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Revolut Business reportedly cuts crypto services ahead of new rules

The neobank will halt crypto purchases by businesses while it sorts out new ad requirements.

Neobank Revolut will temporarily halt cryptocurrency purchases on its business platform in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the new year, according to a media report. An email informing customers of the decision mentioned only purchasing, implying holding crypto and selling it could go on uninterrupted. 

Revolut said the pause was needed to give it more time to comply with new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules on promoting crypto that come into force on Jan. 8, 2024. Revolut Business will halt crypto purchases on Jan. 3, it said. In a message reproduced in an X (formerly Twitter) post, Revolut Business told customers:

Revolut is the latest of several firms that have been impacted by the FCA rules, which the regulator itself described as “tough.” The rules were announced in June and were intended to bring crypto advertising into line with other high-risk investment products.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Price analysis 12/18: SPX, DXY, BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, AVAX, DOGE

Bitcoin may remain under pressure for a few days, but a collapse is unlikely as traders are expected to buy the dips in anticipation of a spot Bitcoin ETF.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX) rose 2.49% last week, extending its string of weekly gains to seven weeks, the longest such winning streak since 2017. However, Bitcoin (BTC) could not maintain its momentum and succumbed to profit-booking by the bulls. Trading resource Material Indicators said in a X (formerly Twitter) post that “ year-end profit taking and tax loss harvesting” will prevail in the short term. 

However, a crash is unlikely because several analysts expect the United States Securities and Exchange Commission to approve one or more spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund applications in January. If that happens, it could prove to be a game-changer for the sector.

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck said in an interview with CNBC that Bitcoin is likely to hit a new all-time high in the next 12 months. He expects Bitcoin to become an accompaniment to gold.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Bitcoin’s 8-week win streak is in danger, but ATOM, FIL, EGLD, and ALGO don’t care

Bitcoin is set to break its eight-week winning streak, but that has not affected the prospects of ATOM, FIL, EGLD, and ALGO, which look strong on the charts.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) eight-week winning streak is likely to end as the price is down nearly 4% this week. The recent weakness indicates profit-booking by traders but it does not change the short-term uptrend. The pullback will also help reduce the froth that may have been building.

After the initial shakeout, strong hands are likely to re-enter the crypto market as the macro environment remains bullish for risk-assets. The decision by the Federal Reserve to pause rate hikes and possibly reduce rates in 2024 could further boost demand for crypto products.

However, nothing goes up in a straight line. After sharp rallies, traders generally book profits and shift their focus to other coins. As Bitcoin takes a breather, traders' are likely to turn their attention to select altcoins.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Price analysis 12/15: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, MATIC

Bitcoin and select altcoins are witnessing profit-booking on rallies, increasing the likelihood of a short-term pullback.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally has been taking a breather for the past few days but its strong rally in 2023 has not gone unnoticed. A survey of United States financial services companies by crypto firm Paxos showed that 99% of the firms were putting as much or more focus on crypto projects this year as compared to previous years.

Analysts are increasingly bullish on Bitcoin and the crypto space in 2024. Bitwise senior research analyst Ryan Rasmussen made ten predictions for the crypto industry in 2024 in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Dec. 13. He believes Bitcoin will soar to $80,000 in 2024 and “more money will settle using stablecoins than using Visa.”

Along with crypto-specific issues, expectations of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2024 are adding to the bullish sentiment. Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of crypto exchange BitMEX, reiterated his bullish view on crypto in an X post on Dec. 14. He said that the fiat was “a filthy piece of trash” and there was no reason not to be long crypto.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Navigating this bull market and securing profit will be tougher than it seems

There are a few things you should do if you want to succeed in crypto during a bull market. But above all, remember to take profit.

Strategically navigating the cryptocurrency market when it surges isn’t just a skil. It’s an art. Volatility is constant. Volatility measures the price movements of assets and demands a sophisticated approach from players in the market. Similar to the ebb and flow of tides, it can be navigated strategically.

Bitcoin (BTC) peaked at $69,000 during the 2021 bull run, while Ether (ETH) did the same at $4,800. Despite the market hitting an all-time high of $3 trillion in market capitalization, that figure sits a little below $1.7 trillion as of Dec. 15 — a difference of just more than 30 percent. While significant, the comparison obviously doesn’t do justice to what a rollercoaster the market has been.

Understanding the driving forces behind that volatility is key to navigate it. Market sentiment, technological breakthroughs, and regulatory developments play crucial roles. It is crucial to comprehend the prevailing mood and adapt to market dynamics, leveraging insights analyzing social sentiment, news sentiment, and technical analysis indicators.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Spot Bitcoin ETF approval to propel BTC to $1M in ‘days to weeks,’ says Samson Mow

Bitcoin is likely to reach $1 million quickly due to a "torrent of money" coming from institutional investors in 2024, according to the JAN3 CEO.

Bitcoin (BTC) is likely to reach $1 million in the "days to weeks" following the approval of a spot BTC exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to JAN3 CEO Samson Mow. 

“You're hitting a very limited supply of Bitcoin on the exchanges and available for purchase with a torrent of money,” Mow said, referring to the inflow of institutional capital that is expected following a potential spot ETF approval. 

“This is why you can go really high all at one time,” he adds.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Price analysis 12/13: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, MATIC

Bitcoin and altcoins are trying to find support at lower levels, indicating that the sentiment remains positive, and that traders are buying the dips.

Bitcoin (BTC) has failed to rebound sharply following the fall on Dec. 11, suggesting selling pressure on relief rallies. Glassnode data shows that short-term holders (STHs), entities holding Bitcoin for 155 days or less, sent $1.93 billion worth of Bitcoin to exchanges on Dec. 11 and $2.08 billion on Dec. 12. The last time single-day selling crossed the $2 billion mark was way back in June 2022. This shows that speculators are in a hurry to dump their holdings.

However, lower levels are attracting buyers. Trading resource Material Indicators suggested that “institutional sized” bids could be seen but added that it was unclear if it was accumulation or a short-term trading opportunity with dips being purchased and rallies being sold.

Cointelegraph contributor Marcel Pechman analyzed derivatives data and said that Bitcoin remains on track to hit $50,000 despite the recent correction. He added that chances of “cascading liquidations” were low as the correction seems to have been “primarily driven by the spot market.”

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador

Bitcoin derivatives data points to traders’ $50K BTC price target

Bitcoin bulls expectations of $50,000 and higher remain feasible according to BTC futures and options markets.

Bitcoin (BTC) price continues to trade below its 2023 high, a sign that investors may have underestimated the strength of the $44,000 resistance. Even as BTC price trades below $42,000, it doesn't necessarily mean that reaching $50,000 and beyond is no longer possible. In fact, quite the opposite seems more likely to occur. Looking at Bitcoin derivatives metrics, it is clear that traders ignored the 6.9% drop and remained optimistic. However, is this optimism enough to justify further gains?

The $127 million liquidation of leveraged long Bitcoin futures on Dec. 11 may seem significant in absolute terms, but it represents less than 1% of the total open interest – the value of all outstanding contracts. Nevertheless, it's undeniable that the liquidation engine triggered a 7% correction in less than 20 minutes.

On one hand, one could argue that derivatives markets played a crucial role in the recent negative price movement. However, this analysis overlooks the fact that after hitting a low of $40,200 on Dec. 11, Bitcoin's price increased by 4.2% in the following six trading hours. In essence, the impact of forceful liquidation orders had dissipated long ago, disproving the notion of a crash solely driven by futures markets.

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Billion-Dollar Investment Firm Vaneck Highlights Bukele’s Bitcoin Gambit in El Salvador