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[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– October 31 is bitcoin's birthday. On this very day in 2008, an individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published a document titled "bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System". However, it's worth noting that bitcoin only made its debut as a cryptocurrency in the market on January 3, 2009. On this day, a block was mined containing the date and a brief excerpt from The Times article: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks".
On January 12, 2009, Nakamoto executed the first transaction on the network, sending cryptocurrency to developer Hal Finney. That same year, bitcoin was listed on the New Liberty Standard exchange. On this platform, one could purchase 1309 BTC for just $1 (worth nearly $55 million today).

– According to experts at CoinGecko, the "Uptober effect" is a reality, not merely an internet meme. (The term is derived from the combination of the words "up" and "October"). In eight out of the past ten years, the cryptocurrency market has shown growth in October compared to the preceding month. On average, the "Uptober effect" results in a 14% increase in the total market capitalization of digital assets – ranging from 7.3% in 2022 to 42.9% in 2021, as calculated by CoinGecko. The exceptions were in 2014 and 2018 when the market declined by 12.7% and 8.3% respectively over the month.
This year, starting from $27,000 on October 1st, bitcoin tested the $35,000 mark by October 24th, reflecting an approximately 30% growth. Even more significant rallies were shown by altcoins like Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK).

– "Bitcoin is gold for the young," opined billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller, a former associate of George Soros at the Quantum Fund. "I'm 70 years old, and I have gold. I was taken aback when bitcoin started to emerge. But it's evident that the younger generation views it as a savings mechanism because it's much more convenient to handle," he observed. He believes that the foremost cryptocurrency has attained a brand stature akin to the precious metal, which has maintained its allure for 5,000 years. "I have an affinity for both. I don't possess bitcoin, but perhaps I should," Druckenmiller remarked.

– Peter Schiff, another "gold bug" and the head of Euro Pacific Capital, posits that the final nod from the SEC for spot bitcoin ETFs will spell the end for the bullish rally of the principal cryptocurrency. Currently, bitcoin is trading around $35,000, as speculators are banking on a favourable regulatory decision. This optimism might very well represent the zenith of the rally unless bitcoin sells off sooner. In Schiff's view, crypto traders might commence offloading coins, locking in profits even prior to any definitive decision from the SEC.

– A well-known bitcoin maximalist, TV host, and founder of Heisenberg Capital, Max Keiser, went on a tirade, dubbing Ethereum a "shitcoin" and its creator, Vitalik Buterin, a "terrorist". "Shitcoins like ETH, XRP, BNB, ADA, and thousands of others are crafted by financial terrorists and are indubitably employed to fund terrorism. Do your job and incarcerate everyone associated with these coins!" Keiser urged law enforcement. This former trader perceives bitcoin as distinct from other digital assets since it embodies a digital commodity designed to combat central banks and criminals vested with power. According to Keiser, in contrast, shitcoins were merely concocted to destabilize the financial system. Keiser's statement predictably drew a torrent of criticism. The blunter members of the crypto community labelled him a scammer, wishing him behind bars. The more courteous individuals advised the TV host to delve into the documentation of other cryptocurrencies to fathom their nuances.

– According to Guy Gotslak, co-founder and president of My Digital Money, Ethereum will reach $10,000 sooner than many expect. He believes that ETH has all the fundamentals required for significant growth, and it will be a walk to the top, not a giant leap.
During the recent cryptocurrency market rally, Ethereum increased by 21%, and the majority of the crypto industry participants believe that bitcoin's growth influenced ETH's rise. However, Gotslak thinks otherwise, being confident that the price movement of the main altcoin is independent of what happens with bitcoin.
The trading expert is optimistic about ETH's prospects, as he believes the market is looking for a safe haven. His confidence is also based on the numerous use cases of the Ethereum blockchain, which has been chosen by several Fortune 500 companies. Gotslak asserts that, with further technological advancements, this blockchain will become the most used, and ETH will become the most popular cryptocurrency.

– Michael Van De Poppe, founder of the venture company Eight and CEO of MN Trading, believes that bitcoin has officially entered a bullish market phase. The expert thinks the asset is ready for a rally to $50,000, after which a pullback will occur, followed by a new all-time high (ATH). Van De Poppe noted that BTC would face resistance at the $38,000 level but would likely continue to rise, reaching $45,000-50,000 by January 2024. However, he also mentions that a drop below $33,000 is still possible and sees it as an excellent opportunity for long positions.
Van De Poppe predicts that after the April halving, there will be a consolidation and sideways movement for an extended period before bitcoin begins to set new highs.
Look Into Bitcoin creators also believe that after BTC surpassed the $34,000 mark, it started the early phase of the bullish market. The next targets are $41,900 and $65,050.
A trader by the nickname Rekt Capital is less optimistic, expecting a significant drop by March 2024. After the halving, the expert anticipates a consolidation in the $24,000-30,000 range and then a parabolic growth to six-digit figures.

