What to know:

  • Bitcoin nearly retook the $100,000 level over the holiday, but declined swiftly in early action Thursday.
  • The broader crypto market showed even deeper losses.
  • Long-term interest rates continued to move higher, with one expert noting the Fed may soon have to change course on monetary policy.

As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this dynamic market, I’ve learned to navigate its ebbs and flows with a blend of caution and optimism. The recent price action of Bitcoin and the broader crypto market has been a familiar rollercoaster ride.

As many parts of the world rejoice in the festivities of Christmas, bitcoin (BTC) seemed poised for a quiet return to surpass the $100,000 mark once again, following its dip below that level to around $93,000 just before the holiday break.

On Thursday morning when Asian markets began operation, the rally momentarily halted slightly above $99,800 but soon plummeted swiftly to approximately $95,000 within just a few short hours.

Bitcoin at press time was trading at $95,300, down 3.1% over the past 24 hours.

Over the given period, the comprehensive CoinDesk 20 Index experienced a decrease of approximately 4.2%. Notably, Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Avalanche (AVAX) – cryptocurrencies within this index – suffered losses ranging between 4% to 7%.

As an analyst, I’m observing that the U.S. financial markets will be active tomorrow (Thursday), and based on current trends, it appears we might start the day with minor declines for stock index futures. Meanwhile, gold and oil prices seem to be experiencing slight increases.

Over the last two days, Crypto’s price movements appear to be driven by minimal trading activity. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has already more than doubled this year. However, it’s worth noting that the beneficial effects of lower interest rates, which we saw earlier, may now be working against us.

On Thursdays early hours, the 10-year Treasury rate continued to climb, reaching 4.63%. This figure is very close to its highest point for 2024. Since the Federal Reserve reduced their benchmark short-term rates by 0.5% in September, the yield has increased by almost 1 percentage point.

Jim Bianco, an analyst specializing in macro research, pointed out that the rapid increase in long-term interest rates following a Federal Reserve rate reduction is almost unparalleled in contemporary monetary practice. In essence, Bianco stated that the bond market will persistently raise yields (increase interest rates) as the Fed continues discussing potential rate cuts in 2025. If the Fed fails to adjust their stance on rate cuts, bond yields could escalate to levels that risk causing damage and igniting inflation.

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2024-12-26 16:44