Daily Market Analysis from NordFX

NordFX received its first award nearly 15 years ago, back in 2010. Since then, it has been honoured with more than 70 professional prizes and titles for achievements and innovations across various sectors of the financial industry. However, only once before, in 2015, were NordFX's merits in organizing ECN trading specifically recognized. Now, the esteemed international online portal FXDailyInfo has once again acknowledged the company as the Best ECN/STP Forex Broker.

FXDailyInfo is one of the leading resources providing daily news and analysis on the financial markets, including broker reviews, educational materials, and other useful information for traders. The portal also annually recognizes the best representatives of the financial industry with its awards. Winners of the FXDailyinfo Awards are determined through open voting by visitors to the website, which makes these awards particularly valuable as they objectively reflect the opinion of the professional community. This time, the high rating was given for the services NordFX offers its clients on Zero accounts on popular platforms such as MetaTrader 4 and 5.

A key feature here is direct access to interbank liquidity. The Electronic Communication Network (ECN) used on MT4 Zero and MT5 Zero accounts directs trader orders directly to liquidity providers, bypassing any additional intermediation. This reduces order processing time and provides the opportunity to trade at the most favourable prices with minimal commissions and spreads. On most popular pairs such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY, typical spreads are 0 pips. In addition to currency pairs, traders can also conduct transactions with cryptocurrencies, stocks, and exchange indexes, as well as oil, gas, and precious metals on these accounts. Notably, the spread for the gold pair XAU/USD is also zero. This pair is particularly favored by traders in NordFX's top three, largely thanks to which they were able to earn an impressive total of nearly $2.5 million USD in the previous year, 2023.


Notice: These materials should not be deemed a recommendation for investment or guidance for working on financial markets: they are for informative purposes only. Trading on financial markets is risky and can lead to a loss of money deposited.

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EUR/USD: Weak Inflation = Weak USD


The American currency suffered two significant blows last week. Although these were not knockdowns, let alone knockouts, these minor shocks pushed the DXY Dollar Index down from 105.26 to 104.20 points, and EUR/USD up from 1.0766 to 1.0895.

The first blow came on Tuesday, 14 May, from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Surprisingly, after his comments, the dollar should have strengthened, but instead, it faltered. Powell stated that the regulator's monetary policy is currently tight enough to eventually reduce inflation. However, he also mentioned that the Fed is not confident that inflation is rapidly decreasing and that it may take more time to reach the target level of 2.0%. One could conclude from this that the regulator is not planning to either raise or lower the interest rate.

The dollar's weakening at this moment is even more peculiar because Powell's comments were made against the backdrop of strong data on the US Producer Price Index (PPI), indicating industrial inflation growth. In April, this indicator increased by +0.5% on a monthly basis after falling by -0.1% in March (forecast +0.3%). The core index, excluding food and energy, showed growth from 2.1% to 2.4% (y/y).

We can only explain the dollar's decline in this situation with one reason. Market participants were possibly expecting that the Fed Chairman would at least hint that if inflation rises, they need to consider another rate hike. But since he did not say this, disappointment ensued.

What happened the next day seemed 100% logical. The report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday, 15 May, showed that the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell from 0.4% to 0.3% (m/m) against a forecast of 0.4%. On an annual basis, inflation also dropped from 3.5% to 3.4%. Retail sales showed an even stronger decline, from 0.6% to 0.0% on a monthly basis (forecast 0.4%). These data indicated that although inflation in the country is resisting in some areas, it is generally declining.

As a result, talks about a possible Fed rate cut this year resurfaced. "These are the first weaker CPI data that the central bank [US] needs to lower rates this year," said Jason Pride, Glenmede's Director of Investment Strategy and Analysis. The likelihood that the rate will remain unchanged until the end of 2024 fell from 35% to 25%, according to the CME's FedWatch Tool. As a result, the DXY continued to fall, and the EUR/USD pair rose. Stock markets rallied, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching record levels. There were 43 new 52-week highs and no new lows in the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq had 153 highs and 25 lows.

The dollar's weakening was halted by comments from Fed representatives at the end of the week. Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) President Neel Kashkari stated that he is not confident that the current "tight monetary policy is having a dominant effect on inflation, so interest rates need to be maintained." New York FRB President John Williams said that one positive inflation report is not enough to neutralize the negative impact of the previous two, so it's not yet time to expect the Fed to start lowering rates soon.

As for the common European currency, Reuters writes that it is resisting a fall to parity with the dollar (1:1) due to a favourable economic backdrop and the monetary measures of the European Central Bank (ECB). The six-month low for EUR/USD was recorded on 16 April at 1.0600, against the backdrop of the Eurozone's fragile economy and in sharp contrast with the stable US economy. But gradually, business activity in Europe began to recover, and according to the April report, it grew even faster than on the other side of the Atlantic. This contributed to the positive dynamics of the euro. Reuters experts noted that the gap between economic indicators in Europe and the US is narrowing, providing some support to the euro.

EUR/USD closed the week at 1.0868. As for the analysts' forecast for the near future, as of the evening of 17 May, the majority (65%) expect the dollar to strengthen, 20% foresee further weakening, and the remaining 15% took a neutral stance. All trend indicators and oscillators on D1 are 100% coloured green, with a quarter of them signalling that the pair is overbought. The nearest support for the pair is located in the zones of 1.0815-1.0835, then 1.0710-1.0725, 1.0665-1.0680, 1.0600-1.0620, 1.0560, 1.0495-1.0515, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0255, 1.0130, 1.0000. Resistance zones are found at 1.0880-1.0915, 1.0965-1.0980, 1.1015, 1.1050, and 1.1100-1.1140.

The schedule of the most important events for next week is as follows. On Tuesday, 21 May, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to speak. On Wednesday, 22 May, the publication of the minutes from the last FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting of the US Fed is of particular interest. The next day, as usual, we will learn about the number of initial jobless claims in the US, as well as receive preliminary data on business activity (PPI) in Germany, the Eurozone, and the United States. At the very end of the workweek, on Friday, 24 May, we will learn the GDP data of Germany for Q1 2024.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Weak USD = Strong BTC

"A week of reflection and uncertainty": this is how we described the previous review. On Wednesday, 15 May, this uncertainty was resolved in favour of the crypto market. As often happens, the reason for this was the Fed's monetary policy. The released inflation data in the US influenced market expectations regarding a rate cut. As a result, the American currency weakened, the DXY index went down, and investors' risk appetites increased. Stock indices reached historical highs, with the daily gain for BTC/USD exceeding 8%. ETH/USD also rose by 4.5%. However, this is not yet the long-awaited Bull Rally, and it is quite possible that once the situation with the dollar calms down, the growth of bitcoin and leading altcoins will cease. At least, this is the scenario many crypto market specialists predict.

According to Capriole Investment founder Charles Edwards, bitcoin is in a "deathly boring" stage. He believes that the current consolidation period may last from one to six months, during which the quotes will remain in a low-volatility range. This will continue until traders lose patience.

Sentiment will be most negative just before the end of the flat period, Edwards believes. "When you get tired of the sideways movement, common symptoms will include thoughts that the halving is already priced in and the bull market is over. [?] Your symptoms and shorts will peak just before the mega-rally," predicts the head of Capriole Investment.

Galaxy Digital head Mike Novogratz also spoke about the consolidation of the crypto market, whose growth dried up three months after the launch of spot BTC-ETFs. In his opinion, until new circumstances or events lead to growth, the first cryptocurrency will trade in the range of $55,000 to $75,000.

Analyst Rekt Capital expressed a similar point of view. He believes that the threat of a bitcoin price drop after the halving has already passed. Drawing an analogy with the situation six years ago, he suggested that on 01 May, BTC hit a bottom around $56,000, and now calm will likely prevail until autumn, with the asset remaining in the accumulation zone. According to Rekt Capital's forecast, the exponential growth phase will begin in the autumn, during which the coin's value will reach new heights.

Bitfinex crypto exchange experts are somewhat more optimistic. They believe that the current lull may last only until the beginning of summer, and in Q3?Q4, growth will return. But everything depends on the actions of the US Fed. Bitfinex notes that the decline of the US currency from a six-month peak after the May meeting of the regulator and a weak employment report became a turning point in the trend. Now, the reduction in inflationary pressure in the US has been added. As a result, the weakening of the US currency could stimulate a rally in digital assets.

Where will this rally lead in the medium and long term? There are many answers to this question. Some predict the complete collapse and oblivion of bitcoin, while others insist on a price of $1 million per coin. Recently, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X) and head of Block, joined the "millionaires' club" after CMCC Crest co-founder Willy Woo. He also expects bitcoin to surpass the $1 million mark by 2030, after which it will continue to grow, challenging traditional fiat currencies. The entrepreneur noted that a very interesting aspect of digital gold is the nature of its ecosystem and how it stimulates collective efforts to improve the network. "Aside from the founding story, the most amazing thing about bitcoin is that everyone [...] who makes any effort to improve it makes the whole ecosystem better, which drives the price up. This is an incredible movement. [...] It has taught me a lot," he explained.

Businessman, writer, and founder of Edelman Financial Services Ric Edelman believes that traditional international investors will do everything possible to diversify their portfolios. And if they all invest at least 1% of their funds in the first cryptocurrency, the bitcoin market volume will reach an unprecedented $7.4 trillion, and the asset price will soar to $420,000. The growth of the market capitalization will be facilitated by spot BTC-ETFs. According to Edelman, they cover a much broader investor base than traditional assets. "In addition, crypto ETFs are incredibly cheap. They are 20-25% cheaper than assets on Coinbase or other crypto exchanges. Plus, they are held in brokerage accounts. Bitcoin ETFs allow for traditional investment strategies such as rebalancing and dollar-cost averaging. There are also tax advantages," Edelman lists the advantages of such funds. "I am confident that bitcoin and ethereum ETFs will have a significant impact on the market in the long run," he stated.

