Bitcoin
and other cryptocurrencies slipped Monday, retreating from 20-month highs but with prices still near the peak of a recent rally. The days ahead see catalysts including the next Federal Reserve decision that could reignite sentiment.
The price of Bitcoin has fallen 3% over the past 24 hours to $42,350, sliding lower from levels near $44,500 on Friday, which marked the highest point for the largest digital asset since early April 2022—before tokens plunged into a brutal and prolonged bear market. Bitcoin has surged by some two-thirds in two months, ending a multi-month stretch of subdued trading and spurring calls for a new crypto bull market.
“A wave of profit-taking hit the cryptocurrency market on Monday morning … we saw a massive exit from long positions in low liquidity before the regular session in Asia. Strong demand for risk assets in traditional markets suggests that the market will try to get back on its previous growth track,” said Alex Kuptsikevich, an analyst at broker FxPro. “This … did not break the bullish trend. In our view, it will remain in force if Bitcoin manages to hold above $40,000.”
Multiple factors have supported gains in crypto prices, including optimism that U.S. regulators will soon approve the first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), which would be expected to usher in a fresh wave of investor interest. The improving macroeconomic backdrop—with expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates multiple times next year—and historically tight token supply also have helped.
Like the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
and
S&P 500,
Bitcoin has benefited from macro tailwinds as waning inflation and slowing growth support the prospect of rates coming down significantly next year from a generational peak. That’s why the latest Fed monetary policy meeting this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, looms large.
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While markets don’t expect the central bank to lower borrowing costs this month, the press conference from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will be scrutinized for signs of rate-cut timing, with traders current pricing in the first cut as soon as March. Any dovish commentary from Powell, or indications that rates could be lowered sooner rather than later, has the potential to restart the crypto rally in the absence of other major catalysts such as spot Bitcoin ETF news.
Beyond Bitcoin,
Ether
—the second-largest crypto—fell 4% to below $2,250. Smaller tokens, or altcoins, also were weak, with
Cardano
down 6.8% and
Polygon
off 4%. Memecoins fell, with
Dogecoin
dropping 2% and
Shiba Inu
shedding 4%.
Write to Jack Denton at jack.denton@barrons.com