– In an interview with CNBC, renowned cryptocurrency enthusiast Anthony Pompliano expressed optimism about bitcoin's bullish trend. He emphasized that BTC's price rise is due to solid demand and supply. "Bitcoin is the most disciplined central bank in the world. [...] Bitcoin's supply is limited to 21 million coins, and this starkly contrasts with central banks that can issue an unlimited amount of money and bonds. Due to bitcoin's scarcity and its decentralized nature, it has become an attractive asset, especially during times of economic uncertainty," stated Pompliano.

– In the US, bitcoin mining is beginning to be used for heating saunas. Such a sauna has started operating in Brooklyn, New York. The heat generated by mining equipment is used as the source of water heating. As saunas become increasingly popular among Americans, this development benefits miners, as it adds another point to the discussion on the public benefit or significance of such entrepreneurial activity.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for November 06 - 10, 2023

EUR/USD: A Bad Week for the Dollar

Throughout the week, the Dollar Index DXY, along with EUR/USD, appeared to be riding the waves, moving up and down. At the beginning of the week, preliminary data for Europe was released. In terms of annual growth, the GDP of the Eurozone in the third quarter was only 0.1%, which fell short of both the forecast of 0.2% and the previous figure of 0.5%. In addition, inflation took a downward turn – in October, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 2.9% (year-on-year), missing the forecast of 3.1% and the previous month's 4.3%.

The European Central Bank meeting took place on October 26, during which the members of the Governing Council unsurprisingly left the interest rate unchanged at 4.50%. Now, market participants were eagerly anticipating the decision of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve, scheduled for Wednesday, November 1. On the eve of the FOMC meeting, the dollar, regarded as a safe-haven asset, received support due to increased geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Additionally, strong macroeconomic data from the United States favoured the American currency. The country's GDP in the third quarter surged by 4.9%, significantly surpassing the previous figure of 2.1%. Another surprise came from the ADP private sector employment data: the change in the number of employed individuals in the private sector reached 113K, compared to 89K the previous month.

Market participants had a sense that in such a situation, the Federal Reserve (FOMC) might well continue tightening monetary policy, especially since inflation is still far from the target level of 2.0%. Against this backdrop, the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds once again approached the 5.0% level, and the Dollar Index (DXY) rose to 107.00.

However, November 1 brought complete disappointment to the dollar bulls. For the second consecutive month, the FOMC left the key interest rate unchanged at 5.50%. What's worse is that if after the September meeting, the market believed that the cost of borrowing would rise to 5.75% by the end of this year, the probability of such an increase has now plummeted to 14%. The Dollar also received no support from the rhetoric of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during the press conference following the current meeting.

The situation could have been rectified by the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), traditionally published on the first Friday of the month, which was on November 3. However, the number of non-farm payroll (NFP) employees in the country only increased by 150K in October. This figure turned out to be lower than both the market's expectations of 180K and the revised September growth, which was adjusted from 336K to 297K. The unemployment rate rose during the same period from 3.8% to 3.9%. The annual inflation, measured by the change in the average hourly wage, decreased from 4.3% to 4.1%. As a result of this disappointing data for Dollar bulls, the Dollar Index (DXY) plummeted to 105.09, while EUR/USD reached a six-week high at 1.0718.

Towards the end of the workweek, the publication of the ISM Services PMI index revealed that business activity in the U.S. services sector was growing at a slower pace in October. The PMI declined to 51.8 from 53.6 in September. This value was below the market's expectation of 53.0. More detailed data showed that the index of service prices (the inflation component) decreased slightly from 58.9 to 58.6, and the employment index dropped from 53.4 to 50.2. As a result, the Dollar continued its descent, and the final note of the week for the currency pair was heard at the level of 1.0730.

According to strategists at the Canadian Scotiabank, in the short term, EUR/USD could rise to 1.0750. In general, expert opinions regarding the near future of the currency pair are divided as follows: 45% voted for a stronger Dollar, while 60% sided with the Euro. As for technical analysis, 35% of the D1 oscillators are pointing south, while 65% are pointing north, although a third of them signal overbought conditions for the pair. Among trend indicators, priorities are clearer: 85% are looking north, with only 15% looking south. The nearest support for the pair is located around 1.0675-1.0700, followed by 1.0600-1.0620, 1.0500-1.0530, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, and 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance around 1.0745-1.0770, then 1.0800, 1.0865, 1.0945-1.0975, and 1.1090-1.1110.