However, this last assertion can be disputed. While BTC-ETFs are a reality, the situation with ETH-ETFs is not so simple. Many expected the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to approve applications for the launch of ethereum funds in May. But this has not happened yet. Moreover, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas and securities lawyer Scott Johnson believe that the chances of approving spot ETH-ETFs are almost zero. In their opinion, the SEC is now considering the possibility of rejecting these funds' launch based on the fact that the applications were submitted with violations, as the fund shares are securities, not exchange-traded commodities.

The question of choosing between bitcoin and ethereum confronts many investors. The roles of these two cryptocurrencies differ, and this can significantly affect their profitability. Bitcoin is increasingly seen as digital gold, providing stability during times of economic uncertainty. This concept is supported by the observed post-halving volatility decrease, which was even lower than that of many companies in the S&P 500 index (Fidelity data).

Ethereum continues to push the boundaries of what is possible through technological innovations, including the recent Dencun update aimed at reducing fees and increasing scalability. However, these changes have once again made the network inflationary, nullifying the deflationary trend established after The Merge in 2022. As a result, ETH's volatility remains higher than BTC's.

According to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence from OpenAI, the choice between these assets largely depends on individual investment strategy and risk tolerance. Bitcoin is generally better suited for investors seeking a relatively safe store of value and those new to cryptocurrencies. In contrast, Ethereum is better for those who believe in the future of blockchain technology. The main altcoin potentially offers higher rewards but also higher risks.

Investor and Eight founder Micha?l van de Poppe has already made his choice. He admitted to selling all his bitcoins to buy altcoins. Van de Poppe believes that many of them are undervalued. And as soon as ETH prices start to rise, other alternative tokens will also go up. The expert believes that the altcoins he has chosen are likely to start growing earlier and faster than the market leader, allowing for greater profit than from investments in digital gold.

At the time of writing this review, the evening of Friday, 17 May, BTC/USD is trading at $66,835, and ETH/USD at $3,095. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $2.42 trillion ($2.24 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has risen from 66 to 74 points but remains in the Greed zone.


NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

#eurusd #gbpusd #usdjpy #btcusd #ethusd #ltcusd #xrpusd #forex #forex_example #signals #cryptocurrencies #bitcoin #stock_market

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EUR/USD: The Battle of Europe and US PMIs

Overall, the past week favoured the dollar, but the advantage over the European currency was minimal. If you look at where the EUR/USD pair was on 15 May, it returned to this zone on 24 May, regaining the losses of recent days. Recall that the report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released on 15 May showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased from 0.4% to 0.3% month-on-month (m/m), against a forecast of 0.4%. On an annual basis, inflation also fell from 3.5% to 3.4%. Retail sales volume demonstrated an even more significant decline, from 0.6% to 0.0% month-on-month (forecast 0.4%). These data indicated that inflation in the country, though resistant in certain areas, is still on the decline. At that moment, there were renewed discussions in the market about a possible rate cut by the Fed as early as this autumn. As a result, the Dollar Index (DXY) went down, and EUR/USD went up. Stock indices S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record highs.

The most volatile day of the past week was Thursday, 23 May. Preliminary business activity data in the Eurozone exceeded expectations, strengthening the euro and lifting the pair to 1.0860. In Germany, the main locomotive of the European economy, the Manufacturing PMI rose from 42.5 to 45.4 points (forecast 43.2). This is still below the 50.0-point threshold separating decline from growth, but the trend is clearly positive. The Services PMI reached its highest level since June last year, hitting 53.9 against a forecast of 53.5 and a previous value of 53.2.

Germany's Composite PMI increased from 50.6 to 52.2 (market expectations were 51.0). Overall, business activity statistics in the Eurozone were also positive. The Composite PMI updated multi-month highs and, with a forecast of 52.0, actually reached 52.3 points (previous value 51.7).

However, the euro bulls' joy was short-lived. Later on Thursday, similar preliminary data on the US economy were released. They showed that business activity in the country's private sector grew at the highest rate in the past two years. The Manufacturing PMI rose from 50.0 to 50.9 points, and the Composite PMI jumped from 51.3 to 54.8 in a month. Market expectations were much lower, at the previous level of 51.3, so such a sharp rise signalled a surge in the DXY to 105.05 and a fall in the EUR/USD pair to 1.0804, as the likelihood of a rate cut in September decreased.

But the bears' joy was also short-lived. The GDP data released on Friday, 24 May, for Q1 2024 in Germany showed that the country's economy is saying goodbye to recession and moving into the growth zone. After a decline of -0.3%, GDP increased by 0.5%, resulting in a net growth of +0.2%.

In the end, after all these fluctuations, EUR/USD returned to the Pivot Point of the past one and a half weeks, closing at 1.0845. As for analysts' forecasts for the near future, as of the evening of 24 May, most (65%) expect the dollar to strengthen, 20% expect it to weaken, and the remaining 15% are neutral. All trend indicators on D1 are green, while 60% of oscillators are also green. Another 15% are red, and 25% are neutral grey. The nearest support for the pair is in the zones of 1.0830-1.0840, 1.0800-1.0810, then 1.0765, 1.0710-1.0725, 1.0665-1.0680, and 1.0600-1.0620. Resistance zones are located at 1.0880-1.0895, 1.0925-1.0940, 1.0980-1.1010, 1.1050, and 1.1100-1.1140.

The following week's calendar highlights Tuesday, 28 May, when the US Consumer Confidence Index will be announced. On the next day, 29 May, data on consumer inflation (CPI) in Germany will be released. On Thursday, 30 May, preliminary US GDP data for Q1 2024 will be published. The last working day of the week and the month might be quite eventful. On Friday, 31 May, Germany's retail sales volumes, preliminary inflation indicators (CPI) in the Eurozone, and the US Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index will be announced. Traders should also note that Monday, 27 May, is a public holiday in the US, as the country observes Memorial Day.

GBP/USD: Uncertain Times for the Pound

The prospects for the British currency, as well as the national economy as a whole, are ambiguous. Additional uncertainty is brought by the fact that early parliamentary elections are scheduled for 4 July. As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated, "economic instability is just the beginning. [...] The time has come for Britain to make a choice. [...] Uncertain times require a clear plan and bold actions." However, what these "bold actions" will be remains unknown.

The macro statistics released last week did not add clarity. The preliminary Services PMI in the UK decreased from 55.0 to 52.9 points in May, against expectations of 54.7. And although in the manufacturing sector, this figure increased from 49.1 to 51.3, the Composite PMI stood at 52.8, below both the previous value of 54.1 and market expectations of 54.0.

As the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed, published on Friday, 24 May, retail sales in the country fell by -2.3% (m/m) in April, against a forecast of -0.4% and a result of -0.2% in March. The annual retail sales volume decreased by -2.7% compared to the previous result of -0.4%, and core retail sales fell by -3.0% (y/y) against 0% a month earlier, with all figures significantly below forecasts.

In such a situation, experts' opinions regarding the timing of the Bank of England's (BoE) rate cut also do not provide clear guidance. Analysts at JP Morgan (JPM) stick to their previous forecast of a rate cut in August but are cautious, citing still high consumer price inflation (CPI). "We adhere to our forecast [...] but believe that the risks have clearly shifted towards a later cut. Now it is a question of whether the Bank of England will be able to ease its policy at all this year." Strategists at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC have also shifted their rate cut forecasts, moving the date from June to August for now. But this is only "for now"...

The maximum of the past week for GBP/USD was recorded at 1.2760. According to economists from Singapore's United Overseas Bank (UOB), the pair's upward momentum has slowed, and the likelihood of the pound rising to 1.2800 is decreasing. UOB believes that in the next 1-3 weeks, the British currency will trade in the range of 1.2685 to 1.2755.

The week ended at 1.2737. The median forecast of analysts for the near future is as follows: 60% voted for the pair's movement to the south, 20% for the northern direction, and 20% preferred neutrality. As for technical analysis, all trend indicators and oscillators on D1 point north, but a third of the latter signal overbought conditions. In case of further decline, the pair will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2695, 1.2635, 1.2575-1.2600, 1.2540, 1.2445-1.2465, 1.2405, 1.2300-1.2330. In case of growth, the pair will meet resistance at levels 1.2760, 1.2800-1.2820, 1.2885-1.2900.

No significant economic data releases for the United Kingdom are scheduled for the coming week. However, it should be noted that Monday, 27 May, is a bank holiday in the UK.

USD/JPY: Calmness, Ladies and Gentlemen, Just Calmness!

For such a super-volatile pair as USD/JPY, the past week was surprisingly calm. There were no currency interventions, and verbal interventions were as usual ? lots of words, little action. Thus, Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki once again expressed concern about rising prices caused by the weak national currency. According to Suzuki, one of the main goals of monetary authorities is to achieve wage growth exceeding inflation. "On the other hand," the minister added, "if prices remain high, achieving this goal will be difficult." In general, as usual, the government is closely monitoring the situation, understanding that everything is complicated, and therefore ... will continue to monitor.

Based on this contemplative policy, despite the GDP decline in Q1, on Thursday, 23 May, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced that it left the issuance volumes of Japanese government bonds (JGB) at the previous level. According to BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda, "the economic outlook has not changed." The BoJ's view of the global economy has also not changed significantly. In general, calmness, ladies and gentlemen, just calmness!

Against this positive background, USD/JPY pair reacted only to the yield of US Treasury bonds and the dynamics of the Dollar Index (DXY). As a result, starting the five-day period around 155.70, it gradually moved up and ended it at 156.96. Analysts at United Overseas Bank (UOB) believe that given the weak upward pressure, the pair's growth in the next 1-3 weeks will be slow, and the barrier at 157.50 may prove to be a tough nut to crack. In their opinion, a price breakthrough above 157.00 is possible, but the pair is unlikely to consolidate above this level. The next resistance at 157.50 is unlikely to be threatened. UOB estimates that support is at 156.40, followed by 156.10. If USD/JPY falls below 155.60, it will indicate that the slight upward pressure has weakened, write the bank's economists. 

Speaking of the average forecast, only 20% of analysts point south, 40% north, and another 40% east. Technical analysis tools are clearly devoid of such disagreements. Therefore, all 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 point north, with 20% of the latter already in the overbought zone. It should be noted that while the green/north color of indicators regarding the British pound indicates its strengthening, in relation to the yen, it signals its weakening. Therefore, we advise paying attention to the GBP/JPY pair, whose dynamics have been very impressive lately.

The nearest support level is around 156.25, followed by zones and levels of 155.25-155.45, 154.60, 153.60-153.90, 153.00-153.15, 151.85-152.35, 150.80-151.00, 149.70-150.00, 148.40, 147.30-147.60, and 146.50. The nearest resistance is in the zone of 157.20, followed by 157.80-158.00, 158.45, 159.40, and 160.20-160.30.

From the events of the upcoming week, we recommend noting the speech of the Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Monday, 27 May, as well as the publication of consumer inflation (CPI) data in the Tokyo region on Friday, 31 May.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: A Week Under the Ethereum Flag


In 2024, the crypto community began gradually forgetting the term "crypto winter." However, there was no talk of a "crypto spring" either. After the halving on 12 April, in the absence of a bull rally, small traders and speculators began selling off their coin reserves. According to The Block Research, the rate of opening new BTC wallets fell to a six-year low. However, the whales buying digital gold for the future prevented a complete collapse in prices.

And finally, at the end of the calendar spring, it seems spring has come to the crypto market. And it was awakened by the Federal Reserve System (Fed) of the USA with its monetary policy. According to analysts, the surge in investments in digital assets was a response to the May consumer inflation (CPI) report in the US, which positively impacted the risk appetites of institutional investors.

According to CoinShares, investments in crypto funds increased by $932 million from 13 to 17 May, after an inflow of $130 million the previous week. For the first time, there was an inflow of $18 million into Grayscale's ETF. This sharp increase in BTC-ETF investments, the highest in the last nine weeks, triggered a sharp rise in bitcoin on 20-21 May, approaching $72,000 for the first time since 09 April.

After bitcoin rose above $71,000, its price updated historical highs in the local currencies of several Asian and South American countries. According to CoinMarketCap, in Japan, BTC reached a record level of 11.2 million yen at the start of trading on 21 May. This is the first case where the flagship asset's price exceeded 11 million yen. Digital gold prices also peaked in Argentina, where the leading cryptocurrency reached 63.8 million Argentine pesos, slightly above the maximum on 14 March.

In the Philippines, one bitcoin briefly rose to 4.18 million pesos, the highest since mid-March 2024. In several other countries, BTC prices also equalled or were very close to mid-March's maximum prices: in the UK, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Norway, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey.

However, the Fed and American macro statistics, having awakened the markets, also calmed them. After strong business activity data in the US, BTC/USD returned to the support zone of $67,000. Another (and probably the main) reason why bitcoin could not update its historical high was its main competitor, ethereum, which drew investors' attention. (More on this below).

QCP Capital expects bitcoin to reach $74,000 and update its ATH (All-Time High) in the coming months. According to the company's economists, institutional acceptance of cryptocurrency is accelerating, and improving conditions in the global economy create conditions for capital inflows into risky assets. The US presidential election, scheduled for 5 November 2024, is also starting to have a strong positive impact on the cryptocurrency market.

Cryptocurrency themes continue to strengthen in the pre-election rhetoric of candidates seeking to gain the votes of the crypto community, which, according to NYDIG, numbers more than 46 million citizens in the US, or 22% of the adult population. Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner of Dragonfly Capital, believes that in such a situation, the administration of President Joseph Biden will soon be forced to ease its policy regarding the digital asset industry. A complete turnaround is not to be expected, but a softening of the position will still occur, Qureshi said.

CNN has recently reported on upcoming debates between Biden and his competitor, Donald Trump. The incumbent president will have to answer a number of uncomfortable questions about the harsh policy towards the crypto industry, which led to the outflow of cryptocurrency capital, the closure of large companies, and high-profile lawsuits. From Donald Trump, who turned the topic of cryptocurrency into a weapon against his opponent, in addition to attacks for the current state of affairs, loud pre-election promises can be expected, which could lead to significant volatility in the crypto market. Possible participation of Elon Musk, who expressed willingness to become a moderator, and independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., should enliven the debates, the first round of which is scheduled for 27 June, and the second for 10 September.

The main beneficiary of the past week was not bitcoin but ethereum. On Monday, 20 May, news reached the media that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asked companies to update Form 19b-4 in applications for launching spot Ethereum ETFs in an accelerated manner. After these news, the financial agency Bloomberg immediately raised the chances of such funds being approved from 25% to 75%. Against this background, the leading altcoin quickly outpaced the flagship cryptocurrency in terms of growth rates.

The deadline for the first two applications from VanEck and Grayscale was Thursday, 23 May. Shortly before the X hour, ETH/USD reached $3,947, showing a growth of almost 30% in three days. According to Coinglass, the amount of liquidations and forced closures of short positions on crypto exchanges amounted to $340 million. A total of 78.8 thousand positions were liquidated, and the largest individual liquidation occurred on the HTX exchange for the ETH/USDT pair for $3.1 million.

The SEC did not disappoint expectations and on 23 May approved not two but a total of eight applications for the issuance of spot ETFs based on Ethereum and gave the go-ahead for trading and listing these funds on exchanges. According to Variant Investments Chief Legal Officer Jake Chervinsky, this step signals a "significant shift in US crypto policy, possibly more important than the ETFs themselves." This may also mean that recognizing ethereum as a commodity, the regulator will not categorize many other altcoins as securities. According to Rekt Capital, the market is already on the verge of an altcoin rally, the peak of which is expected in July.

Experts expect significant capital inflows after the listing of ETH-ETFs and believe that billions of dollars will be invested in derivatives in the first week after trading starts. Analysts from QCP Capital believe that the altcoin rate in the short term can rise to $4,000 and exceed $5,000 by the end of the year.

An even bolder forecast is given by Standard Chartered Bank economists. They expect capital inflows into such funds in the first year to range from $15 to $45 billion (2-9 million ETH). In this case, the fund's demand will lead to the asset's rate rising to $8,000 at a bitcoin rate of $150,000. Moreover, if market dynamics are positive, by 2025, the price of Ethereum will reach $14,000, and bitcoin's rate will increase to $200,000.

As of the evening of Friday, 24 May, BTC/USD is trading at $69,900, and ETH/USD at $3,735. The absence of an immediate pump and some drawdown of this pair on 23-24 May can be explained by the fact that everyone who wanted to has already managed to buy ethereums ahead of the SEC's historic decision. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization is $2.55 trillion ($2.42 trillion a week ago). The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index (Crypto Fear & Greed Index) has not changed and remains in the Greed zone at 74 points.

And in conclusion of the review, forecasts from Artificial Intelligence. The latest version of GPT-4o from OpenAI believes that the price of bitcoin on 1 August 2024 will be in the range of $76,348 to $89,108 "considering current market factors and historical trends." GPT-4o's competitor, the anthropic AI model Claude 3 Opus, has formed an even more optimistic vision, designating the range between $105,072 and $167,808 by the indicated date.


NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

#eurusd #gbpusd #usdjpy #btcusd #ethusd #ltcusd #xrpusd #forex #forex_example #signals #cryptocurrencies #bitcoin #stock_market

https://nordfx.com/

USD/JPY: A Very Calm Week


The past week was surprisingly calm for the yen. USD/JPY moved within a super-narrow sideways channel of 156.60-157.00 for the first half of the week, but then, amid US data and Japanese macro statistics, the trading range expanded slightly to 156.36-157.70. Compared to the price swings at the end of April and early May, it's hard to believe this is the same currency pair. Interestingly, Japanese financial authorities have not officially confirmed whether they conducted intensive yen purchases on 29 April and 1 May to support its exchange rate. However, Bloomberg reports that comparing deposits at the Bank of Japan suggests that around ?9.4 trillion ($60 billion) might have been spent on these currency interventions, a new monthly record for such financial operations.

However, if this $60 billion helped, it was only slightly ? the dollar has already recovered half of its losses. Since interest rates in the US and Europe have not yet decreased, and the yen rate remains extremely low at 0.1%, officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan (BoJ) are trying to buy time until this gap starts to narrow. Comments from BoJ board member Seiji Adachi, who stated on 30 May that the Japanese central bank leaders could raise the interest rate, provided some support for the yen. However, the question of when this might happen remains open, and officials are reluctant to answer. In his traditional speech on Friday, 31 May, Japan's Minister of Finance, Shunichi Suzuki, reiterated that exchange rates should reflect fundamental indicators and that he would respond appropriately to excessive movements.

On Friday, 31 May, a block of important macroeconomic statistics on the state of the Japanese economy was released. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Tokyo showed that inflation rose to 2.2% y/y in May. In April, this figure was at 1.8%, matching a 26-month low. Core inflation in Tokyo also rose to 1.9% from 1.6% y/y, and the CPI excluding volatile food and energy prices increased from 1.8% to 2.2% y/y. (It should be noted that inflation in Tokyo is usually higher than the nationwide figures, which are published three weeks later. Therefore, the Tokyo CPI is a preliminary but not final indicator of inflation dynamics at the national level.)

The current rise in inflation could increase confidence in future BoJ monetary policy tightening. However, the fear of low inflation and a sharp yen appreciation deters the BoJ from raising the interest rate and narrowing the gap with other major global currencies' rates. A strong yen would harm national exporters. The decline in industrial production, which fell by -0.1% in April both month-on-month and year-on-year, does not encourage borrowing costs to rise.

The last note of the week for USD/JPY was struck at 157.25. United Overseas Bank (UOB) analysts believe that in the next 1-3 weeks, "the dollar has the potential for growth, but given the weak upward momentum, any advancement is likely to be slow. The 157.50 level might be difficult to overcome, and resistance at 158.00 is unlikely to be reached in the near future."

Speaking of the average forecast of experts, only 20% indicate a southward direction, while the remaining 80% adopt a neutral position and look east. Technical analysis tools show no such doubts or disagreements. Thus, 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 point north, with 15% already in the overbought zone. It should be noted that if the green/north color of the indicators for the euro and the British pound indicates their strengthening, in the case of the yen, it conversely indicates its weakening. Therefore, traders may find it interesting to pay attention to the EUR/JPY and GBP/JPY pairs, whose dynamics have been impressive lately.

The nearest support level is in the area of 156.25-156.60, followed by zones and levels at 155.50-155.90, 153.10-153.60, 151.85-152.35, 150.80-151.00, 149.70-150.00, 148.40, 147.30-147.60, 146.50. The nearest resistance is in the 157.40 zone, followed by 157.70-158.00, 158.60, and 160.00-160.20.

No significant events or publications regarding the state of the Japanese economy are expected next week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Bullish and Bearish Ethereum Prospects

For the second week, market participants' attention has been focused on the main altcoin. On 23 May, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved 19b-4 applications from eight issuers of spot exchange-traded funds based on Ethereum. (According to JP Morgan experts, this was dictated not by a desire to support digital assets but by a political decision aimed at supporting Joe Biden ahead of the US presidential elections.) Whatever the true reason for this regulatory move, everyone is now interested in where Ethereum prices will go.

The newborn ETH-ETFs can only start trading after the SEC approves the S-1 applications. According to Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart, this could take "weeks or months," although it is very likely to happen in mid-June. According to DeFiance Capital CEO Arthur Cheong, Ethereum's price could rise to $4,500 even before trading begins. CCData analysts believe that within 100 days of the launch of ETH-ETFs, the price could reach $5,000 per coin. This forecast is based on linear regression and the price statistics of bitcoin after the launch of spot BTC-ETFs. CCData's analysis assumes that inflows into similar Ethereum funds will be at least 50% of inflows into Bitcoin-ETFs, which means about $3.9 billion over a 100-day period.

Popular analyst Lark Davis has forecasted future growth for bitcoin to $150,000 and Ethereum to $15,000, explaining such a sharp price increase by the emerging market dynamics. The main reason for growth, Davis also cites spot BTC-ETFs, to which ETH-ETFs will now join. This will further fuel the cryptocurrency market's enthusiasm. Currently, spot BTC-ETFs hold 1,002,343 coins (≈ $68 billion), which is about 5% of the circulating supply of the flagship asset. Davis believes this impressive figure clearly indicates growing recognition of cryptocurrency and interest from institutional investors, especially from the US.

Strike CEO Jack Mallers predicts that during the ongoing bull rally, bitcoin could reach $250,000 and possibly rise in price to $1 million. On a podcast with Pomp Investments founder Anthony Pompliano, Mallers explained his bold forecast by stating that bitcoin is still at an early stage of development. According to him, the bond market is currently facing problems, so central banks may inject a significant amount of liquidity into the financial system to stabilize it. This liquidity influx will trigger an increase in the value of risky assets, including the leading cryptocurrency.

Jack Mallers disagrees with the notion that bitcoin is a bubble or a tool for speculation. The asset is becoming increasingly popular among financial giants on Wall Street, and its limited supply of 21 million coins makes BTC highly resistant to inflation, unlike fiat currencies and gold. "Bitcoin can be called the hardest form of money ? thanks to the fixed issuance schedule and halvings every four years. The release rate of new coins gradually decreases, thereby increasing bitcoin's long-term value," argued the Strike CEO.

Analysts from financial investment company Motley Fool also target a six-figure number. They suggested that bitcoin's rate could rise to $400,000 and possibly even reach $1 million. The reason, which has been mentioned many times, is the influx of money from institutional investors through spot ETFs. Motley Fool analysts noted that more and more pension funds and hedge funds, managing multi-billion dollar sums, are entering the bitcoin market. Thanks to cryptocurrency ETFs, they can easily include bitcoin (and soon Ethereum) in their investment portfolios.

According to analysts, around 700 investment companies have already invested in such funds. Nevertheless, the share of institutional investors in bitcoin-ETFs is currently only about 10% of the total. Motley Fool estimates that if financial institutions invest about 5% of their assets in bitcoin, the market capitalization of the first cryptocurrency could exceed $7 trillion, which explains its forecasted rate of $400,000.

Considerably less optimism was heard in the forecast of Bloomberg senior analyst Mike McGlone. According to him, bitcoin's volatility leaves it trailing gold and the US dollar in investment appeal. Furthermore, he believes that stocks will soon crash amid the expected recession, but BTC will suffer even more than the stock market. McGlone emphasized that the Tether (USDT) stablecoin, pegged to the US dollar, typically trades twice as much per day as bitcoin. "I can access the US dollar anywhere in the world from my phone using Tether. Tether is the number one trading token. It's the number one cryptocurrency for trading. It's the dollar. The whole world has moved to the dollar. Why? Because it's the least bad of all fiat currencies," the Bloomberg expert stated.

While Mike McGlone merely downgraded bitcoin's attractiveness, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson simply buried it. He equated bitcoin to a religion and stated that the industry has outgrown its dependence on it. According to Hoskinson, "the industry no longer needs bitcoin to survive." He pointed out critical threats to the leading cryptocurrency, including insufficient adaptability and dependence on the Proof-of-Work algorithm.

Franklin Templeton analysts, on the contrary, consider L2 protocols, along with Ordinals, Runes, and DeFi primitives, as one of the main drivers of bitcoin's innovation revival. Strike CEO Jack Mallers defended the first cryptocurrency. According to him, the Lightning Network, created for instant and cheap transactions, a second-layer solution based on the BTC blockchain, can further increase the demand for the first cryptocurrency. Mallers believes that thanks to this, bitcoin can be used for everyday purchases, such as paying for a cup of coffee. Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes called the native token of the Cardano blockchain (ADA) "dog shit" due to its low use in protocols.

As of the time of writing this review on the evening of Friday, 31 May, ADA is trading at 0.45 USD per coin, while bitcoin and Ethereum are faring significantly better: BTC/USD is trading at $67,600, and ETH/USD at $3,790. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization is $2.53 trillion ($2.55 trillion a week ago). The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index remained almost unchanged over 7 days, staying in the Greed zone at 73 points (74 a week ago).

It should be noted that ETH/USD failed to break through the $4,000 resistance this past week. The local maximum was recorded on Monday, 27 May, at $3,974. The lack of an immediate pump is explained by the fact that everyone who wanted to buy Ethereum in anticipation of the SEC's historic decision already did so. Meanwhile, according to some analysts, there is a high probability that immediately after the launch of the long-awaited spot exchange funds, Ethereum will enter a deep drawdown, similar to what happened in January with bitcoin. Then, over 12 days, it fell by 21%.

One of the key reasons for BTC's drawdown at that time was the unlocking of GBTC fund assets from Grayscale, which was converted into a spot fund from a trust. It began losing investments daily at a rate of $500 million. It is possible that something similar could happen with Ethereum, where Grayscale's ETHE fund holds $11 billion worth of ETH. As soon as this fund is converted into a spot fund and its assets are unlocked, short-term investors might start taking profits, potentially causing ETH/USD to fall to the strong support zone of $2,900-3,200.

Pessimists among bearish factors also cite the uncertain legal status of the altcoin, as the SEC has not yet clearly defined whether ETH is a commodity or a security. Additionally, the regulator has many complaints about the staking program.

Staking is a way to earn cryptocurrency by "locking" a certain amount of coins in a wallet on the Proof of Stake (PoS) algorithm to support the network. In return, the user receives rewards in the form of additional coins. According to Wall Street legend Peter Brandt, "the biggest disasters in the cryptocurrency sphere that are yet to happen will be related to staking." The expert noted that such assets as Ethereum are often rented out to earn such income, often in the form of interest, which strongly reminds him of collapsed financial pyramids. As staking becomes more widespread, Brandt warned, it could attract increased attention from central banks, treasuries, and other authorities. This could lead to tighter regulation, significantly altering the crypto space and potentially resulting in the cessation of staking and bankruptcies for those involved.


NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

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EUR/USD: Who Controls the Financial Market

It is clear that interest rates rule the markets, not only in terms of actual changes but also regarding expectations about the timing and magnitude of future changes. From spring 2022 to mid-2023, the focus was on raising rates; now, the expectation has shifted towards their reduction. Traders are still uncertain about the Federal Reserve's decisions and timing, leading them to scrutinize macroeconomic statistics primarily for their impact on the likelihood of monetary policy easing by the regulator.

