Last weekend, Bitcoin collapsed to $17,590, marking the first time ever that the king of cryptocurrencies has fallen below its previous cycle’s high. Moreover, Bitcoin is challenging its historical records as it is trading below its 200-week simple moving average (SMA), which was essentially the bottom of all its previous bear markets. Although monetary tightening and regulatory woes continue to undermine cryptocurrencies’ prospects, investors are increasingly tilting towards the idea that the market is currently hovering near its bottom. Does the recent bounce indicate that history will repeat itself or is there further downside on the menu?
Macro headwinds weigh on cryptos
Since the beginning of 2022, a barrage of negative developments has negatively affected the performance of risky assets. The persistently high inflation that is increasingly eroding people’s disposable income combined with the aggressive monetary tightening and mounting fears over a recession have dented investors’ risk appetite.
On top of that, the recent sell-off has triggered a massive round of liquidations to cover margin calls, which has further deteriorated the downfall. Specifically, investors who stepped into the market with leverage have been forced to offload their positions, while companies that used cryptocurrencies as collateral for granting loans have suffered the same fate. This debt swirling around crypto markets has amplified recent declines, which are further bolstered by constrained liquidity as crypto exchanges have been suspending transfers and withdrawals.
Cryptocurrency industry jitters accelerate fall
Many cryptocurrency-related companies have announced mass layoffs amid fears of an upcoming ‘crypto winter’, which is anticipated to deal a significant blow to their financial performance. More precisely, the US exchange platform Coinbase announced that it is going to sack 1,100 employees due to the broader market downturn. Furthermore, Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange is planning to reduce its workforce by 10%, while the online app Crypto.com will cut 5% of its staff.
Additionally, following Celsius and Binance, Babel Finance – a Hong Kong-based crypto lender – paused withdrawals and redemptions, citing unusual liquidity pressures. Also, a crypto hedge fund called Three Arrows failed to meet its margin calls from lenders, fueling rumours that many crypto-related firms might suffer collateral damage. Overall, as crypto companies continue to face operational crackdowns and fire personnel, investors’ sentiment towards cryptos could continue to deteriorate.
The first short Bitcoin ETF
Eight months after establishing the first US Bitcoin ETF, the investment provider ProShares announced on Monday that it plans to launch the first short Bitcoin-linked ETF by next week. This investment vehicle will be designed to allow investors to gain from declines in Bitcoin’s price or enable them to hedge their spot crypto holdings.
Is this the bottom?
The recent sharp sell-off in crypto markets caused Bitcoin’s price to fall to a fresh 2022 low and slash through its 200-week SMA for the first time since March 2020, before bouncing back slightly.
Should negative momentum strengthen, the recent low of $17,590 may act as the first line of defense. Failing to halt there, the price could descend to form fresh multi-year lows and the next crucial barrier could be met at the August 2020 resistance of $12,500.
To the upside, bullish actions might encounter initial resistance at the 200-week SMA, currently at $22,330. An upside violation of the latter may open the door for the $28,737 level, which is the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the 3,850-68,999 upleg.
