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☆ Ether is poised to climb higher with the uncertainty of 'Shanghai' behind investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Market participants say that with all the uncertainty out of the way, ether may finally catch up with bitcoin. After Shanghai Investors can now withdraw staked ether from the network for the first time ever: This is one of the biggest attractions of the Shanghai upgrade. This Merge ultimately made more liquidity available to ether investors and stakers. "Dominance" measures how a crypto asset like bitcoin is performing relative to its peers in the crypto market. That correlation has declined, however, in part because market participants have favored bitcoin over ether ahead of the Shanghai upgrade.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Apple, Wynn, Costco, Netflix, First Solar & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Goldman Sachs reiterates Netflix as sell Goldman said it's standing by its sell rating heading into earnings next week. Deutsche Bank adds a catalyst call buy on Enphase Energy Deutsche said it's bullish on the solar company's opportunities in Europe. Citi upgrades Merck to buy from neutral Citi said in its upgrade of the pharmaceutical company that it has an underappreciated pipeline of products. Deutsche Bank names a catalyst buy on Sherwin-Williams Deutsche said the paint company's earnings scheduled for later this month should "alleviate" investor concerns. Citi upgrades Steven Madden to buy from neutral Citi said in its upgrade of the shoe company that it sees "better wholesale trends" for Steven Madden.

What is the bitcoin halving? The event cuts the rewards to bitcoin miners — volunteers running specialized equipment to validate transactions on the network and mint new tokens — by 50%. Currently, bitcoin miners receive 6.25 bitcoin for each block they successfully mine. Once the next bitcoin halving occurs, this reward will be reduced to 3.125 bitcoin. This would correlate with the next expected Bitcoin halving date, which is another 378 days ahead."

☆ Dollar pauses after strong gains on hawkish Fed bets; bitcoin hits $30,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin briefly touched $30,000 for the first time since June. The U.S. dollar index - which measures the greenback against six major counterparts, including the yen - slipped 0.06% in early Asian trading, following a 0.39% advance at the start of the week. The consumer price index (CPI), due on Wednesday, will be the next major clue for Fed policy direction. The dollar index dropped to a two-month low of 101.40 on Wednesday. Bitcoin touched a fresh 10-month high at $30,000 in early Tuesday trade before last fetching $29,787, after breaking free of recent ranges on Monday.

☆ Bitcoin tops $30,000 for the first time since June ahead of key inflation data; ether nears $2,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The largest cryptocurrency by market cap rose 7% to $30,193.25 for the first time since June, according to Coin Metrics. Ether advanced more than 3.5% to $1,925.11 for the first time since August as investors awaited the Ethereum network's latest tech upgrade, scheduled for Wednesday. Bitcoin climbed on Monday evening, topping the key psychological level of $30,000 as investors awaited key inflation data later in the week that could steer crypto prices. Price moves for the two crypto assets have historically tracked relatively in line on a percentage basis, but the top two crypto assets "decoupled" in March, thanks to a "flight to quality" in bitcoin following bank closures. The upcoming inflation data will be key in determining if or when the Fed will pause or put an end to its rate hiking campaign.

☆ Mike Novogratz on what’s driving bitcoin’s run to $30k and where he sees it going from here
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

And so, the adoption cycle always accelerates when the price is going up – and we're seeing that – but it really has been a crypto-led rally." Bitcoin halving, a pending credit crunch and greater adoption should drive crypto to new highs within the next two years, he added. The comments from Novogratz come as bitcoin punched above the $30,000 level for the first time since June, while ether advanced toward the $2,000 level. Crypto assets have rallied this year as some investors bet the Federal Reserve will soon pause its hiking cycle. Despite renewed regulatory scrutiny around Coinbase , he expects the company to thrive because it's "doing a lot of smart things."