At the beginning of last week, the dollar was under pressure due to weak data on business activity (PMI) in the US manufacturing sector. On Monday, 3 June, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that manufacturing activity in the country decreased in May from 49.2 to 48.7 points (forecast 49.6). As the index remained in contraction territory (below 50), there was renewed speculation among traders and investors about a possible Fed rate cut in September.

The US currency received some support from business activity data in the services sector. This time, the PMI was 53.8 points, higher than both the previous value of 49.4 and the forecast of 50.8, which slightly pleased the dollar bulls.

Thursday, 6 June, was relatively calm. The European Central Bank's Governing Council lowered the interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.25%, as expected. This step fully aligned with forecasts and was already factored into EUR/USD  quotes. Notably, the ECB had not lowered rates since 2019, began raising them in July 2022, and kept them unchanged at the same level during the last five meetings. Since September 2023, inflation in the Eurozone has decreased by more than 2.5%, allowing the regulator to take this step for the first time in a long while.

The ECB's statement following the meeting indicated that despite the rate cut, its monetary policy remains restrictive. The regulator forecasts that inflation will likely remain above the 2.0% target this year and next. Therefore, interest rates will remain at restrictive levels as long as necessary to achieve the inflation goal. The ECB raised its forecast for inflation, now expecting CPI to average 2.5% in 2024, 2.2% in 2025, and 1.9% in 2026м.

As mentioned, the ECB's current decision was fully anticipated by the market, as predicted by all 82 economists surveyed by Reuters at the end of May. The more intriguing aspect is what will happen next. More than two-thirds of Reuters respondents (55 out of 82) believe that the ECB's Governing Council will cut the rate twice more this year ? in September and December. This figure has increased compared to the April survey, where just over half of the economists made such a prediction.

A local triumph for the dollar bulls occurred on Friday, 7 June, when the US Department of Labour report was released. The number of new jobs in the non-farm sector (NFP) was 272K in May, compared to the expected 185K. This result was significantly higher than the revised April figure of 165K. The data also showed a more substantial than expected increase in the average hourly earnings, an inflationary indicator, which grew by 0.4%, double the previous value of 0.2% and one and a half times higher than the forecast of 0.3%. The only slight negative was the unemployment rate, which unexpectedly rose from 3.9% to 4.0%. However, overall, this data benefited the dollar, and the EUR/USD pair, having bounced off the upper boundary of the 3.5-week sideways channel at 1.0900, ended the five-day period at its lower boundary of 1.0800.

Regarding the analysts' forecast for the near future, as of the evening of 7 June, it is quite vague: 40% of experts voted for the pair's growth, and an equal number (40%) for its fall, with the remaining 20% maintaining neutrality. Technical analysis also provides no clear guidance. Among trend indicators on D1, 25% are green and 75% are red. Among oscillators, 25% are green, 15% neutral-grey, and 60% red, though a third of them signal the pair is oversold. The nearest support levels are 1.0785, then 1.0725-1.0740, 1.0665-1.0680, and 1.0600-1.0620. Resistance zones are at 1.0865-1.0895, then 1.0925-1.0940, 1.0980-1.1010, 1.1050, and 1.1100-1.1140.

The upcoming week also promises to be quite interesting. The key day will be Wednesday, 12 June. On this day, consumer inflation (CPI) data for Germany and the United States will be released, followed by the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting of the US Fed. It is expected that the regulator will keep the key interest rate unchanged at 5.50%. Therefore, market participants will be more focused on the FOMC's Economic Projections Summary and the subsequent press conference by the Fed leadership. The next day, Thursday, 13 June, will see the release of US Producer Price Index (PPI) data and initial jobless claims numbers. At the end of the week, on Friday, 14 June, the Fed's Monetary Policy Report will be available for review.

USD/JPY: Finance Minister Responds to Questions

A week ago, we wrote that Japanese financial authorities had not confirmed whether they conducted intensive yen purchases on 29 April and 1 May to support its exchange rate. Bloomberg estimated that around ?9.4 trillion ($60 billion) might have been spent on these currency interventions, setting a new monthly record for such financial operations. We questioned the long-term or even medium-term effectiveness of this expenditure.

It seems that Japan's Finance Minister, Shunichi Suzuki, read our review, as he hastened to provide answers to the questions posed. In his statement, he first confirmed that (quote): "the decline in Japan's foreign reserves at the end of May partially reflects currency interventions." This suggests that yen purchases indeed took place. Additionally, the minister noted, "the effectiveness of such interventions should be considered," indicating his doubts about their feasibility.

Suzuki refrained from commenting on the size of the intervention funds but mentioned that while there is no limit on funds for currency interventions, their use would be limited.

As previously mentioned, besides interventions (and the fear of them), another way to support the national currency is through tightening the monetary policy of the Bank of Japan (BoJ). Early last week, yen received support from rumours that the BoJ is considering reducing the volume of its quantitative easing (QE) programme. Such a decision could decrease demand for Japanese government bonds (JGBs), increase their yields (which inversely correlates with prices), and positively impact the yen's exchange rate. The Bank of Japan is expected to discuss reducing bond purchases at its meeting next Friday, 14 June.

On Tuesday, 4 June, BoJ Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino confirmed concerns that a weak yen could negatively impact the economy and cause inflation to rise. According to him, a low national currency rate increases the cost of imported goods and reduces consumption, as people delay purchases due to high prices. However, Ryozo Himino stated that the Bank of Japan would prefer inflation driven by wage growth, as this would lead to increased household spending and consumption.

The yen received another blow from the dollar after the publication of US labour market data on 7 June. The USD/JPY pair surged as wage growth in the US sharply contrasted with the 25th consecutive month of declining wages in Japan in April.

As the saying goes, hope dies last. Investors remain hopeful that the regulator will actively combat the yen's depreciation, creating long-term factors for USD/JPY to decline. For now, it ended the week at 156.74.

The median forecast of analysts for the near term is as follows: 75% voted for the pair's decline and yen strengthening ahead of the BoJ meeting, while the remaining 25% took a neutral stance. None favoured the pair's upward movement. Technical analysis, however, presents a different picture: 100% of trend indicators on D1 are green. Among oscillators, 35% are green, 55% neutral-grey, and only 10% red. The nearest support level is around 156.00-156.25, followed by zones and levels at 155.45, 154.50-154.70, 153.10-153.60, 151.85-152.35, 150.80-151.00, 149.70-150.00, 148.40, and 147.30-147.60, with 146.50 being the furthest. The closest resistance is in the zone of 157.05-157.15, then 157.70-158.00, 158.60, and 160.00-160.20.

Noteworthy events in the coming week include Monday, 10 June, when Japan's Q1 2024 GDP data will be released, and, of course, Friday, 14 June, when the Bank of Japan's Governing Council will make decisions on future monetary policy. However, like the Fed, the yen interest rate is likely to remain unchanged.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: What Drives and Will Drive Bitcoin Upwards


The launch of spot bitcoin ETFs in January caused an explosive price increase for the leading cryptocurrency. On 12 March, inflows into these funds reached $1 billion, and by 13 March, BTC/USD set a new all-time high, rising to $73,743. Then came a lull, followed by a post-halving correction, and finally, growth resumed in May. Early last week, net inflows into BTC-ETFs amounted to $887 million, the second largest in these funds' history. As a result, BTC/USD broke the $70,000 level and recorded a local high at $71,922.

Young whales (holding over 1,000 BTC) demonstrated noticeable accumulation, adding $1 billion daily to their wallets. CryptoQuant's head, Ki Young Ju, notes that their current behaviour resembles 2020. At that time, consolidation around $10,000 lasted about six months, after which the price increased 2.5 times in three months. Key representatives of these young whales include major institutional investors from the US, who accounted for a third of all capital inflows into spot BTC-ETFs in Q1 (about $4 billion) from companies with over $100 million in assets under management.

Besides BTC-ETFs, the recent growth was significantly influenced by April's halving. The Hash Ribbons indicator is giving an "optimal signal" to buy digital gold in the coming weeks, indicating a resumption of the asset's rally, according to Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards. The metric shows miner capitulation that began two weeks ago. This period occurs when the 30-day moving average of the hash rate falls below the 60-day rate.

According to Edwards, miner capitulation happens roughly once a year, typically due to operational halts, bankruptcies, takeovers, or, as in this case, halving. The halving of the block reward makes equipment unprofitable, leading to its shutdown and hash rate decline. The last miner capitulation was in September 2023, when bitcoin traded around $25,000.

In the event of a new growth impulse, Edwards predicts the next medium-term target will be $100,000. However, he warns that summer traditionally sees a lull in financial markets, so the upward impulse might be delayed.

Wall Street legend and Factor LLC head Peter Brandt highlights the "remarkable symmetry" of market cycles, with halving halving the weeks between the bottom and the peak. If Brandt's model is correct, BTC should reach a peak between $130,000-160,000 by September next year.

Venture investor Chamath Palihapitiya offers a much more optimistic forecast. Analysing bitcoin's post-halving dynamics, he notes the cryptocurrency achieved its greatest growth 12-18 months after the event. Palihapitiya predicts that if the growth trajectory after the third halving is repeated, bitcoin's price could reach $500,000 by October 2025. Using the average figures of the last two cycles, the target is $1.14 million.

For the coming weeks, analyst Rekt Capital believes digital gold will need to confidently overcome the $72,000-$73,000 resistance zone to enter a "parabolic growth phase." Popular cryptocurrency expert Ali Martinez forecasts BTC will likely test the $79,600 price range. AI PricePredictions suggests that bitcoin could not only firmly establish above the critical $70,000 mark but also continue growing, reaching $75,245 by the end of June. This prediction is based on technical analysis indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI), Bollinger Bands (BB), and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD).

