• The crypto market has struggled since the launch of spot ether ETFs, the report said.
  • Citi noted that spot bitcoin and ether ETFs have seen net outflows in the past month.
  • Stablecoins have been the outlier, with market caps continuing to grow, the bank said.
As a seasoned crypto investor with a decade-long journey in this digital frontier, I must admit that the recent market trends have been both intriguing and challenging. The launch of spot ether ETFs was anticipated with high hopes, but the subsequent market struggle has left us grappling for answers.Since the commencement of trading for ETH exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. on July 23, the cryptocurrency market has experienced difficulty, according to a research report from Citibank released on Friday.
During this timeframe, it was observed that other risky assets have generally struggled, but cryptocurrencies have shown particularly poor performance compared to their usual rebound after the release of the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report. NFP refers to a monthly employment report published in the United States on the first Friday of each month.
According to the latest findings, interest in cryptocurrencies has noticeably decreased over the past few weeks. Furthermore, it was noted that both Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have experienced withdrawals rather than deposits during the last month.

The analysts, headed by David Glass, noted that these outflows occurred at a time when there was comparatively lower curiosity in searches and reduced activity on networks.

The reduced demand is similarly noticeable in the futures funding rates, as these rates momentarily dipped below zero in August, according to the bank’s statement.

Citi predicts that the flow of funds into ETFs could remain low until there is greater clarity about whether the U.S. economy will experience a ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ landing.

Despite the market correction in August, the growth in stablecoin supply has defied the recent downward trend in the digital asset sector, as indicated by the report.

A stablecoin represents a form of digital currency that is typically linked to the value of the U.S. dollar; however, it can also be tied to other currencies or assets like gold for stability purposes.

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2024-08-27 12:10