Bitcoin (BTC) rose to $29,000 in European morning hours on Wednesday, with some investors pointing to expectations the Federal Reserve will inject money into the economy in the coming weeks after signs of yet another U.S. bank collapse. It was last at that level April 20, TradingView data show.
Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC) tumbled 50% on Tuesday after the San Francisco-based lender revealed a dramatic slump in deposits. Investors withdrew over $100 billion from the bank this quarter, prompting concerns it will become the third bank to fail, joining Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
The slide stressed U.S. markets, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 1% and tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 dropping almost 2%. In contrast, bitcoin has added 6.4% in the past 24 hours, following safe-haven assets such as gold to reverse nearly all losses from last week's sell-off.
Overall crypto market capitalization grew 4.9%, with the likes of cardano (ADA) and solana (SOL) tokens jumping more than 7% to lead gains among major tokens.
Some observers reasoned the rally came from expectations of a liquidity injection by the Fed in a bid to protect its capital markets.
"With First Republic Bank looking like it could go under, I suspect the market is anticipating yet more liquidity injections to prop up what certainly seems to be an American banking sector that is still very much in the throes of crisis," Jake Boyle, a director of retail crypto brokerage Caleb & Brown, wrote in an email to CoinDesk.
"Bitcoin, as a result, is front-running these expectations. Cracks in the financial system are growing, even if relatively subtly at the moment, and it’s going to be incredibly difficult for the Fed to adhere to its tightening regime going forward,” he said. "Bitcoin’s rally of late has more to do with liquidity injections and rising expectations that the Fed’s tightening will probably have to end fairly soon, or else even greater turbulence in the banking sector could ensue.”
All writers’ opinions are their own and do not constitute financial advice in any way whatsoever. Nothing published by CoinDesk constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or Content published by CoinDesk be relied upon for any investment activities. CoinDesk strongly recommends that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
Polygon joins forces with WSPN to expand stablecoin adoption
WSPN, a stablecoin infrastructure company based in Singapore, has teamed up with Polygon Labs to make its stablecoin, WUSD, more useful in payment and decentralized finance.
Coinbase envisages listing of more meme coins amid regulatory optimism
Donald Trump's expected return to the White House creates excitement in the cryptocurrency sector, especially at Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange. The platform is optimistic that the new administration will focus on regulatory clarity, which could lead to more token listings, including popular meme coins.
Cardano's ADA leaps to 2.5-year high of 90 cents as whale holdings exceed $12B
As Bitcoin (BTC) gets closer to the $100,000 mark for the first time — it crossed $99,000 earlier Friday — capital is rotating into alternative cryptocurrencies, creating a buzz in the broader crypto market.
Shiba Inu holders withdraw 1.67 trillion SHIB tokens from exchange
Shiba Inu trades slightly higher, around $0.000024, on Thursday after declining more than 5% the previous week. SHIB’s on-chain metrics project a bullish outlook as holders accumulate recent dips, and dormant wallets are on the move, all pointing to a recovery in the cards.
Bitcoin: Rally expected to continue as BTC nears $100K
Bitcoin (BTC) reached a new all-time high of $99,419, just inches away from the $100K milestone and has rallied over 9% so far this week. This bullish momentum was supported by the rising Bitcoin spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), which accounted for over $2.8 billion inflow until Thursday. BlackRock and Grayscale’s recent launch of the Bitcoin ETF options also fueled the rally this week.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.