Bitcoin
Bitcoin Price is Facing a Major Hurdle at $26,500 Amid Fed Concerns
Bitcoin price has been struggling to break above the crucial resistance level of $26,500 for the past few days. The premier cryptocurrency has slumped by more than 13% in the month to date but remains 56% higher in the year to date. Bitcoin’s total market cap is a formidable $503 billion, down by more than 20% compared to its highest level so far this year of $612 billion. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was trading 1.50% lower at $25,797.25.
Fundamentals
Just like most altcoins, Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, has been in consolidation mode in recent trading sessions amid a strong bear market. Ethereum, the largest altcoin by total market cap, has been hovering below the important resistance level of $1,700 after facing a strong rejection at the level. According to Coinmarketcap, the global crypto market cap remains lower at $1.04 trillion, while the total crypto market volume increased slightly over the last day.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which is a key measure of the crypto market sentiment by its participants, was at a fear level of 37 on Friday. This is a slight decline from the fear level of 40 recorded earlier this week. Additionally, it indicates that the risk appetite among investors has inched lower compared to last month’s neutral level of 49.
Focus will now be on the US Federal Reserve ahead of its two-day policy meeting slated for the 19th and 20th of September. US Treasury yields have been in the red for the past two trading sessions as investors assessed the possibility of further rate hikes by the central bank amid stronger-than-expected economic data.
Economic reports released on Thursday signaled an increase in inflationary pressures and a tighter labor market, fueling concerns that the Fed’s interest rate hike campaign might not be over yet. The US dollar is hovering around its highest level since March 2023, buoyed by the resilient US economic data. At press time, the US dollar index, which measures the performance of the greenback against other major currencies, was trading higher at 105.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are pricing in a 93% chance of the Federal Reserve leaving interest rates unchanged in its September meeting. Notably, expectations for a rate hike in November are roughly 43%. An environment of higher interest rates is usually bearish for risk assets, particularly cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin Price Outlook
The daily chart shows that the Bitcoin price has been range-bound for the past few days, trading between the tight range of $25,300 and $26,220. The digital asset hit an intraday high of $26,445.50 earlier on Friday before pulling back. Bitcoin remains below the 50-day and 200-day exponential moving average, amid a looming death cross, which usually signals a bearish market.
Additionally, the BTC/USD pair remains below the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages. The Bollinger bands have narrowed as seen on the daily chart, pointing to low volatility. Its Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains below the neutral zone, hinting at an increase in selling pressure.
As such, I expect the Bitcoin price to remain below the crucial resistance level of $28,000 in the short term. In particular, the range between $25,300 and $26,880 will be worth watching in the ensuing sessions. A flip above the upper range might pave the way for further gains to the 200-day EMA at $27,065. Conversely, a move below the lower range might give bears enough momentum to push the price lower to June’s low at $24,880.
BTC Price Chart
Bitcoin price dumped hard on Monday, briefly slipping below $41,000, erasing gains recorded in the previous week. The premier cryptocurrency seems to have exhausted its recent rally propelled by industry vulnerabilities. At the time of writing, the world’s largest cryptocurrency was trading slightly lower at $41,385. Bitcoin’s total market cap has dipped by 2% over the past day, while the total volume of BTC tokens traded over the same period climbed by 58%.
Fundamentals
Bitcoin price has been facing retracements and a rollercoaster over the past few days after recently rocketing to a 20-month peak. On-chain data has suggested that many investors used the opportunity to take some profits, leading to a decline in the asset’s price.
Bitcoin’s price slump is mirrored in the wider crypto market, with the global crypto market cap decreasing by 1.85% over the past 24 hours to $1.55 trillion. The total crypto market volume has increased by 32% over the same period. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has plunged from a level of extreme greed to a greed level of 70, suggesting a decline in risk appetite.
Ethereum, the largest altcoin by market capitalization, is currently trading at $2,167, down almost 3% for the day. Meme coins have been hit hard by the market slump, with Dogecoin and Shiba Inu down by more than 4% over the last day.
Last week on Thursday, cryptocurrency experts took notice of…
Bitcoin price edged lower on Thursday despite optimism in wider markets on the back of the Fed’s interest rate decision. The flagship cryptocurrency has been consolidating above the critical level of $42,000 after briefly topping $44,000, its highest level in 20 months. Bitcoin was trading 0.71% lower at $42,569 at press time. BTC’s total market cap has increased by more than 3% over the last day to $832 billion, while the total volume of the asset traded over the same period jumped by 22%.
Economic Outlook
Bitcoin price has been trading sideways over the past few days, suggesting a pause in its recent rally towards $45,000. The premier cryptocurrency has decreased by 4% in the past week but remains 15.22% higher in the month to date. The digital asset has staged a significant recovery this year after a torrid 2022 in which a string of scandals, including the collapse of FTX, led to a market meltdown, undermining the credibility of the sector.
The crypto market has been buoyed by the Fed’s latest interest rate decision. The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its key interest rate unchanged for the third consecutive time, in line with market expectations. With the easing of the inflation rate, members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to keep the benchmark overnight borrowing rate in a targeted range between 5.25%-5.5%.
Additionally, the central bank indicated that three rate…
Bitcoin price has been hovering above the $43,000 psychological level over the past two days amid anticipation about the potential approval of a spot bitcoin ETF. The flagship cryptocurrency has climbed more than 16% in the past week and nearly 170% in the year to date. Bitcoin’s total market cap has increased by nearly 5% over the past 24 hours to $858.9 billion, while the total volume of the token traded rose by 43%. The Bitcoin price was trading at $43,914 at press time.
Fundamentals
Bitcoin price has posted significant gains over the past few days, climbing to its highest level since April 2022, before the crash of a stablecoin that started a litany of company failures, pummeling crypto prices. The world’s largest cryptocurrency briefly topped the crucial level of $44,000 on Wednesday amid rising momentum despite being massively overbought.
According to analysts, with no spot bitcoin ETF approvals yet and the halving event five to six months away, the market is riding on FOMO. Capital has been flowing in the Bitcoin market amid enthusiasm that the launches of spot ETF will bring in billions of dollars of new investment into the crypto sector.
Investors have already started providing capital as seed money for ETF products. Notably, a recent report by CoinDesk showed that the world’s largest fund manager, BlackRock, received $100,000 in capital from a seed investor for its spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund…
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