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Price analysis 8/16: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, DOGE, TON, ADA, AVAX, SHIB

Bitcoin bulls are holding on to the $55,500 support, but an increase in futures open interest and a death cross on the BTC chart have traders worried that further downside is in store.

Bitcoin (BTC) has been stuck in a sideways price action phase for several months, but that has not stopped institutional investors from buying. According to K33 Research senior analyst Vetle Lunde, more than 262 new firms invested in the United States spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during the second quarter of 2024.

It is encouraging to note that the institutional investors have largely held on to their positions or increased them. Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said in a post on X that 44% of asset managers boosted their Bitcoin ETF positions while 22% held steady. Only 13% exited their positions, and the remaining 21% reduced positions. Hougan called this as “a pretty good result, on par with other ETFs.”

While the long-term remains bullish, analysts are turning bearish in the near term. Cryptocurrency analysis platform Coinglass cautioned in a post on X that Bitcoin’s rising open interest suggests there is “room to fall.” Additionally, analysts are closely watching the death cross as the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) has dipped below the 200-day SMA.

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

NYSE, Nasdaq withdraw 3 more requests for crypto ETF options rule changes

Activity keeps heating up around Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF options.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) American and Nasdaq International Securities Exchange (ISE) withdrew three more requests for rule changes related to listing options on Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to regulatory filings submitted after market close on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15. 

The withdrawals are the latest in a flurry of activity surrounding spot BTC and ETH ETF options in the United States. On Aug. 13, NYSE Arca withdrew another requested rule change intended to chart a path toward listing crypto ETF options.

Related: Expect Bitcoin ETF options to launch before 2025

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Bitcoin stagnates as bearish headwinds continue to blow

Bitcoin price falls as demand for leveraged long BTC futures and stablecoins drops.

Bitcoin (BTC) has been stuck in a narrow range since Aug. 8, and unable to surpass $62,000 while reinforcing support at $58,000. This consolidation reflects growing uncertainty among traders, especially as the BTC futures funding rate remains negative, indicating low demand leverage from buyers. 

The question arises as to whether this indicator alone can dictate the cryptocurrency market's trajectory or if historical patterns suggest an impending rally.

A key concern for Bitcoin investors is the positive performance of the S&P 500 index, which is currently just 2.5% below its all-time high, and gold, which is trading a mere 1% below its record level. In this context, it's challenging to rationalize Bitcoin being 19.5% below its March 14 peak of $73,757, regardless of whether the cryptocurrency is viewed as a risk-on asset or a hedge against potential disruptions in the US debt situation.

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Price analysis 8/14: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, DOGE, TON, ADA, AVAX, SHIB

Bitcoin is finding it difficult to rise above the overhead moving averages, indicating that the bears are trying to flip the level into resistance.

Bitcoin (BTC) is struggling to maintain above the psychological level of $60,000, indicating that the bears are active at higher levels. However, analysts do not seem to be worried. Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards said in a post on X that Bitcoin looks “promising,” but its trend lags behind gold by three months; hence, it needs some time before resuming its up move.

Bitcoin is only in the second phase of its bull cycle, according to Bybit lead tech writer Nathan Thompson. If Bitcoin follows the trough-to-peak ratios of its previous cycles, it could extend its up move till the third quarter of 2025, according to a report by Bybit and BlockScholes, shared with Cointelegraph.

Apart from the Bitcoin rally, several traders are eagerly waiting for the altseason to begin. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes said in a research note that Bitcoin would have to rise above $70,000 and Ether (ETH) above $4,000 for the altseason to begin.

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Exclusive: Fireblocks granted New York charter for crypto custody

The charter allows Fireblocks to offer cold-storage custody to US clients.

Web3 infrastructure provider Fireblocks has been granted a New York state charter to custody cryptocurrency for clients in the United States, Fireblocks told Cointelegraph on Aug. 14. 

“As of this month, Fireblocks Trust Company, LLC has received its limited purpose trust company charter to engage in virtual currency business and will soon begin offering cold storage custody solutions powered by Fireblocks' technology to US customers,” Fireblocks told Cointelegraph in a statement.

In May, Fireblocks said it intended to “launch a limited-purpose trust company that is under the regulation of the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)” called Fireblocks Trust Company that “will offer cold storage custody solutions to US clients.”

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Bitcoin falls under $60K as investors’ global economic slowdown concerns rise

Fear of a global economic recession continues to drive investors away from risk-on assets like Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) price experienced a 5% gain between Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, reaching $61,791, before quickly reversing the entire move, falling to $58,914 in under two hours. This abrupt downturn occurred after the United States reported an inflation figure that slightly undercut analysts' expectations. The initial price surge was driven by significant announcements concerning spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and MicroStrategy (MSTR) holdings, but macroeconomic conditions ultimately proved decisive on Aug. 14.

Goldman Sachs, a leading global financial institution, disclosed new spot Bitcoin ETF holdings totaling $418 million in its 13-F filing, reflecting positions as of June 30. The allocation spanned multiple providers, including BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, and Grayscale. While it remains unclear whether these investments were made by external fund managers or Goldman’s internal asset management team, this marks a significant milestone, as the firm oversees $2.81 trillion in assets under management.

Not all asset managers have embraced such investments. According to CNBC, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo continue to restrict their financial advisors from recommending spot Bitcoin ETFs. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest wealth management firms, only approved the distribution and sale of spot Bitcoin ETFs through its 15,000 financial advisors as recently as Aug. 7. Consequently, Goldman’s allocation could potentially set a precedent that encourages its competitors to follow suit.

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Low CPI print is fodder for Bitcoin to retest all-time highs — Grayscale research head

Bitcoin’s response to the CPI report was surprisingly muted.

Lower-than-expected core inflation in the United States is fodder for Bitcoin (BTC) to retest its all-time highs, Zach Pandl, Grayscale’s head of research, told Cointelegraph on Aug. 14. 

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported July Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on Aug. 14 showing annualized price increases for consumers of 2.9% — the slowest rate since 2021. That is “significant because it will allow the Fed to begin reducing rates,” Pandl said.

“Rate cuts are likely a necessary condition for sustained weakness in the US Dollar and fodder for Bitcoin to retest its all-time highs,” according to Pandl. “Fortunately for crypto investors, the incoming data may be a signal for lowering rates sooner rather than later."

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF

Hive Digital sales up 36% as Bitcoin miner forays into AI compute

Hive's new high-performance computing platform clocked around $2.6 million in sales in the second quarter of 2024.

Hive Digital Technologies Ltd. (HIVE) notched a 36% uptick in sales in the second quarter of 2024 as the Canadian Bitcoin miner diversifies into providing computational power to artificial intelligence (AI) applications, according an Aug. 13 filing.

Hive reported second-quarter 2024 revenues of around $32 million, compared to some $23.5 million the year prior, the company said. Much of those gains came from Hive’s core cryptocurrency mining business. The company also scaled its new high-performance computing platform to around $2.6 million in sales.

On July 12, 2023, the company changed its name from Hive Blockchain Technologies to Hive Digital Technologies to reflect a pivot to hosting AI and other advanced applications. The shift was an effort to cash in on the company’s large inventory of Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) cards, Hive said.

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Hashdex again amends S-1 for Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF