The word volatility is typically received as a negative by financial circles just the same way the name Lionel Messi is received in Brazilian favelas, yet volatility historically presents some of the greatest opportunities for gains, especially in the crypto markets. The crypto market experiences much greater price oscillations on average when compared to traditional markets, such as equities, bonds and Treasury bills. In 2021, the benefits of volatility were on full display: Market proxies like the S&P 500 exchange-traded fund trust (SPY) climbed 27%, while Bitcoin (BTC) rose a whopping 140%! Of course, the story is darker in 2022, …

Bitcoin (BTC) is beating records this Christmas as sub-$17,000 price action sparks unrivaled pain for hodlers. Data from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode shows that both short-term and long-term investors are sitting on more losses than ever before. New or old, Bitcohodlers nurse serious losses Since the FTX meltdown sent crypto markets tumbling, BTC/USD has failed to recover. Its descent to levels last seen two years ago has created problems for hodlers who bought in more recently — logically, they are nursing negative returns on their positions. The pain runs deeper than that, however, and Glassnode now shows the extent of …

Bitcoin ASIC miners — machines optimized for the sole purpose of mining Bitcoin — are currently selling at bottom-of-the-barrel prices not seen since 2020 and 2021, in what is being viewed as another sign of a deepened crypto bear market. According to the latest data from Hashrate Index, the most efficient ASIC miners, those generating at least one terahash per 38 joules of energy, have seen their prices fall 86.82% from May. 7, 2021 peak of $119.25 per terahash down to $15.71 as of Dec. 25. Miners in these category include Bitmain’s Antminer S19 and MicroBTC’s Whatsminer M30s. The same …

The cryptocurrency markets are trading at record low volatility as investors have largely stayed away during the holiday season. That could be because investors are unsure about the cryptocurrencies that could lead the next bull run. Cumberland senior research analyst Steven Goulden said in a “Year in Review” report that he expects four “emerging narratives” to lead the crypto space over the next six to 24 months. Goulden anticipates growth in nonfungible tokens, Web3 apps and games. He expects export-oriented nations to add Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as reserve assets and if that happens, it could be a huge …

Bitcoin (BTC) hodlers enjoyed another day of zero volatility on Dec. 26 as hopeful forecasts sought signs of a trend change. Opinions diverge further over BTC price bottom Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView confirmed more sideways action near $16,800 for BTC/USD on Boxing Day. The pair took the holiday period in its stride, with reduced volumes having no impact on an already deflated market experiencing its lowest volatility on record. With few trading opportunities in the last week of “Do Nothing December,” analysts attempted to ready the ship for potential headwinds to come. “If BTC fails to reclaims …

Bitcoin (BTC) accumulation is nearing a new milestone this Christmas as redistribution of the BTC supply continues. Data from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode shows that the total BTC balance of so-called “accumulation addresses” is nearing all-time highs. "HODL-only" BTC addresses climb closer to 1 million mark Behind the scenes in the 2022 Bitcoin bear market, certain entities are in no doubt over their BTC investment strategy. According to Glassnode, Bitcoin accumulation addresses are more numerous than ever before, while the BTC balance they contain is almost at a record high. “Accumulation addresses are defined as addresses that have at least …

Major cryptocurrency mining pool BTC.com has suffered a cyberattack resulting in a significant loss of funds by the company and its customers. BTC.com experienced a cyberattack on Dec. 3, with attackers stealing around $700,000 in client assets and $2.3 million in the company’s assets, the mining pool’s parent firm BIT Mining Limited officially announced on Dec. 26. BIT Mining and BTC.com reported the cyberattack to law enforcement authorities in Shenzhen, China. The local authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the incident, starting collecting evidence and requesting assistance from relevant agencies in China. The local coordination has already helped BTC.com recover …

Traders looking forward to a rally during Christmas were disappointed as the markets turned out to be steady as many celebrated the holidays. Crypto community members expressed their disappointment by sharing memes, with some even employing their creativity through poetry. On Dec. 23, Data tracker Coinstats shared an image showing positive market movements and floating the idea of a potential “Santa Claus rally.” Is that the beginning of the Santa Claus Rally? pic.twitter.com/zf1WDNaGpm — CoinStats (@CoinStats) December 23, 2022 However, with Bitcoin’s volatility index hitting record lows on Dec. 25, any thoughts of having a merry BTC rally on Christmas …

Bitcoin (BTC) exchange users have forgotten all about the FTX scandal this Christmas, data shows. According to on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, exchange outflows have now hit their lowest levels in over six months. Still not your keys, still not your coins? As Bitcoin volatility sets a new record low in what is being called “Do Nothing December,” exchange users’ habits are also rapidly adjusting to the current climate. After seeing an overwhelming surge in light of the FTX meltdown, BTC withdrawals from exchange wallets have entirely reversed the spike which began around six weeks ago. Having hit a peak of …

Despite an eventful year fraught with crypto collapses and price drops, Steven Goulden, a senior research analyst at crypto trading firm Cumberland has pointed to several “green shoots” to break the surface in crypto in 2023. In a 14-page “Year in Review” report released on Dec. 24, Goulden said he saw four “emerging narratives” in 2023 that will lead to “significant progress” for crypto over the next six to 24 months. These include non-fungible tokens (NFTs) becoming a “go-to method” of tokenizing a brand's intellectual property (IP), Web3 apps and games becoming “genuinely popular,” while Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) …

Hackers linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group are reportedly behind a massive phishing campaign targeting non-fungible token (NFT) investors — utilizing nearly 500 phishing domains to dupe victims. Blockchain security firm SlowMist released a report on Dec. 24, revealing the tactics that North Korean Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups have used to part NFT investors from their NFTs, including decoy websites disguised as a variety of NFT-related platforms and projects. Examples of these fake websites include a site pretending to be a project associated with the World Cup, as well as sites that impersonate well-known NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea, …

Bitcoin’s network hashrate has returned to regular levels again, days after freezing temperatures across the United States put a strain on the nation's electricity grid — leading to a temporary drop in hashrate. In the days leading up to Christmas, bone-chilling temperatures swept across the United States, leading to millions without power and claiming at least 28 lives. According to reports, Bitcoin miners in Texas, which accounts for a significant portion of the country's hashrate, voluntarily curtailed operations to give power back to the grid — so that residents can keep their homes heated. The disruptions appear to have put …