Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has been hovering near the $19,000 level for the past few days. Whenever the price consolidates near the all-time high, it is an indication of strength.
However, the question troubling investors is whether Bitcoin will source enough momentum to pull above $20,000 or will it witness a sharp correction in the short term. At the moment, analysts are divided on their expectations about the next move.
While the near-term remains uncertain, on-chain analyst Willy Woo believes that the long-term picture is more bullish than ever. According to Woo, Bitcoin is going through a re-accumulation phase, which is one of the main reasons why the price has not seen volatile corrections during its current up-move to the all-time high. Woo expects Bitcoin to reach $200,000 by the end of 2021.
Crypto market data daily view. Source:Coin360
Man famous investors have been vocal about their expectations of higher prices in Bitcoin. However, it is by no means the only cryptocurrency on the institutional investors’ radar. Grayscale managing director Michael Sonnenshein in a recent interview with Bloomberg said that “Ethereum first and in some cases Ethereum only” investors are on the rise.
The inflow of funds into Ether (ETH) shows that institutional investors are adding more cryptocurrencies to their portfolio. This is a positive sign as it shows increased confidence of the investors in the crypto space.
As the sentiment remains bullish, let’s study the charts of the top-five cryptocurrencies that could start a trending move this week.
BTC/USD
The bears are aggressively defending the $19,500 to $20,000 zone for the past few days, but they haven’t been able to sink Bitcoin below the 20-day exponential moving average ($18,188). This suggests that the bulls are buying on every minor dip.
BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView
The BTC/USD pair has formed a pennant near the overhead resistance zone. Both the moving averages are sloping up, which suggests that the bulls have the upper hand and the path of least resistance is to the upside.
If the bulls can push and sustain the price above the pennant, the next leg of the uptrend could begin. The first target objective on the upside is $21,140 and then $23,043.
This bullish view will be invalidated if the bears sink the price below the pennant. In that case, there is a minor support at the 20-day EMA and if that breaks, the pair could drop to $17,200.
The negative divergence on the RSI is the only bearish development, which suggests that the momentum may be weakening. However, until the price dips below the 20-day EMA, the advantage will not shift in favor of the bears.
BTC/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
The 20-EMA on the 4-hour chart has flattened out and the RSI has dipped to the midpoint. This suggests a balance between supply and demand.
The bulls are buying the dips to the support line of the pennant while the bears are selling the rallies to the resistance line of the pennant.
As neither the bulls nor the bears have a clear advantage, it is better to wait for the price to break above or below the pennant before considering a fresh position.
ETH/USD
Ether strongly rebounded off the 20-day EMA ($555) on Dec. 5, which shows accumulation by the bulls at lower levels. The buyers will now try to push the price above the $622.807 to $635.456 overhead resistance zone.
ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView
If they succeed, the ETH/USD pair could resume the next leg of the uptrend that can reach $800. The upsloping moving averages suggest that the bulls have the upper hand.
However, the bears are unlikely to give up without a fight. They have aggressively defended the $622.807 resistance since Nov. 24, and will again try to turn the price down from this resistance.
If the sellers can sink and sustain the price below the 20-day EMA, the pair could drop to $488.134. The RSI has formed a bearish divergence, which suggests that the momentum has weakened.
ETH/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
The 4-hour chart shows the formation of a bullish ascending triangle pattern that will complete on a breakout and close above $622.807. This setup has a target objective of $763.61.
The bears are currently attempting to sink the price to the trendline of the triangle. If this support cracks, it will invalidate the bullish setup.
However, if the price rebounds off the trendline, the bulls will once again try to propel the price above the overhead resistance. If they succeed, the next leg of the up-move could begin.
XMR/USD
Monero (XMR) has been trading near the $135.50 overhead resistance for the past four days. The altcoin has formed an inverse head and shoulders pattern, which will complete on a breakout and close above $135.50. This bullish setup has a target objective of $167.
XMR/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView
While the 20-day EMA ($126) is rising, the 50-day simple moving average ($122) is flat and the RSI is just above the midpoint suggesting a balance between supply and demand.
The bulls will gain the upper hand after the price sustains above $135.50 and the bears will be at an advantage if the price dips below the 50-day SMA.
On the downside, the first support is at $110 and below that $105. A break below this support could start a new downtrend.
XMR/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
The 4-hour chart shows that the bears continue to sell near the $135.50 overhead resistance. If the bears sink the price below the 50-SMA, a drop to $123.73 is possible. A break below this support could extend the drop to $120 and then to $112.50.
Conversely, if the price rebounds off the 50-SMA, the bulls will once again try to push the price above the $135.50 to $142.80 resistance zone. If they succeed, the next leg of the uptrend could begin.
VET/USD
The bulls are currently attempting to push VeChain (VET) above the $0.01755 overhead resistance. If they manage to sustain the price above the resistance, the altcoin will complete a rounding bottom pattern.
VET/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView
The rising moving averages and the RSI in the positive zone suggest that bulls are in command. On a close above the overhead resistance, the rally may reach $0.02292 and then the pattern target of $0.02618.
