Folks, today we discuss the current crypto landscape with one eye on the future. Bitcoin, lingering near $29.2, is acting impervious to recent macroeconomic events, yet a potential trigger could be awaiting in form of a spot BTC ETF. This is according to Mao Shixing, the co-founder and CEO of custodian Cobo.
A significant influencing factor, he noted, is the application by traditional institutions for a Bitcoin ETF. This insight gains more substance when you remember that Grayscale’s dollar influx sparked a Bitcoin rally in 2021 and 2022. Shixing suggested that expecting approval for cryptocurrency spot ETFs by Q1 of 2024 isn’t unrealistic, foreseeing a potential rebirth of compliant funding channels in North America.
Consequently, this could inject a considerable amount of funds directly into key assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, owing to a conventional asset allocation or risk aversion approach. Vivien Fang, head of financial products at Bybit, reinforced the notion of early-stage uncertainty with phrases like “liquidity volatile” and “too early to call for a bull market”.
Meanwhile, crypto markets seem to react differently now to macroeconomic events. Rate hikes by U.S. central banks in May and March caused relatively minor price shifts, and the response to recent inflation and GDP data was similarly mild.
Things look slightly more promising with the Protagorean approach to decentralized finance (DeFi) projects. Despite losing their lust amidst the crypto winter after thriving last summer, experts like Boris Revsin, managing partner of Tribe Capital, see a resurgence on the cards. He expects DeFi to come back stronger as more infrastructure develops in open markets outside the U.S., leading to simpler creation of new projects.
Touching on world events, expect more analysis of crypto markets as the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rate looms. Also, discussions around social media giants such as Twitter and their potential influence on major cryptocurrencies are only heating up.
In conclusion, there’s consensus that the crypto-market trajectory is largely undetermined and influenced by macro-environmental factors such as regulatory decisions. However, the anticipation tied to eventual outcomes is what keeps this industry exciting and adventurous, in spite of any short term stagnation or liquidity issues.
Source: Coindesk