☆ Where bitcoin goes next after hitting $30,000, according to chart analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bitcoin climbed above $30,000 Monday night for the first time since June – and sustained that level throughout trading on Tuesday. This week's price rally has added to the optimism around bitcoin's recent strength and resilience and interest from new investors – and chart analysts agree the cryptocurrency is in a solid uptrend trend – after posting a 63% loss for 2022. "Specially, following its March breakout above key resistance, price had consolidated sideways for a number of weeks," he said. BTC.CM= ETH.CM= 1Y line Bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) over the past year Fairlead Strategies' Katie Stockton echoed that, saying bitcoin "pushed out of its consolidation phase, following a base breakout in March." The recent breakout level near $1,850 should hold in coming days to keep the momentum going.

☆ Bitcoin's nearing a breakout moment — prices topped $30,000 for the first time since June 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bitcoin has rallied above the $30,000 level for the first time since June 2022. The gains are driven by expectations the Fed could scale back its rate hikes, an analyst said. Bitcoin is up about 80% this year so far while Ether is up about 60% in the same period. Veteran trader Peter Brandt flagged the possible "breakout" on Twitter as Bitcoin was heading toward a key resistance level of $30,000. Teng's technical analysis of Bitcoin's chart shows prices nearing $35,000 if the upside price momentum continues.

☆ Crypto stocks rally after bitcoin breaks above $30,000 to hit a 10-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto-related stocks rose Tuesday after bitcoin broke above $30,000 to hit a 10-month high. Bitcoin miners Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms also edged higher in early-morning trading, having logged double-digit gains the previous trading session. Amplify's Transformational Data Sharing ETF, which tracks crypto stocks, has outperformed in 2023. The crypto stocks logged gains Monday even as the Nasdaq Composite — which tracks the tech sector more broadly but tends to move in lockstep with bitcoin — closed 0.03% lower. Read more: Bitcoin's nearing a breakout moment — prices topped $30,000 for the first time since June 2022

☆ The economy would be better off without bitcoin as it's a 'negative-sum' investment that comes at a social cost, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bitcoin is a wasteful asset that doesn't add to global welfare, Dieter Wermuth, economist and partner at Wermuth Asset Management, wrote in a recent note. He says the bitcoin market is highly centralized, and primarily benefits early investors and miners. That's because the cryptocurrency is a wasteful investment that takes funds away from general economic growth, Dieter Wermuth — economist and partner at Wermuth Asset Management — wrote in a note published on Wednesday. "Without crypto, the economy would be better off — there would be more money for consumption and investment." "Bitcoin has been brought to market with the narrative that it would be a better, more stable currency than traditional money," Wermuth wrote.

☆ Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? Crypto fans just celebrated the bitcoin inventor's birthday and his legend is as mysterious as ever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Satoshi Nakamoto is said to be the inventor of bitcoin and wrote the token's original white paper in 2008. Nakamoto's paper, "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," was published in October 2008. In his white paper, Nakamoto cited the work of Stuart Haber, a computer scientist credited with helping invent blockchain technology. A Newsweek article in 2014 said that Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto, a Japanese American man living in California, was the elusive inventor of bitcoin. After the article published, Nakamoto's online account revived itself after a five-year hiatus, stating: "I am not Dorian Nakamoto."

☆ Ether is rallying ahead of major upgrade that will let holders more easily access their tokens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ethereum underwent a huge network upgrade called the merge which proponents say will make transactions much more energy efficient. Following the merge, ether prices have dropped following a huge run up ahead of the event. Ether has spiked this week to a nine-month high, ahead of a major network upgrade that some crypto enthusiasts say will make the digital currency a more profitable long-term investment. Currently, over 18 million ether tokens worth about $32.5 billion are staked, meaning that 15% of ether's total supply are considered locked assets. That could signal a buildup of bearish bets leading up to the network upgrade.

April 4 (Reuters) - Even as bitcoin flies high, investors are keeping their options open, judging by a record race to derivatives. Most options traders are betting on bitcoin prices jumping higher, with open interest in call options at 206,979 contracts on Deribit, more than double the bearish put options of 93,857. "We have reached the same levels of open interest as 2021 at half the prices, which means we have doubled." Options contracts give their buyers the right, but not an obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a fixed price in the future. Open interest in ether on Deribit features 1.7 million call options versus 656,158 puts.

