Bitcoin bulls ask, where's the bottom?

• Bitcoin lost 37 pct in the month of Nov.

• The bottom not yet in sight as bulls scramble for stability.

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation and the coin that gave blockchain to the world, has lost 37 percent of its value in the month of November, has still not been able to find a stable bottom, as the prices fell back again after rallying back above $4,000 during the week.

BTC/USD is down nearly one percent on day at $3,942, but trading in less than 0.3 percent range for the day, thanks to lower volumes and resulting in lower volatility for the crypto whose second cousin is volatility.

A quick look at various time-frames of the chart reveals us that although volatility has come down a but after November sell-off, by no means a long term meaninful bottom has been placed yet. BTC may well touch and even break recent lows and head towards $3,000 as mentioned last week. (Read here) Even as experts such as Morgan Creek Capital Management's CEO, Mark Yusko, believe that there is long term value for the largest coin and bottom should be somewhere around the corner.

BTC/USD daily chart:

Manoj B Rawal

FXStreet

 

David

Bitcoin Prices Soar -Nasdaq to Launch Bitcoin Futures in Q1 2019

Investing.com – Bitcoin and other major digital coins’ prices all traded higher on Thursday in Asia on news that Nasdaq is set to introduce Bitcoin futures in the first quarter of next year. ?

Bitcoin jumped 6.55% to $4,187.5 by 09:31 PM ET (02:31?GMT) on the?Investing.com index.?Ethereum added 4.49% to $118.77 and XRP gained 2.48% to $0.37633?on the?Poloniex?exchange.???

1337/LTC?also advanced?8.68% to $33.550?on the?Bitifinex?exchange.?

Bitcoin regained a bit of momentum following a second low this week. The most traded digital coin dropped below $3,800 in mid-week before bouncing to this week’s peak at $4,395 on early Thursday morning.

However, Bitcoin remains trading 30% less of its value since mid-November, when the digital coin dropped from above $6,500.

On Thursday, media reported that Nasdaq is set to launch bitcoin futures in the first quarter of 2019 despite the current bearish sentiment for cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin futures will provide investors with a centralized marketplace where participants can speculate on the future price movements of Bitcoin.

Nasdaq has reportedly been working closely with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to secure regulatory approval for its proposed Bitcoin futures launch together with investment management firm VanEck.

Gabor Gurbacs, VanEck's director of digital asset strategy, said the firm "ran a few extra miles working with the CFTC to bring about new standards for custody and surveillance."

Nasdaq is not the first one to enter the digital currency space. The CFTC has so far approved two crypto futures products. One is from the Chicago Board Options Exchange and another from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Nasdaq showed interest in tapping into the crpyto space earlier. In April, its CEO Adena Friedman told media that “certainly Nasdaq would consider becoming a crypto exchange over time.”

 

David

 

Bitcoin (BTC) Bulls Are Back in the Game!

Bitcoin could be due for a reversal from its slide as it just broke past the top of a descending channel.

Bitcoin was previously trending lower inside a descending channel but has just broken past the resistance to indicate that a reversal is due. Price has also closed above the 100 SMA dynamic inflection point as an additional bullish signal.

However, the 100 SMA is still below the longer-term 200 SMA to indicate that the path of least resistance is to the downside. In other words, the downtrend is more likely to resume than to reverse. Price has yet to test the 200 SMA dynamic inflection point which might also lead to some bearish pressure.

RSI has also reached the overbought zone to indicate that buyers are starting to feel exhausted. Similarly stochastic is in the overbought area to signal that buyers might want to take a break. Turning lower could confirm that sellers are about to take over, possibly pushing bitcoin back inside the channel and onto the lows.

Still, it’s also worth pointing out that both oscillators are pointing up for now and have yet to show any inclination to head south. This suggests that bulls could keep charging.

Also, bitcoin is forming a double bottom pattern with the latest move and could be due to test the neckline at $4,200. A break beyond this could spur a rally that’s the same height as the chart pattern, which is around $400. Increased bullish momentum could lead to technical breaks of the next areas of interest, that might draw even more buyers in.

Indications that institutions are pushing ahead with crypto investments despite the recent bear market are making it to the newswires. Confirmation from a few key figures in the industry also led to the improvement in sentiment that is likely driving the recent moves.

 

Rachel Lee by Rachel Lee November 28, 2018

David

Bitcoin Price Prediction- BTC Value by the Year 2020

Currently, everyone within the crypto space is wondering what the future of Bitcoin holds for its investors in 2020 and beyond. The cryptocurrency market is widely known for its price volatility which can shoot to incredible highs or lows in a short period.

While this may be great for Bitcoin traders who depend on a buy-low-sell-high method of investment, it makes these digital assets a poor means of value storage. It also gives long-term investors a tough time since they have to continuously track this volatility to ensure the safety of their investments. When the price changes sporadically, it can become difficult to do so.