However, the bears may have other plans. If they can sink the price below the 20-day EMA ($0.0150), the VET/USD pair could drop to $0.014 and then to the 50-day SMA ($0.0125).
On the contrary, if the pair rebounds off the 20-day EMA, the bulls will make another attempt to push the price above the overhead resistance.
VET/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
The 4-hour chart shows that the bears are aggressively defending the $0.01755 resistance and are trying to sustain the price below the 20-EMA. If that happens, a drop to the trend line is possible.
If the pair rebounds off the trendline, the bulls will again try to propel the price above the $0.01755 to $0.01861963 overhead resistance zone. If they do that, the next leg of the up-move could begin.
Conversely, if the bears sink and sustain the price below the trendline, a deeper correction to $0.0145 and then to $0.0125 may be on the cards.
AAVE/USD
AAVE is currently in an uptrend as it has been making a higher high and a higher low pattern. The rising 20-day EMA ($74) and the RSI in the positive territory suggest that bulls are in control. If they can push the price above $94.875, the altcoin could rally to $124.075.
AAVE/USDT daily chart. Source: TradingView
However, the bears have been defending the $94.875 resistance for the past three days. If they can sink the price below $79.20, the AAVE/USD pair could drop to the 20-day EMA. If the price rebounds off this support, the bulls will again try to resume the uptrend.
Conversely, if the price dips below the 20-day EMA, it will suggest advantage to the bears. The next support on the downside is at $69 and if this level also cracks, the decline could extend to $50.
AAVE/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
The 4-hour chart shows that the bulls are buying the dips to the uptrend line while the bears are selling on rallies to the downtrend line.
If the bears sink the price below the uptrend line, the pair may drop to the 50-SMA and below it to $72. A break below this support could start a deeper correction.
On the contrary, if the price rebounds off the uptrend line, the bulls will try to push the pair above the downtrend line and the $94.875 resistance. If they succeed, the pair may resume the uptrend.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.
OKCoin to Suspend XRP Trading and Deposit from January 4, 2021
Published
17 Minuten ago
on
Dezember 29, 2020
By
According to the announcement, the XRP deposit and trading would be disabled on January 4, 2021, as the lawsuit proceedings are taking place.
OKCoin has announced its intention to suspend XRP trading and deposit following the recent lawsuit against Ripple Lab, the company behind the asset, and two executives. This is a huge blow as panic withdrawal has been triggered with investors under pressure to switch to other assets. Coinbase has also announced that they will halt XRP trading in the coming year amid the reported lawsuit. The price of XRP has been affected heavily having dropped from its yearly high to as low as $0.22 especially in a period that is supposed to be a celebration for a bull run.
OKCoin Announcement Related to XRP
According to the announcement, the XRP deposit and trading would be disabled on January 4, 2021, as the legal proceedings take place. OKCoin also pointed out two different timelines for the suspension. The first one has to do with users who have borrowed from the XRP/USD margin pair. Those who fall under this category have until 7:00 PM PST January 13, 2021, to return the borrowed value. Users who refuse to abide by this will have to face an automatic liquidation by their system to end the loan contracts as reported by the exchange.
The second suspension timeline has to do with the spot trading, margin trading, and deposit. Customers who fall within this category should be aware that the above-mentioned activities would be suspended starting from 7:00 PM PST on January 14, 2021. OKCoin noted that the ongoing legal battle will take time to resolve, and there is no known date for the legal proceeding to end. For this reason, they will inform their customers when they get access to any information that can influence the change of their position.
The Legal Battle
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has sued Ripple for the illegal sale of securities. This was revealed by the Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse in a recent interview. SEC, unlike Ethereum and Bitcoin has refused to recognize XRP as a currency. XRP was premined, and a lion-share of its units are within the possession of Ripple in an escrow, and periodically released into the market.
Garlinghouse argues that they do not tap the reserve funds anyhow as they please. According to him, XRP has become increasingly decentralized in recent times as it has been recognized as a bridge currency for cross-border transactions. In another part, he accused the Trump administration of being hostile to the cryptocurrency market.
He, therefore, believes that the incoming administration may certainly create a favorable environment for cryptocurrency. Also, he assured that they will not allow themselves to be bullied by the SEC, but instead, they will fight for the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Garlinghouse believes that treating XRP as security controlled by Ripple is equal to treating oil as security controlled by Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM).
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Excellent John K. Kumi is a cryptocurrency and fintech enthusiast, operations manager of a fintech platform, writer, researcher, and a huge fan of creative writing. With an Economics background, he finds much interest in the invisible factors that causes price change in anything measured with valuation. He has been in the crypto/blockchain space in the last five (5) years. He mostly watches football highlights and movies in his free time.
Grayscale’s AUM Hits $19B, Up from $16.4B Announced Week Ago
Published
58 Minuten ago
on
Dezember 29, 2020
By
While it may be too early to project the possible performance of Grayscale in 2021, the spate of patronage the company recorded in the last two quarters of 2020 looks quite inspiring.
In what confirms the continued embrace of Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins by institutional investors and the big-money clients, Grayscale’s total Assets Under Management (AUM) has been reported to top $19 billion, a significant uplift from the $16.4 billion reported a week ago. According to a report by CoinDesk, Grayscale hit this AUM milestone on December 28, and Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust holds by far the largest chunk of the total assets at $16.3 billion.
The recent rally of Bitcoin to new highs as recorded in the past days started as a chain reaction that took its precedent months ago when Wall Street firms and institutional investors began betting big on Bitcoin. The investment made by the likes of MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR), Square Inc (NYSE: SQ), and PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL) did not just help put Bitcoin in the limelight through mainstream media, it also prompted the embrace of the digital assets by other firms.
With this chain reaction, the price of Bitcoin continued to soar in response to boosted demand for the coin, and institutions like Grayscale that serves institutional investors benefited from this new demand, and hence, the continued increase in the firm’s AUM. Besides BTC, Grayscale’s Ethereum (ETH) AUM is now worth $2.1 billion, while the bulk of smaller holdings in Litecoin (LTC), XRP, and ZCash amongst others helped Grayscale’s total AUM to reach the new milestone.
Grayscale’s AUM May See More Boost in 2021
While it may be too early to project the possible performance of Grayscale in the coming year 2021, the spate of patronage the company recorded in the last two quarters of 2020 makes the case for improved performance provided the tempo is sustained.
Just as has been noted earlier, the continued embrace of cryptocurrency assets by highly liquid companies will continue to have a positive reaction on the price of Bitcoin, and by extension, this will even make more people pick interest in BTC. As a relatively young asset class, Bitcoin and altcoins have tremendous room to grow as the adoption rate is still not optimized owing to certain regulatory provisions in most countries, Grayscale and other hedge funds have enough room to compete for new clients entering the space.
With Grayscale been among the institutions at the forefront of helping to drive the acceptance of BTC, ETH, and other digital currencies, enjoying the dividends of its works through impressed AUM figures does not come as much of a surprise.
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Benjamin Godfrey is a blockchain enthusiast and journalists who relish writing about the real life applications of blockchain technology and innovations to drive general acceptance and worldwide integration of the emerging technology. His desires to educate people about cryptocurrencies inspires his contributions to renowned blockchain based media and sites. Benjamin Godfrey is a lover of sports and agriculture.
Following the Bitcoin all-time high on Sunday, December 27, Riot Blockchain stock registered 20% gains on Monday’s trading session. The stock has already appreciated by 13x this year. Apart from BTC, investors of Bitcoin mining companies are making a bomb in the market.
Bitcoin mining giant Riot Blockchain is making all the news in the market at the moment. On Monday, December 28, Riot Blockchain Inc (NASDAQ: RIOT) stock price surged a massive 20% surging past $15.5 levels. One of the biggest milestones with the Monday rally is that the Riot Blockchain has clocked a $1 billion market cap.
The latest price rally comes as Riot Blockchain hints at going aggressively on its Bitcoin mining business. Last week, the Riot Blockchain added new S19 Pro Antimers to its bitcoin mining arsenal. The company announced the purchase of an additional 15,000 Bitcoin (BTC) mining machines from Bitmain. The recent purchase also pushes Riot’s total fleet to 37,640 Next-Generation Bitmain Antminers.
Riot said that the fresh purchase of Antminers will help the mining company to attain a 65% jump in its mining hash-rate. RIOT stock has registered an unprecedented rally this year in 2020. RIOT stock has multiplied by 13x this year registering a 1200% surge so far.
Riot Blockchain has issued nearly 17 million shares since November 2020 with its total outstanding shares going to 67.5 million. It has been a phenomenal journey for Riot ever since it ventured into the Bitcoin mining business in October 2017. With valuations less than $50 million back then, Riot has grown more than 20x in size as of its latest stock price.
RIOT Stock and Shares of Other Bitcoin Mining Companies Profit from BTC Bull Run
The recent Bitcoin (BTC) price rally during Q4 2020 has also pushed the stocks of Bitcoin mining companies to new highs. Earlier on Sunday, December 28, the BTC price hit its all-time high of $28,000 in a massive bull run followed by huge institutional inflows.
Moreover, along with the BTC price rally, the Bitcoin hash-rate has jumped significantly since November 2020. Over the last two months, the BTC hash-rate has surged nearly 30% and is currently at 132 TH/s. The surge in the hash-rate suggests higher mining activity for Bitcoin.
As a result, Bitcoin mining companies have been making massive purchases of the BTC mining machines. In addition to Riot Blockchain, other giants like the Marathon Patent Group have made aggressive purchases over the last few months. Just like RIOT, the Marathon Patent Group (NASDAQ: MARA) has registered a phenomenal rally of 18% on Monday, December 28. MARA stock has multiplied investors’ wealth by 12x in 2020. It means the MARA stock has also given phenomenal 1100% returns year-to-date.
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Bhushan is a FinTech enthusiast and holds a good flair in understanding financial markets. His interest in economics and finance draw his attention towards the new emerging Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency markets. He is continuously in a learning process and keeps himself motivated by sharing his acquired knowledge. In free time he reads thriller fictions novels and sometimes explore his culinary skills.