☆ Ether's strong first-quarter performance was upstaged by bitcoin. Here's what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Bitcoin opened investors' eyes to the diversity of its narrative as its price fought a banking crisis, a regulatory crackdown and persistent inflation. Further, some see technological advances on the Ethereum network as laying the groundwork for the new cycle. That breakthrough accelerated its development pathway, allowing major Ethereum blockchain upgrades on the regular, Hougan added. "There are positives and negatives that could come from the Shanghai upgrade," he said. The Shanghai upgrade follows the Ethereum Merge , the September transition of the network from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake.

☆ A stock trader who made $8 million in 2 years shares how he's betting on AI stocks and the strategy he's using to trade hot themes this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The experience is similar to trading stocks related to bitcoin during 2017 and 2018's crypto bull run. The hype brings with it a lot of trading opportunities for long and short positions because AI stocks get overbought. For AI stocks, he believes C3.ai (AI) is the head. He's expecting another rally for the sector this year or next, which could send AI stocks to new higher levels. "I'll just explain it as, my mom is not texting me asking me about AI stocks.

☆ Bitcoin outlook: Crypto may be in a bull market now, but investors should still tread carefully
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The case for a new crypto bull market has been slowly growing since the beginning of the year and gained more strength still in March. For Orsini, the new bull market in crypto began on Jan. 13, when bitcoin broke through its 200-day moving average. "But an enduring secular bull market will have clarity and regulation underpinning it." "When that framework gets introduced you're going to be closer to the beginning of a secular bull market." Less liquidity, bigger swings Bull market or not, investors agree it'll be no straight line up over the next few months.

☆ Bitcoin heads for its third positive month in a row after fighting off U.S. banking crisis and regulatory crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bitcoin is on pace to post its third positive month in a row and best quarter in two years after navigating its first banking meltdown and another regulatory crackdown, while investors weighed the possibility of a new environment for interest rates. The biggest cryptocurrency by market cap has extended its 2023 rally and is on pace to finish the month up more than 22%, which would bring its year-to-date gain to more than 72%. It would also be bitcoin's best quarter since the first quarter of 2021 – which marked the beginning of a big bull run at the time. "The rally has continued in March even after recent bank closures," said Jeff Cantwell, an equity analyst at Wells Fargo. It had dropped back below in a knee-jerk response by investors to the latest crypto crackdown by U.S. regulators, the CFTC's lawsuit against Binance.

☆ Bitcoin’s correlation with stocks is at its lowest since 2021 as investors grapple with the cryptocurrency's narrative shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The break became more noticeable in March, as investors rediscovered bitcoin's appeal as alternative banking system as the regional banking crisis unfolded. Bitcoin's correlation with the S & P 500 is now at its lowest since September 2021, after reaching its highest ever in 2022 , according to Coin Metrics. Meanwhile, bitcoin's correlation with gold, a traditionally "risk-off" asset, has risen. This break in correlation is perhaps a sign more investors are waking up to this fact." Bitcoin became more of an institutional asset at the start of 2021 as big investors, short term traders and macro funds jumped into the market.

☆ Bitcoin climbs 5% above $28,000 as investors shrug off regulatory crackdowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Industry insiders said the bank collapses have sent investors looking for alternatives to the traditional banking system and there is also anticipation of a slowdown in interest rate rises, which is helping bitcoin. Bitcoin climbed sharply Wednesday as investors shrugged off initial fears surrounding U.S. regulators' crackdowns on industry giants and became willing to take some risk. Bitcoin has retaken the $28,000 level after dipping below it on Monday following news of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission FTC's lawsuit against Binance. Investors have taken some comfort from the thought of a reversal in the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hiking moves, which put pressure on risk assets like stocks. Bitcoin has been known to follow movements in equity markets, with investors treating it like more of a traditional risk asset.