Two catalysts could drive the upcoming growth of the crypto market: the launch of spot exchange-traded funds based on Ethereum after SEC approval of S-1 applications, and the US presidential elections. According to Bloomberg exchange analyst James Seyffart, the SEC might approve the applications by mid-June, although it could take "weeks or months." JPMorgan experts believe the SEC's decision on ETH-ETFs was politically motivated ahead of the US presidential elections. These elections themselves are the second catalyst for a bull rally.

A recent Harris Poll survey, sponsored by BTC-ETF issuer Grayscale, found that geopolitical tensions and inflation are prompting more American voters to consider bitcoin. The survey, which included over 1,700 potential US voters, revealed that 77% believe presidential candidates should at least have some understanding of cryptocurrencies. Additionally, 47% plan to include cryptocurrencies in their investment portfolios, up from 40% last year. Notably, 9% of elderly voters reported increased interest in bitcoin and other crypto assets following BTC-ETF approval. According to NYDIG, the total cryptocurrency community in the US currently numbers over 46 million citizens, or 22% of the adult population.

Evaluating this situation, Wences Casares, Argentine entrepreneur and CEO of venture company Xapo, believes the US could be one of the first to adopt a dual currency system. In this case, the dollar would be used for transactions with everyday goods and services, while cryptocurrency would be a store of value.

At the time of writing, the evening of Friday, 7 June, BTC/USD trades at $69,220. The total crypto market capitalisation stands at $2.54 trillion ($2.53 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear & Greed Index rose from 73 to 77 points over the week, moving from the Greed zone to the Extreme Greed zone.

In conclusion, the forecast for the next potential candidate for a spot ETF launch in the US after bitcoin and Ethereum. Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz believes it will be Solana, which showed impressive results over the past year. At the end of 2023, SOL was around $21 but exceeded $200 by March 2024, showing nearly tenfold growth. Currently, SOL is around $172 and ranks fifth in market capitalisation. Given Solana's current position, Novogratz is confident this altcoin has a good chance of being included in the pool of spot ETFs. Recently, BKCM investment company CEO Brian Kelly expressed a similar view.


NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

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USD/JPY: BoJ Changed Nothing but Promised Changes in the Future

Unlike the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) meeting has already taken place, and its results were announced last Friday, 14 June. The yen's weakness in recent months has negatively impacted Asian currencies. In March, the central bank made its first move ? raising the rate for the first time since 2007 (since 2016, it had kept it at a negative level of -0.1%). The regulator also abandoned the targeting of 10-year government bond yields. Investors closely watched the Japanese central bank for hints on whether it would further unwind monetary stimulus.

But for now, the BoJ decided not to change its accommodative monetary policy, maintaining the current pace of bond purchases at around 6 trillion yen ($38 billion) per month. However, it promised to present a plan for their gradual reduction at the next meeting in July. "We decided to subsequently reduce the volume of our purchases [within one to two years] to ensure more free formation of long-term interest rates in financial markets," the central bank statement said. At the same time, the regulator announced that it would gather market participants' opinions before making a specific decision.

The deposit rate for commercial banks was also left unchanged ? officials unanimously voted to keep it in the range of 0.0%-0.1%, as expected. From this, experts once again concluded that the BoJ would not rush to tighten its quantitative easing (QT) monetary policy.

The French bank Societe Generale believes that given the pressure from the government due to the weak yen, the most likely scenario will be a reduction in bond purchases starting in August, with their purchases decreasing every three months and reaching zero by November 2025. Additionally, according to Societe Generale economists, the BoJ may raise the discount rate in September this year.

Of course, USD/JPY could not ignore such events of the past week as the US CPI figures and the Fed meeting: its fluctuation range exceeded 240 points (155.71 at the low, 158.25 at the high). However, the five-day result was not so impressive: starting at 156.75, it ended at 157.37.

Experts' forecasts for the near term look like this: not a single vote was given for the pair's southern movement and yen strengthening, while the remaining votes were evenly split: 50% pointed north, and 50% remained neutral. As for technical analysis, all trend indicators on D1 are coloured green. The nearest support level is in the 156.80-157.05 zone, followed by 156.00-156.10, 155.45, 154.50-154.70, 153.10-153.60, 151.85-152.15, 150.80-151.00, 149.70-150.00, 148.40, 147.30-147.60, 146.50. The nearest resistance lies in the 157.70 area, followed by 158.25-158.60, 160.00-160.20.

No significant economic statistics releases for Japan are scheduled for the upcoming week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: The Present and Future of Bitcoin Depend on the USA


In the absence of independent drivers, the crypto market has recently followed the dollar, which in turn follows the Fed, which follows the macro statistics from the USA. BTC/USD is like scales, with the main cryptocurrency on one side and the US dollar on the other. The dollar became heavier ? bitcoin became lighter, and vice versa. On Friday, 7 June, strong statistics on the US labour market were released ? the dollar became heavier, bitcoin lighter. On Wednesday, 12 June, it turned out that inflation in the USA was decreasing ? the dollar weakened, bitcoin became heavier. And in the evening, the Fed calmed the markets regarding the interest rate ? and the scales swung back. Just look at the BTC/USD and Dollar Index (DXY) charts ? the inverse correlation leaves no doubt.

In recent days, the flagship of the crypto market has lost about 7% in price. And the reason for this is the aforementioned monetary policy of the US Fed. Enthusiasm was not added by the fact that bitcoin-ETF inflows broke a 19-day streak. On 11 June alone, industry funds lost almost $65 million. The reasons are the same. They can be supplemented by the upcoming summer holiday season ? a period of correction and lull in financial markets.

Traders note that recently, "digital gold" has been trading in a narrow range between $66,000 and $72,000. One of the popular market participants considers the lower mark an ideal entry point, while entry at the upper boundary of the range, in his words, carries high risk. MN Capital founder and analyst Michael van de Poppe does not rule out that pressure from sellers will persist in the near future. In such conditions, bitcoin may correct to $65,000 and even lower. However, van de Poppe does not expect a deep price drop. According to him, a large amount of liquidity is concentrated around the $60,000 area. This suggests that this level now acts as a strong support area, and positive dynamics can be supported by geopolitical instability.

According to surveys, more than 70% of the crypto community believe that BTC is on the verge of further growth. For instance, trader Captain Faibik is confident that bitcoin is preparing to break through the "expanding wedge" technical analysis pattern. According to him, breaking its upper boundary will open the path for the cryptocurrency to rise above $94,000. Trader Titan of Crypto, in turn, expects bitcoin to reach $100,000 this summer. The growth prospects of BTC are also indicated by the activity of large investors. According to industry representatives, whales are actively entering long positions on bitcoin. Cryptoquant CEO Ki Young Ju clarified that the $69,000 level has become particularly attractive for large investors.

New Binance CEO Richard Teng, who replaced Changpeng Zhao, believes that bitcoin will soon exceed $80,000. Teng associates the potential new high with the work of spot BTC-ETFs, which have strengthened trust in the asset. The Binance CEO also allows for the legalisation of cryptocurrency if Donald Trump is elected President of the United States. Declaring himself the "crypto president," Trump said in May that the USA should lead the global crypto industry.

However, at present, cryptocurrency regulation measures are in the stage of development and implementation, which restrains investments. According to experts, current investments should be considered test cases. It should also be noted that spot ETFs have attracted significant liquidity only in the USA ? there is no similar interest in most countries.

According to billionaire Mark Cuban, the attitude towards cryptocurrencies will be a key difference between US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden, although neither understands this issue. "Do you really think [Trump] understands anything about cryptography other than making money from selling NFTs?" Cuban asked. And he answered himself: "Neither of [the candidates] understands. But I've said many times that Biden will have to choose between [SEC Chair] Gary Gensler and crypto-voters, otherwise it could cost him the White House."

According to Bitfinex crypto exchange analysts, bitcoin's price could rise to $120,000-125,000 within a few months to half a year. Similar figures are named by BitGo crypto trust company CEO Mike Belshe. In his opinion, by the end of 2024, the first cryptocurrency will cost $125,000-135,000, and one of the catalysts will be the high level of US government debt. "Our macroeconomic climate continues to confirm the need for bitcoin. Undoubtedly, US government debt is out of control. [...] This situation supports the idea that bitcoin is the gold of the new generation," Belshe said.

He also noted that the US dollar is losing its position as the world reserve currency due to US foreign policy. The BitGo CEO believes that the country uses the dollar as a weapon and a means of manipulation. "Thus, the US debt crisis is one, foreign policy and sanction control is two. And BRICS offers alternative payment systems. [...] This is the story of why bitcoin exists," he concluded.

At the time of writing this review on the evening of Friday, 14 June, BTC/USD is trading at $65,800. The total crypto market capitalisation is $2.38 trillion ($2.54 trillion a week ago). Bitcoin's capitalisation has reached a solid $1.30 trillion, which, as experts warn, reduces the effect of future inflows. Pessimists say the asset is already "overheated," and to reach $125,000, its capitalisation must almost double. In their opinion, such a colossal influx during the overbought period is unlikely, so one should expect a correction and subsequent consolidation. The possibility of such an outcome is also hinted at by the Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index: over 7 days, it fell from 77 to 70 points and moved from the Extreme-Greed zone to the Greed zones.


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Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

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USD/JPY: BoJ Rate Hike Chances Close to Zero


At its meeting on June 13-14, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) kept the interest rate unchanged at 0.1%. Recall that in March this year, the central bank made a "bold" move by raising the rate for the first time since 2007 (it had been at a negative level of -0.1% since 2016). However, after this single rate hike in 17 years, the BoJ is unlikely to continue raising it in the foreseeable future, no matter how much some analysts and investors might want it.

