about Ordinals on the Bitcoin network, with some people being for it because it adds to the function of Bitcoin and the network, while others have opposed it, as it takes away from Bitcoin’s primary reason for existence. Greenspan explains where he stands on the topic as he takes us through some graphs and charts to explain his point of view. 

We cover all of this and more, so make sure to stay tuned until the end. Market Talks airs every Thursday, featuring interviews with some of the most influential and inspiring people from the crypto and blockchain industry. So, head on over to Cointelegraph Markets & Research’s YouTube page and smash those “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons for all our future videos and updates.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence

Bitcoin’s next rally may be imminent, on-chain analyst says

On-chain data shows that an imminent Bitcoin rally could drive its price up to $32,000, says Glassnode lead analyst James Check.

After a long period of unusually low volatility, Bitcoin’s (BTC) next major price move is likely imminent and could drive BTC to $32,000, according to James Check, lead on-chain analyst at Glassnode. That price level is where Bitcoin’s “true cost basis is sitting,” Check explained in an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. 

To calculate Bitcoin’s average cost basis — the average price at which BTC was bought — Check and his team removed coins that are lost forever from the calculation and focused on active Bitcoin investors. 

“It’s where the mean reversion level would be, so a rally to that level, to be honest, wouldn’t surprise me,” he said.

Despite this bullish scenario, Check also pointed out that a large number of investors are likely tired of the bear market and waiting for Bitcoin to reach that level before selling, thus putting pressure on the price. 

“That's an area where you start getting more resistance,” he stated.

To find out more about the chances of an upcoming Bitcoin rally, check the full interview on our YouTube channel — and don’t forget to subscribe!

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Will Remain Passive Holder of Crypto After Receiving Prison Sentence