☆ Bitcoin storms toward its strongest quarter in 2 years with a 72% jump, outperforming the Nasdaq and gold
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bitcoin is on track for its best quarter in two years, with the token so far seeing a 72% jump. Bitcoin has outperformed the Nasdaq and gold this year, which are up 15% and 9%, respectively. The token has outperformed both the Nasdaq 100 and gold, which are up 15% and 9%, respectively, in the same stretch. And bitcoin got another boost after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank set off fears of broader bank contagion. "Combined with a low CPI print, the price of bitcoin is pulling retail into the crypto economy again."

Yet investors aiming to amp up their bets face an ominous obstacle: a lack of liquidity that could trigger wild price swings. Slippage, a liquidity measure describing how much prices change between the placement and execution of a trade, has also increased. The vanishing liquidity can be traced back to the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX exchange and hedge fund Alameda Research. Until then, "liquidity is probably going to get worse and worse", said Joseph Edwards, investment adviser at Enigma Securities. "Even if some players haven't left the place, they are on the sidelines right now because of what's happening with banking turmoil," Edwards said.

☆ Bitcoin falls after CFTC sues crypto exchange Binance for allegedly breaking trading rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cryptocurrencies dropped on Monday morning after the CFTC sued Binance, the biggest crypto exchange in the world, for allegedly violating trading rules. The price of bitcoin slid 2.5% to $27,142.29, according to Coin Metrics. In a court filing, the CFTC, or the Commodity Futures and Trading Commission, said Binance violated eight provisions of a commodities trading law "designed to prevent and detect money laundering and terrorism financing." It's the largest crypto exchange and any U.S. regulatory action against it will have huge implications for the industry," she said. "Many knew Binance had a bullseye on its back, but this is still unnerving some crypto traders," said Ed Moya, an analyst at Oanda.

☆ Bank runs have the crypto industry on high alert. 3 experts explain why the latest batch is especially worrisome — and what comes next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Only a decade ago, bank runs happened at a much slower pace. The era of digital bank runsOne thing the past few weeks has made clear is that bank runs now unfold differently, especially for smaller banks that service specialized sectors. "Bank runs are evolving into a different and much more dangerous beast because they happen faster," Baker said. By comparison, on March 9, SVB lost $42 billion in a day — and it was a smaller bank, Baker added. Long said she warned regulators again after FTX collapsed that banks servicing the crypto sector face the danger of bank runs.

☆ Bitcoin is poised to blow up Africa's $86 billion banking system
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Then there's mobile money, which has been around since the early 2000s. Africa's mobile money transactions rose 39% to more than $700 billion in 2021, according to data from the GSM Association, a non-profit representing mobile network operators worldwide. That cash network was extraordinarily difficult and expensive to build, which is why there aren't a lot of direct competitors. Bitnob is SMS-based and piggybacks on the mobile money system, making it easier for people to send money directly into bank accounts and mobile money wallets in African countries. "We're able to settle into bank accounts or mobile money accounts, without the recipients having to interact with bitcoin themselves," Parah tells CNBC.

☆ Bitcoin’s March rally may be petering out. Here's where investors see it going from here
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bitcoin held on to its new highs this week and saw the biggest exchange inflows of the year, but the rally could be dwindling, investors say. Bitcoin's exchange net inflows were the largest of the year and 8.2x larger than the prior week's, suggesting this month's rally was led by retail investors, Citi analyst Alkesh Shah, noted in a separate report Friday. This past month's banking crisis, however, brought a moment of awareness to bitcoin investors that has partly driven the recent rally. "While bitcoin's rally is somewhat extended, the now 40% bounce off the 200-day moving average highlights strength of trend," he said. What the charts say This week, bitcoin briefly dropped to the $26,000 level, almost returning to the key level of $25,200 chart analysts have been monitoring.

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