Bearishness continues in all cryptocurrencies, as everybody seems to call for more slides. Bitcoin (-0.33%) is mostly unchanged, but Ethereum (-1.43%), Ripple (-1.61%), and Litecoin (-2.65%) are showing signs of selling pressure. Among this red sea, EDC Blockchain (+29.7%), Horizen (+9.4%), ALGO (+7,5%), Nano (+2.8%) and Tezos (+1.67%) are the exceptions.
The Ethereun token sector is also tinted with red, with some exceptions. The best performers are Foam (+54.24%), Jewel (+45.3%), Elitium (+33.5%) and CarTaxi Token (+26.7%).
Fig 1 - 24H Crypto Heat Map
The current market capitalization of the sector dropped to $220.944 billion (-0.7%), and the volume traded in the last 24H also descended to $24.27 billion (-13.9%). The Dominance of the Bitcoin holds at 65.96%.
Fig 2 - 24H Market Capitalization and traded volume
Hot news
Binance has acquired 100% of Indian crypto exchange Wazirx. This acquisition will allow Indians to trade cryptocurrencies with their local currency INR. The purchase comes at the time when the Indian government recently introduced a draft bill outlawing cryptocurrency trading.
The Rand Corporation, the Police Executive Research Forum, and the University of Denver released a report on Illicit Transactions on the Dark Web. The report identified 46 possible solutions, among which include the improvement of training for the investigators. The report points to the anonymity of the dark web as the main challenge for investigators, as users are able to trade using anonymous cryptocurrencies.
According to an article by cryptonews.com, China currently holds 60% of the blockchain patents, which means it has three times more blockchain patents than the US. The Chinese companies and government organizations, according to the article, registered over 7,600 patents related to blockchain technology between 2009 and 2018. South Korea is placed second with about 1.150 patents.
Technical Analysis - Bitcoin
Chart 1 - Bitcoin 4H Chart
Bitcoin continues consolidating near $8,100, but the buying strength is not coming. BTC seems poised to challenge the $8,000 support again, as the consolidation brought the price to the mid-Bollinger band and strongly bounced off of it. The traded volume is increasingly low. The critical levels to observe ($8,000 and $8,200) are the same as were yesterday since the price action in the last 24 hours did not change much.
Supports | Pivot | Resistances |
8000 | 8,113 | 8200 |
7920 | 8300 | |
7800 | 8390 |
Ripple
Chart 2 - Ripple 4H Chart
Ripple has moved from oversold to touch the mid-Bollinger line and is now stepping down near the -1SD line. The MACD is in the negative side, although moving upwards, which just shows a consolidation period. XRP's outlook continues to be bearish, as everything still points to a continuation of the downward trend.
The price is now at the $0.249 level, and if pierced, it will seek to test the recent bottom at $0.245. On the other hand, a close above $0.26 would be very good for buyers.
Supports | Pivot | Resistances |
0.245 | 0.253 | 0.257 |
0.242 | 0.26 | |
0.236 | 0.266 |
Ethereum
Chart 3 - Ethereum 4H Chart
Ethereum is also consolidating its action on the lower side of the descending channel. The price moves between $172.5 and $177 on diminishing volume. ETH has got out of the oversold region marked by the -3SD line of the Bollinger bands and moves toward's the Bollinger mean. The following hours are critical to see if Ethereum is creating a bottoming floor or is just a pause in the trend. A close above $177 would be good news for bulls, while a drop below $172 .5 would mean more downsides and a possible visit to the lows made at the end of November.
Supports | Pivot | Resistances |
172.5 | 175 | 177 |
170 | 180 | |
166 | 185 |
Litecoin
Chart 4 - Litecoin 4H Chart
Litecoin is behaving more bearish than its peers today. The price has broken down the small flag made yesterday with an increasing volume. The price is now at the $54 critical level and moving below its -1SD Bollinger line. LTC is controlled by sellers, so it is poised to visit $53 and below. That said, there are a number of times when the triangle makes a fake breakout to, then turn around and head in the opposite direction. Therefore, if that happens and ETH breaches the $55.8 level, it would change the outlook of the altcoin.
Supports | Pivot | Resistances |
54 | 55.4 | 55.8 |
53 | 57 | |
52 | 58 |
Try Secure Leveraged Trading with EagleFX!
Risk Warning: CFD and Spot Forex trading both come with a high degree of risk. You must be prepared to sustain a total loss of any funds deposited with us, as well as any additional losses, charges, or other costs we incur in recovering any payment from you. Given the possibility of losing more than your entire investment, speculation in certain investments should only be conducted with risk capital funds that if lost will not significantly affect your personal or institution’s financial well-being. Before deciding to trade the products offered by us, you should carefully consider your objectives, financial situation, needs and level of experience. You should also be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
IRS says crypto staking should be taxed in response to lawsuit
The IRS stated that rewards from cryptocurrency staking are taxable upon receipt, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday, which stated the agency rejected a legal argument that sought to delay taxation until such rewards are sold or exchanged.
Solana dominates Bitcoin, Ethereum in price performance and trading volume: Glassnode
Solana is up 6% on Monday following a Glassnode report indicating that SOL has seen more capital increase than Bitcoin and Ethereum. Despite the large gains suggesting a relatively heated market, SOL could still stretch its growth before establishing a top for the cycle.
Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH risks a decline to $3,000 as investors realize increased profits and losses
Ethereum is up 4% on Monday despite increased selling pressure across long-term and short-term holders in the past two days. If whales fail to maintain their recent buy-the-dip attitude, ETH risks a decline below $3,000.
Crypto Today: BTC hits new Trump-era low as Chainlink, HBAR and AAVE lead market recovery
The global cryptocurrency market cap shrank by $500 billion after the Federal Reserve's hawkish statements on December 17. Amid the market crash, Bitcoin price declined 7.2% last week, recording its first weekly timeframe loss since Donald Trump’s re-election.
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.