Bitcoin Financial News

bitcoin began trading last week, making it easier for anyone with a basic brokerage account to buy a slice of the digital currency. Several established financial institutions, including Fidelity and BlackRock, have coalesced around bitcoin because it is the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency. But bitcoin remains an enigma to most everyday investors, and it’s hard to separate the buzz from any true potential. It’s also wildly volatile. In other words, it’s a bet. And institutions are wagering that plenty of investors want in.

Exchange-traded funds come in many shapes and sizes. Some are plain vanilla, diversified index funds that let you invest in the entire stock and bond markets, and are excellent core holdings for the great majority of people. Then there are the quirky, narrowly focused ETFs like the Inverse Cramer Tracker, which enables you to bet against the stock picks of CNBC television host Jim Cramer. The fund is legal, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission — and a money-loser since its inception last year. Betting against Jim Cramer just isn’t a great investing strategy. Neither is fear of missing out. Yet FOMO is the main reason for putting money into bitcoin, which remains highly speculative, difficult to categorize and without an immediately identifiable economic function. The SEC this month approved 11 new ETFs that track the price of bitcoin, and the decision has been heralded by promoters of bitcoin — and of the new funds — as an important event, legitimizing bitcoin as an asset class.

New Delhi: India’s ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) is yet to find a solution to local cryptocurrency users accessing global crypto exchanges via virtual private networks (VPN). The government had blocked web and app store access to Binance, Kucoin, Huobi and six other exchanges on 12 January.

Bitcoin (BTC) hit fresh lows for the year on Friday in the $40,200s, as concerns mount about Grayscale’s ongoing Bitcoin selling, but a meme crypto called Sponge ($SPONGE) has exploded another 20% higher.

Bitcoin bears are eyeing a potential break below the psychologically important $40,000 level as post-spot Bitcoin ETF approval sell pressure ramps up and macro headwinds rise.

ARK Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood believes Bitcoin (BTC) could soon be nearly as valuable as gold, according to a recent interview she conducted with Brazilian financial markets information firm, InfoMoney.

dollar advanced on Friday and was poised for a weekly gain, as recent economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials have cooled expectations of rapid cuts in interest rates. Economic data showed the University of Michigan's preliminary reading on the overall index of consumer sentiment came in at 78.8 this month, the highest reading since July 2021, compared with 69.7 in December and the 70.0 estimate of economists polled by Reuters. «The doom and gloom crew is very vocal, especially among politicians,» said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. «Yet, businesses and individuals have been quietly plugging away, trying to make the best of their situations.

The moment U.S. Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs went live last Thursday, they quietly achieved a major feat.

The volatility of digital assets particularly Bitcoin (BTC) can be examined in various stages of a bull market in relation to other tokens, Pantera Capital suggests.

Hong Kong-based Venture Smart Financial Holdings Limited (VSFG) is gearing up to seek approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for the introduction of a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Cryptocurrency markets have rallied while awaiting the approval of a Bitcoin ETF for months.

Bitcoin miner Hut 8 has been accused of hiding stock ownership in a perceived pump-and-dump scheme. The accusation comes from an unconfirmed report by JCapital Research. 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has launched yet another series of digital collectibles, sparking controversy in the cryptocurrency community.

In a dynamic turn of events, Bitcoin’s price plummeted to $40,930, marking a significant nearly 4% decrease as of Friday. This downturn comes amid a broader context of financial uncertainty, where the US Dollar is poised for a consecutive weekly rise due to subdued expectations for interest rates. Adding to the complexity of the crypto market, Fidelity’s anticipated Ether ETF faces delays, attributed to a surge in investor demand for more leveraged Bitcoin ETFs.

Cryptocurrency markets were trading lower in Friday's trade due to heavy outflows in ETFs. Bluechip crypto token BTC fell 3.2% to $41,381 in early trading on Friday, while Ethereum fell 2.5% to $2,467. «The crypto market is witnessing an unexpected downward trend as Bitcoin faces selling pressure due to heavy outflows from Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) to new spot ETF issuers,» said Shivam Thakral, CEO of BuyUcoin. «For example, Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF accumulated $1 billion worth of BTC in just one week, which means there is a heavy outflow of Bitcoin to such regulated ETFs. We can expect the Bitcoin price to rise once this transition cools down and investors are done with profit booking,» he said. Other major altcoins, such as Solana and Avalanche, fell over 6% each. Also, Cardano, XRP, Dogecoin, Polkadot, Chainlink, Toncoin, Polygon, Internet Computer and Shiba Inu declined.

South Korea‘s Presidential Office has recently proposed reconsideration for the approval of a local spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

The cryptocurrency landscape is poised for a major change with the recent approval of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sent ripples of excitement through the global crypto community. This milestone has been heralded as a game-changer, with industry experts anticipating significant shifts in the market dynamics. Edul Patel, CEO & Co-founder of Mudrex, asserts, «The SEC's approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs will attract institutional investors who were previously cautious due to regulatory concerns. There will be increased institutional interest which could further lead to higher liquidity and more stability in the market, which may have a global impact, including in India.» Positive developments in the US crypto space often have a ripple effect on global market sentiment. Edul emphasizes that «As the SEC's approval is now seen as a vote of confidence in the legitimacy and maturity of the crypto market, this is set to boost confidence among investors worldwide. As regulatory bodies are also monitoring the global regulatory trends, it is likely that regulators in India might adjust the policies or approach towards crypto-related financial products.» While the immediate effects might be evident in the Bitcoin market, the legitimization of crypto investment through regulated spot ETFs has broader implications. Edul Patel notes that this could attract a diverse investor base, encouraging increased capital flows across various cryptocurrencies. Notably, major players like BlackRock have already filed for Ethereum spot ETFs, and the industry is eagerly awaiting potential approvals in this space.

Bitcoin slid to the lowest since mid-December as the speculative demand for the token sparked by hype about new exchange-traded funds dissipates, leaving the cryptocurrency in the red since the start of 2024. The largest digital asset briefly flirted with a drop below $40,000 before trading at $41,160 as of 6:30 a.m. Friday in Singapore, a decline of 3% in the past 24 hours. Smaller tokens like Ether, Solana and Polkadot also struggled. Bitcoin surged 157% last year on optimism about the eventual Jan. 11 launch of the first US exchange-traded funds to directly hold the token. Digital assets also got a tailwind from bets on looser monetary policy. Traders are now assessing how much money the ETFs attract and paring expectations for interest-rate cuts. “This type of correction after a significant run-up is normal for Bitcoin,” said Greg Moritz, co-founder at crypto hedge fund AltTab Capital.

trading volume and margin, analysts said, if more investors dabble in bitcoin from the safety of cheap exchange trade funds tracking its spot price. It will also impact Coinbase's trading commissions and spreads — the difference between the bid and ask price, J.P. Morgan analyst Kenneth Worthington said.

By Suzanne McGee