Despite how unpredictable this volatility makes the future of cryptocurrency seem, it has not stopped industry figures from predicting the possible future of virtual assets, especially Bitcoin. Although most of the predictions stem from mere speculation within the cryptosphere, a good number of them are derived from complex quantitative methods. From research and modeling to creating special indexes, experts are working hard to prove that Bitcoin is here to stay. Predictions for 2020 vary widely, ranging from $20,000 to $1 million.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency in existence and paved the way for the development of others. Cryptocurrencies like Litecoin were created by directly copying the original Bitcoin source code. It was created in 2009 by an anonymous developer under the pseudonym of “Satoshi Nakamoto” and has functioned as a store of value and an investment vehicle since then.

As a store of value, Bitcoin allows its users to send and receive funds without the need for an intermediary or central authority. The system is fully decentralized, leaving consensus in the hands of its network users. As an investment vehicle, Bitcoin has produced many millionaires, including the Winklevoss twins.

Early investors who bought into the cryptocurrency when its tokens were cheap rose to millionaire status when its price became worth thousands of dollars. Most of all, billionaires were made in December 2017 when Bitcoin soared to a record high of $20,000. Since then, the currency has underperformed in a series of bear runs, marking a market correction far worse than anticipated.

Another factor that makes the future of Bitcoin seem unpredictable is the fact that its usage has not increased by a substantial amount in 2018, implying stagnation. In truth, mass adoption is not occurring as quickly as the crypto industry would like to believe.

Apart from current adoption rates, there are several other factors to consider when analyzing the future value of a cryptocurrency. These include real-world events.

• Technological improvements and modifications to a network such as a hard fork or software upgrade

• The solidity and clarity of a platform’s future roadmap objectives

• Announcements of new partnerships or sponsorship deals

• New patents and discoveries by crypto research and development firms

• A new exchange listing

• New regulations

It is important to research all of the above factors rather than follow predictions blindly. Investors must also research predictions, looking at the specific reasons for each and ruling out any based on guesswork.

A Few Bitcoin Price Predictions for 2020 From Prominent Industry Figures

John McAfee

He is the creator of popular antivirus software, McAfee antivirus, and a well-known presence in the cryptocurrency industry because of his outlandish price predictions and interesting background. McAfee, who makes a lot of money from ICO promotion, has revealed that cryptocurrency projects are willing to pay him more than $100,000 to make his predictions.

In 2017 he predicted that Bitcoin would reach $500,000 in 2020, a price which he upped to $1 million recently. According to McAfee, his prediction is based on a price model he created, which also predicted that Bitcoin would hit $5,000 by the end of 2017 – a feat that seemed unbelievable at the time. If McAfee’s model is accurate, his prediction puts total market capitalization at $15 trillion. This would mean a 4,900% increase from Bitcoin’s peak of $20,000.

Recently, he predicted that Bitcoin will hit $15,000 in June 2018 despite the cryptocurrency’s poor performance in the previous month. That prediction failed, emphasizing the fact that not all of McAfee’s predictions come true and users must take all predictions with a grain of salt.

McAfee, a major Bitcoin bull, is seemingly unfazed by criticism claiming his predictions defy the mathematical behavior of the market. However, McAfee continues to support Bitcoin.

Tom Lee

Thomas Lee, co-founder and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, a popular cryptocurrency research firm, predicted that Bitcoin could reach $25,000 by the end of the year. [Editor’s note: He later revised that prediction to $15,000.]

Mostly known for his Bitcoin price discussions on live TV and the creation of a misery index for monitoring the price of Bitcoin, Tom Lee is definitely a respected industry figure. He also made another prediction placing the price of BTC at $91,000, through a chart analysis of Bitcoin historical price movements.

Osato Avan-Nomayo

Bitcoinist analyst Osato Avan-Nomayo predicted that the Bitcoin mining reward will be halved from 12.5 BTC to 6.25 BTC by 2020. The Bitcoin mining reward has only been halved twice since the currency first emerged.

In 2012 it halved from 50 BTC to 25 BTC, and in 2016 it went from 25 BTC to 12.5 BTC. When both events happened, Bitcoin saw higher prices shortly thereafter. Although Bitcoinist did not predict a specific price for BTC, their analysis predicts new price peaks up to $20,000.

Fran Strajnar

CEO of Brave New Coin, Fran Strajnar has predicted a Bitcoin price of $200,000 by 2020 as a result of increasing adoption rates. According to Strajnar, as more users join the network, more wallets and apps are being created and used. He expects that as usage increases, so will the price of BTC in the long run.

