Bitcoin set to test $40K again. Where next?
The $40K mark is a key level for Bitcoin, and a break from its current range could see a big move down or back up. Expect volatility to continue until a clear direction is set.
Bitcoin (BTC) is teetering on a key level of support, as it once again falls near the $40K mark. This is an important level from a technical analysis perspective, given it’s acted as both support and resistance several times over the past year.
It’s the technical level where buyers have stepped in on several occasions to bid the price back up. It’s led to range-bound trading, with sellers then outnumbering buyers at around the $45K to $47K range.
Bulls will be buying near $40K and bears selling — we’re waiting for one to outnumber the other enough to bring Bitcoin out of the range. If bears succeed in bringing the price down, the next level of support might come around the $35K to $37K range.
The price of Bitcoin fell below the $41,000 level Thursday afternoon. At the time of this writing, Bitcoin was trading at $40,653.60.
Rates hikes, global tensions, no spot Bitcoin ETF in sight
So what’s keeping Bitcoin down from its $68,000 peak set in November? Several factors could be in play.
- The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday released the minutes to its January 25-26 meeting, in which members agreed it would “soon be appropriate” to begin raising interest rates.
Markets have been on edge over the past few months as soaring inflation and hawkish talk from Fed officials has caused investors to reprice technology and high growth stocks and speculative assets like cryptocurrency. - Markets have also reacted badly to uncertainty on whether Russia will invade Ukraine and the response that could elicit from the world.
- In Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Thursday stepped in to stop transactions from 34 crypto wallets tied to funding trucker-led protests in the country, according to CoinDesk. Donors have sent more than 20 bitcoin to the addresses, worth over $870,000. Under the Emergencies Act invoked by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada is broadening the scope of the country’s antimoney laundering/antiterrorist financing rules.
- The Biden administration is also committed to regulating the crypto sector. The White House is putting together an executive order for cryptocurrencies, expected to come next week, in which Biden will task multiple federal agencies with evaluating the financial stability issues that arise from digital assets like Bitcoin.
- Separately, Gary Gensler, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on Thursday, seemingly hinted that the commission was no closer to approving a Bitcoin spot ETF. While there are several Bitcoin-linked ETFs on the market, they are ETFs based on Bitcoin futures. There’s currently no US-traded exchange traded fund that is able to directly own Bitcoin.
Where will Bitcoin go next?
All said, Bitcoin and the stock market are moving together more closely now than ever before, so investors looking to escape one slump may not find solace in the other.
Goldman Sachs and Bitcoin advocates say the coin can reach $100K. That could be years away, and would likely require the digital coin taking a larger market share from gold.
The bearish camp, which includes Stifel head of equity strategy Barry Bannister, sees Bitcoin crashing to $10,000 in 2023.
The $40K mark is an important level for Bitcoin, and a break either way from the recent range could mean a bigger move up or down. If you’re investing in cryptocurrency, expect volatility to continue as long as the range holds.
At the time of publication, Matt Miczulski owned BTC.
Paid non-client promotion. Finder does not invest money with providers on this page. If a brand is a referral partner, we're paid when you click or tap through to, open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider. Partnerships are not a recommendation for you to invest with any one company. Learn more about how we make money.
Finder is not an adviser or brokerage service. Information on this page is for educational purposes only and not a recommendation to invest with any one company, trade specific stocks or fund specific investments. All editorial opinions are our own.
