The Bitcoin price experienced a significant downturn on Wednesday, briefly falling below the $100,000 milestone as the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) cautious outlook on interest rate cuts dampened crypto investments. At one point in Wednesday’s trading session, the market’s leading crypto dropped to $98,760 before recovering to the six-figure mark. Other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE), also faced substantial retraces. Fed’s Cautious Rate Cut Sparks Uncertainty In Markets The Federal Reserve’s decision to lower borrowing costs for the third consecutive time came with a tempered forecast for future reductions, particularly for 2025. Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that more progress is needed on inflation before the central bank can consider further easing of monetary policy. Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Australia Pty, noted that the Fed’s decision was largely anticipated given recent trends in US inflation and economic activity. However, it acted as a catalyst for shedding some of the “speculative excess” that had entered risk assets, including stocks and Bitcoin, especially following the recent US elections, according to Sycamore. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Still Mirroring Bullish Move From 2023, What To Expect After Hitting $108,000 ATH Despite this dip, the Bitcoin price remains up approximately 50% since the US elections on November 5, largely due to President-elect Donald Trump’s commitment to deregulating the cryptocurrency sector while floating the idea of establishing a national stockpile of Bitcoin, further boosting market sentiment. Paul Veradittakit, managing partner at Pantera Capital, expressed optimism about the Bitcoin price future, stating, “All signs point to a good floor and outlook for Bitcoin,” even as some traders took profits following the Fed meeting. Market dynamics shifted post-Fed meeting, with Sean McNulty, director of trading at liquidity provider Arbelos Markets, reporting an uptick in demand for options to hedge against potential Bitcoin declines. Zann Kwan, chief investment officer at Revo Digital Family Office, indicated that a temporary retreat into the low $90,000s for Bitcoin is possible. Bitcoin Price Eyes Key Resistance Level At $105,400 Crypto analyst Ali Martinez provided insights into market sentiment, emphasizing that current market behavior reflects expectations about future conditions rather than past events. The analyst noted that while the 25 basis point rate cut was largely anticipated, the Fed’s updated outlook for 2025 was not well received. Instead of three anticipated rate cuts in 2025, the Fed now projects only two, raising concerns about persistent inflation. Related Reading: Bitcoin Could Peak Between $160,000 And $290,000 If These Historical Patterns Repeat – Report Recent inflation data has also been disheartening, with core consumer price index (CPI) figures annualizing at 4% and core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) approaching 3.5%. Producer price index (PPI) figures are similarly trending upward, suggesting that inflation could remain an ongoing challenge. However, Martinez emphasizes that the real turning point came during Powell’s press conference when he described the decision as a “closer call,” indicating that not all Fed officials were in agreement about the cuts. This sent the US dollar soaring to levels not seen since 2022, which typically correlates with declines for BTC. Martinez also disclosed that the Bitcoin price had broken out of a head-and-shoulders pattern on Wednesday, which resulted in its drop just below $99,000, but emphasized that the cryptocurrency must surpass $105,400 to negate any bearish outlook. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price stands at $101,180, down 2.2% over the past 24 hours. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
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Why is XRP Down Today?
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 25 basis points yesterday in a widely expected move, yet markets crashed after its Chair Jerome Powell suggested a potential easing of the interest rate-cutting cycle next year. Powell’s comments led to a wide sell-off in risk assets across both the cryptocurrency market and traditional finance. The NewsBTC
Crypto Heists Surge: North Korean Hackers Responsible for 61% of $2.2B Stolen in 2024
In 2024, hackers associated with North Korea set a new record for cryptocurrency theft. Notorious for their advanced skills in malware deployment, social engineering, and crypto asset theft, these hackers often channel stolen funds into state-sponsored projects, including weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, bypassing global sanctions. In 2023, they stole around $660.5 million through 20 incidents, but this amount surged to $1.34 billion across 47 cases in 2024, marking a 102.88% increase in stolen value. North Korea Sets Crypto Theft Record in 2024 According to the latest report by Chainalysis shared with CryptoPotato , the frequency of North Korea’s cryptocurrency attacks continues to grow, even as the total number of incidents across all scales has declined year-over-year. Particularly in 2024, there was a noticeable uptick in large-scale attacks involving $50-$100 million and amounts exceeding $100 million. This suggests that North Korea is becoming more efficient in orchestrating high-value breaches, a notable change from the past two years when their attacks predominantly generated less than $50 million per incident. North Korean IT workers have increasingly infiltrated crypto and Web3 companies, compromising their systems and integrity. Using advanced tactics like false identities, third-party hiring intermediaries, and exploiting remote work opportunities, they gain access to sensitive networks. In one notable case, the US Department of Justice indicted 14 North Korean nationals who posed as remote IT employees for US companies, stealing proprietary information and extorting employers, resulting in $88 million in illicit earnings. Hacking Dominance Dips in Late 2024 While North Korea’s exploits dominate this year’s hacking statistics, the global landscape highlights the continued threat of crypto theft. Total stolen funds reached $2.2 billion in 2024, marking the fifth year in the past decade where over $1 billion was stolen. This means that North Korea accounts for 61% of the total stolen crypto for the year and 20% of all incidents. Interestingly, while hacking activity surged in the first half of 2024, with $1.58 billion stolen by July – over 84% higher than the same period in 2023 – it slowed significantly in the latter half. Data reveals a 53.73% drop in stolen funds after July 1, 2024. This decline may be tied to shifting priorities as North Korea strengthens ties with Russia and possibly redirects resources to the Ukraine conflict. However, December events or holiday attacks could still change the overall picture, the blockchain data platform warned. The post Crypto Heists Surge: North Korean Hackers Responsible for 61% of $2.2B Stolen in 2024 appeared first on CryptoPotato . NewsBTC