 

David

Bitcoin Moving in a $400 Range with Resistance at $4,700

The path of least resistance is clear and as long as prices are trading below $4,700 then we could see further declines towards $3,000 or lower. But even as analysts and investors track price, the survival of Bitcoin conjures memories of the dot com bubble. It did burst; birthing Amazon and Google, companies that wield so much control with individual market caps more than triple that of cryptos.

Latest Bitcoin News

Much has been talked about price, the collapse and the effect of low trading volumes. In fact there has been some comparison about the current bear market and the dot com bubble. Well, this isn’t the deepest correction Bitcoin traders have had to contend. Back in 2013-14, losses were deeper and prices more volatile mostly because of thin trading volumes as investment channels were few and Bitcoin not as common as it is now.

Regardless, blockchain and Bitcoin is a solution that is here to stay. Just like Paul Krugman, a non technical financial guru of yester years said the internet was a fad and famously suggested it would be no more transformational than the fax machine, current nay sayers as Jamie Dimon and Roubini or Dr Doom will surely watch as the technology shape and disrupt current systems.

While the contention is different there is strong correlation between events around the dot com bubble and recent discussions around DLTs, public blockchains and even competing protocols as IOTA. The mass is split and some are betting on IBM’s HyperLedger–interoperability, others on Bitcoin—security and community and more on the IOTA and the internet of things.

However, many are backing open source solutions to prevail over permissioned systems just like TCP/IP did nurturing current mega-corporations as Google and Amazon. If that is the case then the stars are sparkling for Bitcoin investors.

 

BTC/USD Price Analysis

Weekly Chart

Like before, the top down overview is pretty clear—BTC/USD is in a meltdown and poised to lose more as trading volumes dry up and the so called whales cover their positions to stay profitable. But, thing is even as bear pressure rage and threaten to wipe out 2017 super gains, prices have been stable in the last few days.

Moving within a tight $4,300-$4,700 range, there is obvious support. If prices close above $4,500 then odds are we might see prices recover above $5,000 and towards $5,500 as laid out before. Conversely, strong losses below $4,000 could open a flurry of sell orders pushing BTC towards $3,000–$3,500 from where analysts expect prices to find strong support.

The significance of $4,300–$4,500 support is beginning to show in the daily chart. Here, we have a doji bar, a mark of overall market indecision but still trading volumes are light.

Nonetheless, this did shore prices confining movements within a $200 range of which we expect buyers to build their momentum on.

Now, if today ends up as a bull, closing above immediate resistance of $4,700 then our previous upbeat BTC/USD price forecast would most likely go live as buyers thrust prices above $5,000 towards $5,500. If not and BTC capitulate below $4,000 then we shall trade as above.

All Charts Courtesy of Trading View

 

by DLT Guru November 24, 2018

David

Bitcoin (BTC) Finds Support at $4,200, What Next?

After a brief recovery mid-week that hinted at a possible bottom found, a fresh crash has decimated the cryptocurrency market this morning. After dipping sharply from $4,440, Bitcoin (BTC) managed to find support at $4,200, which has long been considered a critical support level. Should it breach it, though, the next test will likely be $3,000 – the level that buoyed up the markets in the brief September dip last year before the epic late November rally.

While last weeks drops have been attributed by some to be investors selling assets ahead of Black Friday, these new losses are too close to the time for that explanation. It’s more likely that these continuing declines are fuelled by a number of factors, including depressed tech stocks as a result of the on-going China-U.S. trade war, the DOJ’s Tether manipulation probe and the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) war that is driving hash power away from Bitcoin mining.

There is also mounting evidence to suggest price manipulation by Wall Street whales in order to accumulate ahead of the ICE’s Bakkt launch, although that little nugget of hope has now been delayed until late January next year, so if true, we may see similar dips again after New Years.
 

Black Friday Fever

Several exchanges have chosen to take advantage of Black Friday fever and sell assets at discount prices, with some going as far as giving away Bitcoin for free. Unfortunately, while these actions may grow adoption, they also serve to further devalue cryptocurrencies in the short term.

After the drop to around $4,150 on some exchanges earlier today, Bitcoin has shown signs of recovery, rallying up to the $4,250 range more recently. Whether or not this support will hold is unclear, with many bearish analysts becoming more and more convinced that Bitcoin’s real bottom is likely to be in the $3,000 range. Should it maintain support above $4,200, the next resistance level is $4,720 with strong resistance at $4,830.

Any analytical comparisons to last year’s epic mid-December bull run don’t hold up within today’s vastly altered landscape. In light of the BCH hash war, tighter SEC regulations, more substantial institutional interest, and an entirely different psychological viewpoint, to assume a similar event would happen this year is optimistic at best. However, considering that last years rally was almost certainly the result of market manipulation and left the majority investors in debt, maybe that’s a good thing.

AUTHOR Mark Hartley November 23, 2018, UTC, 4:41 am

David