Such desires and forecasts are popular due to the very low level of the Japanese currency. In early 2011, USD/JPY traded around 76.00, and since then, the yen has weakened more than twofold ? on April 29, 2024, the pair reached a level of 160.22, the highest since 1986. This negatively affects national businesses. The benefits of a weak yen for exports do not cover the negatives for imports, as the trade balance is negative; the country imports more than it exports. Expensive imports, primarily raw materials and energy, reduce production profitability. GDP growth rates are falling ? in Q1 2024, this indicator showed an economic contraction to -1.8% (y/y) compared to +0.4% in the previous quarter. Additionally, the national debt relative to GDP is approaching 265%.

In such a situation, the economy needs support, not restraint by raising the key interest rate. Moreover, compared to other G10 countries, inflation in Japan is low and has been steadily declining in recent months. According to fresh data, the national CPI index, excluding food and energy prices, fell from 2.4% to 2.1%. Moreover, in June, it could fall below the BoJ's target level of 2.0%. Thus, combating inflation by raising rates is unnecessary and even harmful. But how can the yen's position be strengthened then?

Another method besides tightening monetary policy (QT) is currency interventions. Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda stated on June 20 that the government "will respond carefully to excessive currency movements" and that he "has never felt limited in the potential for currency interventions" and that the interventions conducted in May "were quite effective in combating excessive currency movements caused by speculators."

The words are beautiful. However, looking at the chart, one would argue with the official about the effectiveness of the interventions. Of course, USD/JPY retreated from the 160.00 mark for a while. But this period was quite short, and now it is again approaching this height. One can also recall similar actions in previous years, which only temporarily restrained the national currency's weakening.

This time, it seems officials have come up with another way to increase the effectiveness of monetary policy without changing rates. According to Reuters, the Ministry of Finance's commission is likely to urge the government to issue shorter-maturity debt obligations to reduce the risk of interest rate changes. (For reference, the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds currently exceeds 0.9%, nine times the central bank's rate).

The last chord of the past week for USD/JPY was set at 159.79. The continuation of the Fed's tight policy, confirmed at the June meeting, and the BoJ's ongoing soft policy still play in favour of the dollar. (Although, of course, new currency interventions are not excluded). Economists from Singapore's United Overseas Bank (UOB) believe that only a breakthrough of support at 156.50-156.80 will indicate that the pair's current upward momentum has faded.

The median forecast of experts for the near term is as follows: 75% of them voted for the pair's move south and the yen's strengthening (apparently expecting new interventions), while the remaining 25% pointed north. Indicators show the opposite picture; they have not even heard about interventions. Therefore, all 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 are green, although 20% of the latter are in the overbought zone. The nearest support level is around 158.65, followed by 157.60-158.20, 156.80-157.05, 156.00-156.10, 155.45-155.80, 154.50-154.70, 153.60, 152.85, 151.85, 150.80-151.00, 149.70-150.00, 148.40, 147.60, and 146.50-147.10. The nearest resistance is in the 160.00-160.20 zone, followed by 162.50.

The upcoming week looks busy on Friday, June 28. On this day, data on consumer inflation (CPI) in the Tokyo region will be published, as well as data on industrial production volumes and the labour market situation in Japan. No other important economic statistics are planned for the coming days.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Patience, Patience, and More Patience

In the last review, we published a forecast by MN Capital founder Michael van de Poppe, who expected BTC/USD to fall to the $60,000-65,000 range. The analyst was essentially correct ? the week's low was recorded on Friday, June 21, when the price dropped to around $63,365.

This time, we want to draw attention to the forecast of another influencer, the president of Euro Pacific Capital and a fierce opponent of cryptocurrencies, Peter Schiff. We have quoted his apocalyptic predictions multiple times. This time, the financier outlined a possible hedge fund strategy that would lead to bitcoin's collapse. According to him, investors in exchange-traded BTC spot ETFs treat digital gold as a speculative asset. Schiff noted that bitcoin has been in a "sideways" trend for the third month, trading below the March high. With such dynamics, investors might lose patience and decide to close positions at some point, causing BTC quotes to collapse amid a lack of liquidity.

It must be said that Schiff's negative forecast has some basis ? in recent days, American spot Bitcoin ETFs have indeed shown an outflow of funds. Since June 7, their cumulative balance has decreased by $879 million to $15 billion. Over the past two weeks, long-term whale holders have sold digital gold worth $1.2 billion, with more than $370 million attributed to GBTC. Thus, whales and ETFs have collectively created downward pressure worth $1.7 billion during this time.

Of course, a cryptocurrency market crash is unlikely, no matter how much Peter Schiff might want it. However, the current situation raises concerns among many specialists. Usually, bullish cryptocurrency markets are fueled by general enthusiasm around the digital coin. However, analysts at IntoTheBlock observe that despite a surge in activity among major holders (whales) earlier this year, there is no influx of new participants in the market. In fact, the number of primary BTC users has sharply dropped to multi-year lows, falling to levels seen during the bear market of 2018. This lack of growth creates a critical misunderstanding of why investors are not buying bitcoins. "Retail investors remain on the sidelines," IntoTheBlock notes.

Perhaps it is all due to the relaxed summer mood, general macroeconomic gloom, lack of sources of fresh money inflow, and other drivers. But everything can change, of course. Speaking at the BTC Prague 2024 conference, MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor reiterated that bitcoin should be considered one of the safest assets today. When asked by journalists whether it is time to sell BTC, the entrepreneur replied that the asset currently lacks fundamental growth catalysts, but a price rise should be expected soon. According to Michael Saylor, those who show patience will later receive enormous profits from owning digital gold. (For reference: MicroStrategy is the largest holder of bitcoins among public companies, with 205,000 BTC on its balance sheet, worth over $13 billion).

Analysts at the financial company Bernstein have raised the target price of the first cryptocurrency to $200,000 by the end of 2025. The forecast is driven by expectations of "unprecedented demand from spot bitcoin ETFs managed by BlackRock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and others." "We believe that ETFs have become a turning point for cryptocurrencies, causing structural demand from traditional pools of capital. In total, ETFs have attracted around $15 billion in new net funds," Bernstein's explanatory note reads.

According to the company's experts, bitcoin is in a new bullish cycle. They called the halving a unique situation where natural selling pressure from miners is halved or more, and new demand catalysts for cryptocurrency appear, leading to exponential price movements. Analysts pointed to previous cycles: in 2017, digital gold rose to a high roughly five times the marginal production cost and then fell to a low of 0.8 of this figure in 2018. "During the 2024-2027 cycle, we expect bitcoin to rise to 1.5 times this metric, implying a cycle high of $200,000 by mid-2025," Bernstein believes.

For now, at the time of writing, on the evening of Friday, June 21, the BTC/USD pair is far from $200,000 and trades at $64,150. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at $2.34 trillion ($2.38 trillion a week ago). The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index dropped from 70 to 63 points over 7 days but remains in the Greed zone.

To conclude the review, here's news from the world of Artificial Intelligence. For many years, there have been ongoing debates about the imperfections of the first cryptocurrency's concept. Some accuse the coin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, of shortsightedness, while others criticize the project's technical execution. To find out what's wrong with bitcoin, the editorial team at BeInCrypto asked the latest version of ChatGPT to analyze the cryptocurrency's whitepaper published by Nakamoto in October 2008. As a result, Artificial Intelligence found several shortcomings and errors in the main document of the crypto industry, some of which seem quite serious:

1. The 51% rule. The whitepaper claims that the network is secure if more than 50% of the power is controlled by honest participants. However, practice has shown that under certain conditions, attacks are possible with fewer resources.

2. Anonymity. The document mentions user anonymity, but bitcoin provides only pseudonymity. Transactions can be traced back to specific users.

3. Scalability. The document did not foresee scalability issues that became apparent with the network's popularity growth. High transaction volumes lead to delays and increased fees.

4. Software updates. The document does not address the need for regular software updates to maintain network security and implement new features.

5. Fork resistance. The document does not consider risks associated with network hard forks. Forks like Bitcoin Cash polarize the community, potentially reducing the network's value.

6. Regulation and legal issues. The document does not mention potential legal and regulatory obstacles for bitcoin. Since its publication, many countries have introduced or are considering regulatory measures.

7. Mining difficulty. The document's author did not foresee the significant increase in mining difficulty and the energy consumption changes. Modern mining requires enormous computing power and electricity. According to Greenpeace, in 2023, global bitcoin mining consumed approximately 121 TWh of electricity, comparable to the energy consumption of a country like Poland. This has led to significant CO2 emissions and serious atmospheric pollution, as stated in Greenpeace's report.


NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

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USD/JPY: Another Peak Conquered

Last week, 75% of analysts expecting new currency interventions voted for the USD/JPY pair's retreat south, while the remaining 25% pointed north. The minority, as is often the case with the Japanese currency, turned out to be right: no interventions occurred, and the pair reached another peak ? 161.28.

Frankly, there's nothing to comment on here ? everything has been discussed dozens and hundreds of times. The problem of the yen's weakening lies in the ultra-loose monetary policy of the Bank of Japan (BoJ). And as long as it does not decisively turn towards tightening, the national currency will continue to lose its positions. Of course, for a while, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank can support its exchange rate with currency interventions. But spending billions and billions on something that disappears like ripples on water after a few days ? is there any point in that? Can this be called monetary policy?

If inflation falls in major competing countries, in Japan, it rises. According to data published on Friday, 28 June, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Tokyo for the year ending in June rose to 2.3% compared to 2.2% for the previous period. The core CPI inflation (excluding volatile food prices) also increased to 2.1% year-on-year, which is higher than both the forecast of 2.0% and the previous value of 1.9%. Another core CPI index for Tokyo (excluding food and energy prices) decreased in June to 1.8% year-on-year compared to the previous value of 2.2%.

