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Bitcoin to soar as ETFs on cusp of approval
- January 9, 2024
The price of Bitcoin is spiking and one analyst predicts it could more than triple in value and hit $300,000 by the end of 2025.
Bitcoin has risen above $US47,000 (A$70,000) for the first time since April 2022 and one analyst is predicting it could more than triple in value to be worth US$200,000 (A$298,000) by the end of 2025.
The prediction comes after news that US regulators appear ready to finally approve Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
In a note, Standard Chartered head of crypto research Geoff Kendrick wrote: “If ETF-related inflows materialise as we expect, we think an end-2025 level closer to US$200,000 is possible.”
It has been over a decade since the first applications for ETFs that invest directly in the digital currency were filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Prospective ETF issuers BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, Ark, Galaxy Digital and WisdomTree filed amended forms on Monday in what is seen by analysts as a final push to offer the investment products.
The regulator has until Wednesday to make a decision on the applications, which could result in an investment product tracking the daily price of the most popular digital currency traded on a stock market for the first time.
If approved, the advent of Bitcoin ETFs is expected to drive up Bitcoin’s price due to increased accessibility and liquidity of the digital currency.
The rise in Bitcoin also flowed through to a surge in the price of other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, Cardano, SOL and Polkadot, while the share prices of listed crypto exchanges and miners such as Coinbase Global, Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital also rose.
Bitcoin’s previous all-time high of almost $US69,000 (A$103,000) was reached in November 2021.
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(Newsfeeds)
Bitcoin Rally Cools in Countdown to US Spot ETF Decision by SEC - 9 January 2024
Bitcoin consolidated after briefly rallying past $47,000 on optimism that regulators are set to approve the first US exchange-traded funds investing directly in the world’s largest digital asset.
The token dipped to $46,739 as of 6 a.m. Tuesday in London after a 6.5% jump on Monday in the US to a 21-month high. Bitcoin’s new year climb now stands at 10%, contrasting with drops over the same period in stocks and gold.
The crypto market expects a green light for US spot Bitcoin ETFs by a Jan. 10 deadline. Prospective issuers such as BlackRock Inc., Fidelity Investments and Ark Investment Management updated paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the regulator has until Wednesday to take action on at least one of the applications.
Speculators are wagering that the agency will announce a slew of decisions at once to avoid handing out a first-mover advantage. If the funds are approved, the next question is how much money they will woo. Bitcoin is up 172% in the past 12 months in a sign that traders anticipate wider adoption of the token.
“Participants seem to be coming around to thinking that the initial flows will actually exceed expectations,” said Kyle Doane, a trader at Arca.
Applicants amended forms on Monday in the US in a final push to offer spot Bitcoin ETF products more than a decade after the first attempt.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler has repeatedly argued that crypto is rife with fraud and misconduct. The agency cracked down on the sector following a 2022 rout and collapses such as the bankruptcy of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange.
But the SEC last year lost a key legal fight against crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments LLC, spurring speculation that the regulator will have to acquiesce to the spot ETFs. The spat was over the $29 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust’s desire to convert into such a product.
ETF Critics
Critics contend that spot crypto ETFs would pose a risk for investors given that digital assets are notorious for volatility and attracting illicit activity.
“What’s going to happen, unfortunately, is lots and lots of Americans in our view, are going to get hurt financially,” said Dennis Kelleher, chief executive officer of financial reform nonprofit Better Markets.
The months-long advance in Bitcoin has lifted the digital-asset market more broadly, bolstering smaller tokens like Solana and Avalanche. US crypto-linked stocks mostly rose on Monday, providing a tailwind for Asian peers such as Japan’s Monex Group and Woori Technology Investment Co. in South Korea.
Pullback Risk
Some crypto watchers wonder whether Bitcoin is ripe for a pullback if and when SEC approval finally lands, since speculators may decide to bank a slice of profits from the token’s rally.
There are “no signs” of a so-called sell-the-news event just yet, Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group Ltd., wrote in a note. Based on chart patterns, the $51,000 level is a possible target before any such retreat, according to Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Australia Pty.
