Market picture
Bitcoin gained 11.5% last week to close at $24.5K. The price stabilised near this level at the start of the new week. The cryptocurrency's market capitalisation rose 9.3% last week to $1.12 trillion. Almost all of the growth came in the first half of the week, with smaller gains in the final days.
Sunday saw a fresh attempt to push BTCUSD above $25K. However, the bulls failed to form a nice weekly candle to close above a significant level, leaving the rate below the 200-week average and touching the 50-week. Buyers may be more cautious in the coming days as a death cross formed on the weekly timeframes last week, although it should not be taken as a sell signal.
Ethereum grew 9.5% to $1680. Other leading altcoins in the top 10 gained between 1.2% (XRP) and 16.7% (Polygon). The exception was BNB (-2.3%).
News background
US authorities continue their "cryptocurrency crusade". The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Terraform Labs (TFL) and its CEO, Do Kwon, with running a multi-billion-dollar securities fraud scheme. The SEC charged TerraUSD (UST) and the LUNA token with algorithmic stablecoin.
US Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown called for a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies to protect investors from losing money. The congressman recalled that the digital asset market lost $1.46 trillion in capitalisation in 2022 and that cryptocurrencies have cut more than 1,600 jobs.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that banks are ending partnerships with crypto firms for fear of reprisals from regulators threatening to separate digital assets from the traditional financial system.
Platypus, a decentralised financial protocol based on the Avalanche blockchain, suffered an attack in which a hacker stole around $8.5 million in crypto assets. However, Chainalysis estimated that during 2022, the total amount of money raised by cryptocurrency fraudsters fell from $10.9 billion to $5.9 billion.
Trade Responsibly. CFDs and Spread Betting are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 77.37% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs and Spread Betting with this provider. The Analysts' opinions are for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or trading advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
Litecoin Price Prediction: LTC tries to retake $100 resistance as miners halt sell-off
Litecoin price grazed 105 mark on Monday, rebounding 22% from the one-month low of $87 recorded during last week’s market crash. On-chain data shows sell pressure among LTC miners has subsided. Is the bottom in?
Bitcoin fails to recover as Metaplanet buys the dip
Bitcoin price struggles around $95,000 after erasing gains from Friday’s relief rally over the weekend. Bitcoin’s weekly price chart posts the first major decline since President-elect Donald Trump’s win in November.
SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce sheds light on Ethereum ETF staking under new administration
In a Friday interview with Coinage, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce discussed her optimism about upcoming regulatory changes as the agency transitions to new leadership under President Trump’s pick for new Chair, Paul Atkins.
Bitcoin dives 3% from its recent all-time high, is this the cycle top?
Bitcoin investors panicked after the Fed's hawkish rate cut decision, hitting the market with high selling pressure. Bitcoin's four-year market cycle pattern indicates that the recent correction could be temporary.
Bitcoin: 2025 outlook brightens on expectations of US pro-crypto policy
Bitcoin price has surged more than 140% in 2024, reaching the $100K milestone in early December. The rally was driven by the launch of Bitcoin Spot ETFs in January and the reduced supply following the fourth halving event in April.
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.