The S&P 500 index (SPX) fell 19.4% and the Nasdaq nosedived 33.1% in 2022, recording the worst performance since 2008. The crypto markets also had a horrendous year with Bitcoin (BTC) falling roughly 65% in 2022. In comparison, the United States dollar, which is perceived to be a safe haven, rallied nearly 9%, its best year since 2015. There are several green shoots visible for the cryptocurrency sector for 2023. The U.S. dollar index (DXY), which usually moves in inverse correlation with Bitcoin may have topped out. This increases the likelihood that select cryptocurrencies may be close to forming a …

Is USD Coin safe? Despite the fact that the USD Coin is subject to regulatory oversight, investors must weigh the pros and cons of investing in stablecoins before committing any funds. Comparing USDC with USDT, USDC is subject to regulations as it is audited from time to time, and Circle is fully transparent about its operations. However, investing in the cryptocurrency market, even in stablecoins, has its own cons. For instance, the price of the USD Coin will never appreciate as it is pegged to the U.S. dollar. This disadvantage is offset by the provision that USDC can be lent …

The cryptocurrency markets are trading at record low volatility as investors have largely stayed away during the holiday season. That could be because investors are unsure about the cryptocurrencies that could lead the next bull run. Cumberland senior research analyst Steven Goulden said in a “Year in Review” report that he expects four “emerging narratives” to lead the crypto space over the next six to 24 months. Goulden anticipates growth in nonfungible tokens, Web3 apps and games. He expects export-oriented nations to add Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as reserve assets and if that happens, it could be a huge …

The chaos we’ve experienced in global markets this year — global geopolitical upheaval magnified by the confluence of broken supply chains, inflation and heavy national debt loads — seems to signal the beginning of a new era. All of this is within the context of the United States dollar serving as the primary global reserve currency, currently accounting for about 40% of global exports. But monetary history tells us that multiple global reserve currencies can exist at one time. Many countries are actively seeking a reserve settlement that is insulated from global political strife. Bitcoin (BTC) may fit the bill, …

Bitcoin (BTC) divided traders yet again on Dec. 21 as sideways BTC price action split opinion on the future. $17,500 becomes popular BTC price targe Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it acted within a tight range just below $17,000. A single brief spike above the $17,000 mark failed to last, the pair returning to familiar territory from the past week. For popular traders, there was a lack of consensus, with some calling for an eventual breakout to the upside and others demanding a rapid fall toward $10,000. “I'd want it to hold $16.7K in order …

Sasha Ivanov, founder and CEO of the Waves blockchain platform, is planning to launch a new stablecoin amid the ongoing crisis of the Waves-backed stablecoin, Neutrino USD (USDN). Ivanov took to Twitter on Dec. 20 to announce the USDN situation resolution plan alongside a new stablecoin project. “I will launch a new stablecoin,” Waves founder wrote, adding that there is going to be a “USDN situation resolution plan set in motion before.” He stressed that nothing new will be launched or announced until the USDC plan resolution is set in motion. Without specifying the details on the nature of the …

Bitcoin (BTC) recovered from an overnight dip on Dec. 20 as Japan’s central bank sparked chaos on global financial markets. Analyst likens BoJ policy to FTX Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD returning to near $17,000 after falling over 3% through the course of Dec. 19. The largest cryptocurrency benefitted from flash U.S. dollar weakness, this coming on the back of a surprise policy tweak from the Bank of Japan (BoJ). Long a deflationary environment with ultra-low interest rates, Japan woke up to a sea change on the day as policymakers lifted the cap on bond yields. …

Crypto markets threw a nice head fake this week by rallying into resistance on a “positive” Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, before retracing the majority of those gains right after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell took on a surprisingly hawkish tone during his post-rate-hike presser. The Fed hiked interest rates by 0.50%, which was well within the expectation of most market participants, but the eyebrow-raiser was the Federal Open Market Committee consensus that rates would need to reach the 5%–5.5%+ range in order to hopefully achieve the Fed’s 2% inflation target. This basically threw cold water on traders’ lusty dreams …

The consumer price index (CPI) data on Dec. 13 and the outcome of the Federal Reserve meeting on Dec. 14 could influence the United States stock markets and the cryptocurrency markets in the near term. Traders are likely to play it safe and not take large directional bets until the CPI print because any nasty surprise could produce a sharp knee-jerk reaction. Some analysts believe that Bitcoin (BTC) could fall further before it hits a bottom, but Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of crypto derivatives platform BitMEX, thinks that Bitcoin may have passed its worst phase for this cycle. While …

Bitcoin (BTC) fell on the Dec. 9 Wall Street open as United States economic data appeared to disappoint markets. Attention turns to Bitcoin vs. CPI "big trigger" Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD dipping to come closer to $17,000 after passing the level overnight. The pair reacted badly to U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data, which despite being above expectations still beat the readout from the month prior. “Bit of an over reaction towards PPI, which has been dropping significantly from last month, but less than expected,” Michaël van de Poppe, founder and CEO of trading firm …

Bitcoin (BTC) ranged below $17,000 at the Dec. 8 Wall Street open as the U.S. dollar threatened further weakness. Dollar dips as stocks see modest upt Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD practically flat over the 24 hours to the time of writing. With macro cues lacking, analysts eyed a potential breakdown in U.S. dollar strength as the next volatility catalyst for crypto and risk assets. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) looked set to challenge multi-day support, wicking below 105 multiple times on the day. “$DXY’s first time under the 100 day MA since June of ‘21,” …

It’s the final month of the year and analysts are out with their projections for the next year. In a note to investors, Standard Chartered suggested that “The financial-market surprises of 2023” will include Bitcoin (BTC) price diving to $5,000 at some point in the year. The fall will be triggered by a liquidity crunch, which could result in more bankruptcies and a fall in investor confidence in the crypto sector. If this feels like an extreme, venture capitalist Tim Draper went in the opposite direction and predicted that Bitcoin could skyrocket to $250,000 by the middle of 2023. While …