Looking past short-term price gyrations, “the main result of Bitcoin spot ETF approval will be the marketing machine behind greater Bitcoin awareness, powered by some of the largest names in traditional finance,” wrote Noelle Acheson, author of the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter.
The token reached a record high of almost $69,000 back in 2021 during a pandemic-era bull run fueled by ultra-low borrowing costs.
#Bitcoin #BitcoinETF #ETC #crypto #cryptonews #cryptocurrencies #SEC #markets #finance #fintech #digitalnews #digitalbiz #digitalbusiness #newsmedia #newsfeeds #media
Bitcoin News Media
Bitcoin News Media
January 8, 2024
Bitcoin ETF Insider Leak Powers Bitcoin Price Surge Over $45,000 After $1.6 Trillion Ethereum, XRP, Solana And Crypto Boom
Now, as panicked traders try to get ahead of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) "rug pull of the decade," an insider leak has revealed BlackRock has readied a huge $2 billion bazooka if its spot bitcoin ETF bid is approved.
"I heard from a pretty well placed source that BlackRock has more than $2 billion lined up in week one in new incremental flows from existing bitcoin holders who are adding to positions," Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at investment company VanEck, said during an X Spaces broadcast organized by The Block.
"I can't vouch for that," Sigel added. "But you know, that's what everyone is doing. Just making phone calls and trying to find the folks who can write checks into these products. And our estimates—that, you know, if that $2 billion happened in week one, you know, that would blow away our estimates."
1/8 update: The bitcoin price has shot over $45,000 per bitcoin as the Wall Street race to get a bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) to market enters its final week. The price surge boosted the price of ethereum, XRP and solana as traders bet a historical spot bitcoin ETF would boost crypto prices across the board.
This week, spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls, including BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale, have met the deadline to file their amended documents.
This filing "is another important step towards uplisting GBTC as a spot bitcoin ETF," Grayscale spokeswoman Jenn Rosenthal said in a statement to Coindesk. Grayscale has been trying to convert its bitcoin trust to a fully-fledged spot bitcoin ETF for years, last year successfully suing the SEC over its rejection of its bid. "At Grayscale, we continue to work collaboratively with the SEC, and we remain ready to operate GBTC as an ETF upon receipt of regulatory approvals."
"Market participants maintain expectations for the approval of the 21Shares filing, potentially triggering a cascade approval for all issuers," Matteo Greco, a research analyst at investment company Fineqia International, said in emailed comments, referring to the Ark 21Shares spot bitcoin ETF bid that's first in line.
"Numerous meetings between the SEC, issuers, and exchanges have fuelled the narrative of an imminent approval. The introduction of ETFs could usher in new investor cohorts from traditional finance, significantly improving market transparency and liquidity and bringing long term capital inflow in the digital assets market."
Sigel said VanEck was anticipating "$2.5 billion in the first quarter of trading," a figure derived from "past flows into the first gold ETF and adjusting by the U.S. money supply. And we have a $40 billion market opportunity over two years based on a similar analysis."
"$2 billion week one into BlackRock alone would blow expectations out of the water," Travis Kling, the chief investment officer of Ikigai Asset Management, posted to X. "Half that from all ETFs combined would have been a pretty good outcome."
VanEck, along with other spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, Valkyrie, ARK 21Shares and InvescoIVZ +1.8% have rushed to finalize their applications this week ahead of a January 8 Monday morning deadline.
Five SEC commissioners will reportedly vote on the spot bitcoin ETF bids next week, according to Bloomberg, citing an anonymous source.
#Bitcoin #BTC #BitcoinNews #Crypto #CryptoNews #cryptocurrency #XRP #ETF #Ethereum #BitcoinETF #BitcoinETFs #fintech #digitalnews #newsmedia #newsfeeds #trend #trends #buzz #hype #bitcoinnewsmedia #x #media
(Sources: Wires, Newsfeeds, X)