Of course, these are not jumps that warrant sounding a loud alarm ? all indicators are "hovering" around the target 2.0%. This allows Japanese officials to pause, without changing the vector of their monetary policy, and to limit themselves to verbal "interventions". Thus, Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki once again stated that he is "deeply concerned about excessive and unilateral movements in the Forex market" and expressed hope that "trust in the Japanese currency is maintained". Suzuki's colleague, Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, delivered almost the same speech word for word. However, he added that the authorities "will take appropriate measures regarding excessive currency movements", hinting at another currency intervention.

This hint from Yoshimasa Hayashi scared 60% of experts who voted for the pair's southward movement and yen strengthening, 20% pointed north, and 20% took a neutral position. The opinion of the indicators is unambiguous, as they have never heard of interventions. Therefore, all 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 are green, although a quarter of the latter are in the overbought zone. The nearest support level is around 160.25, followed by 159.20, 158.65, 157.60-157.80, 156.60, 155.45-155.70, 154.50-154.70, 153.60, 153.00, 151.90-152.15, 150.80-151.00. The nearest resistance is in the 160.85 zone, followed by 161.30 and 162.50.

In the upcoming week, the calendar highlights Monday, 01 July. On this day, the Tankan Large Manufacturers Index will be published. No other important macro statistics regarding the state of the Japanese economy are planned for the coming days.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Causes and Consequences of "Black Monday" on 24 June


Monday, 24 June, presented investors with a very unpleasant surprise ? on this day, bitcoin's price fell below $60,000 for the first time since 03 May, reaching $58,468 at one point. Ethereum, in turn, fell below $3,250. Analysts highlight several reasons for the active sell-offs, noting that they reflect overall instability in global financial markets and uncertainty about monetary and regulatory policies in several leading countries, especially China and the US. However, there are also more specific factors that contributed to the development of the bearish trend.

In mid-June, the German government began selling off a huge amount of bitcoins (about 50,000 BTC) confiscated in January. Panic sentiment sharply intensified after the announcement on 24 June that creditor payments for the bankrupt crypto exchange Mt.Gox would begin in early July. The total amount of funds to be distributed among former clients is 162,100 BTC, roughly $10 billion. Bitcoin responded to this news with an 8% drop. It?s no surprise ? such a volume of coins flooding the free market can seriously knock down prices. In the derivatives market, long positions worth $177 million were forcibly liquidated, and the total financing rate for futures contracts turned negative for the first time in June, indicating that sales exceeded purchases.

It is precisely on the expectations of Mt.Gox debt payments that the flagship crypto asset's quotes reached the lowest level in the past eight weeks last Monday. In this situation, two things are encouraging. Firstly, the deadline for repayment falls on 31 October, and it's possible that payments will be made in parts over four months rather than all at once. And secondly, there is hope that not all creditors will rush to convert their bitcoins into fiat, but will hold onto them, hoping for price growth.

In addition to the above, BTC miners exerted some downward pressure on the market. It became known that their coin reserves reached a 14-year low, as they had to sell a significant amount of BTC due to the April halving to cover operational expenses. Recall that the cost of mining bitcoin, according to JPMorgan analysts, is $53,000. Historically, this cost level is a strong support for BTC/USD. However, even in March, JPMorgan did not rule out that after the halving, bitcoin could temporarily fall to $42,000.

In the absence of positive signals, the demand for spot bitcoin ETFs continues to decline, major market participants slow down their activity, and start to take profits. This also pressures the prices. CEO of investment company CryptoQuant Ki Young Ju calculated that over the past two weeks, bitcoin whales and miners set a record by selling coins worth $1.2 billion.

According to 10x Research, all last week, US spot BTC ETFs recorded investor outflows, and on 21 June, net outflow exceeded $105 million. 10x Research believes that bitcoin will now need to find a new price range to stabilize the decline and then find growth catalysts. In the medium term, according to 10x Research analysts, it is not worth expecting BTC to return above $70,000.

Popular analyst Matthew Hyland noted that the combined bitcoin balance on centralized exchanges reached a multi-year low. In theory, this could be seen as a bullish signal, but the crypto market leader is not yet eager to show an upward trend. Naturally, the publication of key US economic data could serve as a vector for further cryptocurrency movements. If the Fed takes its first step in easing its monetary policy in September, it could support risky assets, including bitcoin. According to Cryptology experts, the chances of bitcoin reaching a new all-time high by the end of September are quite high, and what is happening now is a phase of accumulation.

Despite the current decline, many investors remain optimistic, citing the cyclical nature of the crypto market. They also do not forget about the US elections. For example, former Goldman Sachs CEO Raoul Pal predicted significant bitcoin and cryptocurrency market growth in Q4 2024. In an episode of The Wolf Of All Streets podcast, the financier noted that risky assets like bitcoin usually rally against the backdrop of US presidential elections. "The final quarter of an election year is a real 'banana zone' for all assets. It always is," Pal optimistically stated, noting that the "banana zone" for cryptocurrencies in autumn is much more pronounced than, for example, for the Nasdaq index.

Bitcoin was also supported by billionaire Michael Saylor. His company, MicroStrategy, is one of the largest bitcoin holders in the world, with 205,000 BTC on its balance sheet. Despite the negative trend, it increased its reserves by another 11,931 BTC (over $700 million) in the past month alone. Saylor is convinced of the first cryptocurrency's ability to grow to $10 million with support from China and other factors. He believes that in the future, governments, especially China, will fully embrace the first cryptocurrency and integrate it into the state infrastructure. The entrepreneur declared all pre-bitcoin economic instruments obsolete. "Before Satoshi Nakamoto, economics was a pseudoscience. All economists before Satoshi tried to develop economic laws with shells, glass beads, pieces of paper, and credit instruments," the businessman wrote, calling bitcoin a "perfect asset."

In previous reviews, we already wrote that the launch of exchange-traded spot ETFs on Ethereum could give a certain boost to the digital asset market. On 25 June, SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) Chairman Gary Gensler noted that the registration process for new ETFs is "going smoothly," and the approval date depends on how quickly applicants submit adjusted S-1 forms. Bloomberg analysts call 02 July the expected approval date for new products. Reuters, citing anonymous sources, reports that a consensus has been reached between fund managers and the SEC in negotiations, and only the "final touches" remain.

Co-founder of venture company Mechanism Capital Andrew Kang stated that after the approval of ETH-ETF, Ethereum's rate could correct by 30%, falling to $2,400. In his opinion, at this stage, the main altcoin attracts much less attention from institutional investors compared to bitcoin. Based on this, ETH-ETF will attract only 15% of funds compared to what BTC-ETF received at the start.

Kang noted that to increase Ethereum's attractiveness among investors, its ecosystem needs to be positioned as a decentralized financial settlement layer, a global computer, or a Web3 application store. At the same time, it will be difficult to sell new ideas for Ethereum's application to funds, as the asset is perceived by investors as an overvalued stock of a large technology company.

Significantly more positively views the future of Ethereum Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise, a company managing cryptocurrency funds. In his opinion, the appearance of a long-awaited exchange product is undoubtedly a positive factor, and the net inflow of investments into ETH-ETF over the first 18 months will amount to $15 billion. In his analysis, he relies on the experience of Canada and the EU, where in similar products the inflow ratio for Ethereum and Bitcoin is approximately 1 to 4 (i.e., 25%). In other words, if in the first quarter of work for spot Bitcoin-ETF the total inflow was $26.9 billion, for Ethereum it is expected to be at the level of $6.7 billion. In this case, in three months of work, the leading altcoin could rise to $4,400-5,000.

CEO of SkyBridge Capital Anthony Scaramucci believes that the price of Ethereum could rise even higher, reaching $10,000-12,000. Regarding bitcoin, the entrepreneur allows for its growth to $170,000-250,000. The main driver, in his opinion, will be the further institutional acceptance of cryptocurrency. Scaramucci called the approval of spot exchange ETFs an important regulatory barrier breakthrough for attracting new capital. Thanks to this, in his opinion, the share of digital gold in the portfolios of major players will soon be about 3%.

As of the evening of Friday, 28 June, BTC/USD is trading at $60,190, and ETH/USD is in the $3,390 zone. The total crypto market capitalization is $2.24 trillion ($2.34 trillion a week ago). The bitcoin Fear & Greed Index (Crypto Fear & Greed Index) has dropped from 63 to 47 points over the past 7 days, moving from the Greed zone to the Neutral zone.

In conclusion, here is another observation from Matt Hougan. The CIO of Bitwise presented three reasons why long-term investments in both bitcoin and Ethereum are more advantageous compared to investing only in bitcoin. These are: 1. portfolio diversification 2. the opportunity to earn on very different ecosystems and 3. economic benefit.

Considering the difference in the capitalization levels of bitcoin and Ethereum, Hougan believes that 75% of the capital should be invested in BTC and 25% in ETH. According to calculations, over the period from May 2020 to May 2024, the yield of such an investment portfolio is 3% per annum higher than one that only contains bitcoin. However, Hougan acknowledges that in the shorter term, a portfolio including 100% BTC outperforms a diversified one. Moreover, investing only in bitcoin carries fewer risks due to its higher market capitalization and features such as limited coin issuance and a phased reduction in the inflation rate to zero.

NordFX Analytical Group
 

Notice: These materials are not investment recommendations or guidelines for working in financial markets and are intended for informational purposes only. Trading in financial markets is risky and can result in a complete loss of deposited funds.

#eurusd #gbpusd #usdjpy #btcusd #ethusd #ltcusd #xrpusd #forex #forex_example #signals #cryptocurrencies #bitcoin #stock_market

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