Unlike the past five days, the economic calendar for the upcoming week anticipates significantly fewer important events. On Wednesday, November 8, data on inflation (CPI) in Germany and retail sales in the Eurozone will be released. Additionally, on this day, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to give a speech. He can also be heard again on Thursday, November 9. As is customary, Thursday will also bring data on the number of initial jobless claims in the United States.

GBP/USD: A Good Week for the Pound

Looking at the results of central bank meetings in many countries, there is a sense that the global trend of tightening monetary policy has come to an end. Both the ECB and the Fed left interest rates unchanged. The Bank of England (BoE) also did the same on November 2 at its meeting, leaving the key rate unchanged for the second consecutive time at 5.25%. According to the regulator, such a decision should support the recovery of the economy and employment levels in the United Kingdom. The short-term inflation forecast was revised upwards. However, the central bank leaders noted that inflation in the third quarter had decreased to 6.7%, which was better than expected in August, and its target level of 2.0% is likely to be reached by the end of 2025.

Despite the BoE keeping the rate unchanged, the market perceived this decision as hawkish because three out of nine members of the bank's leadership voted for an increase. Furthermore, the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, emphasized during a press conference that considering a rate cut would be premature. He stated, "Monetary policy is likely to remain restrictive for an extended period." Investors are aware that central banks use such forward guidance as a tool to influence the market, so it is unlikely that the regulator will switch to a soft monetary policy anytime soon. Of course, there are no guarantees that the BoE will stick to its promises if inflation does not move towards the target level. However, at the moment, the market believes Andrew Bailey, which has supported the British currency.

The pound received its strongest bullish impulse after the release of US labor market data on November 3. At that moment, GBP/USD surged upwards, continued its ascent, and closed the week at 1.2380. According to Scotiabank economists, the short-term trading model for the British currency looks promising. They note an increase in demand for the pound amid its weakening since mid-July and do not rule out a rise of GBP/USD to the 1.2450 level. As for the median forecast for the near future, 35% of analysts voted for the pair's rise, 50% believe that the pair will resume its movement towards the 1.2000 target, and the remaining 15% remain neutral. On the D1 timeframe, 75% of trend indicators point to a pair's rise and are coloured green, while the remaining 25% are red. Oscillators show the same readings: 75% point upwards (a quarter of them are in the overbought zone), and 25% voted for a decline. In case the pair moves south, it will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2330, 1.2210, 1.2145, 1.2040-1.2085, 1.1960, and 1.1800-1.1840, 1.1720, 1.1595-1.1625, 1.1450-1.1475. In the event of an upward movement, the pair will face resistance at levels 1.2390-1.2425, 1.2450-1.2520, 1.2575, 1.2690-1.2710, 1.2785-1.2820, 1.2940, and 1.3140.

The speech by the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, scheduled for November 8, and the release of preliminary GDP data for the country for Q3 on November 10 can be highlighted in the events of the upcoming week related to the United Kingdom's economy.

USD/JPY: A Middling Week for the Yen

If the ECB, the Federal Reserve, and the Bank of England have left interest rates unchanged, what could be expected from their Japanese counterparts? Of course, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) made the decision to maintain the parameters of its monetary policy during its meeting on Tuesday, October 31. They have been in this position for a very long time. The regulator not only retained the interest rate at a negative level of -0.1% but also kept the yield on 10-year government bonds (JGB) unchanged. Some market participants had hoped that after the inflation growth data, BoJ would raise their yield ceiling from 1% to at least 1.25%. (It's worth noting that the yield on similar US securities is close to 5.0%). However, instead, the Bank of Japan continued to ignore obvious signs of increasing inflationary pressure. Although in the Tokyo region, the CPI rose from 2.8% to 3.3% (YoY) in October. Additionally, despite assurances from high-ranking officials about the priority of industrial production growth, this indicator declined from -4.4% to -4.6% in annual terms.

All of this pushed USD/JPY to a high of 151.71. It would have likely remained there if not for the results of the Federal Reserve's meeting and US labor market data. As a result, it started the week at 149.63 and finished at 149.34. Considering the pair's high volatility, the outcome can be considered neutral.

Economists from the largest banking group in the Netherlands, ING, believe that the pair will end the year not far from 150.00. Regarding its near-term prospects, 65% of analysts expect the yen to strengthen, 35% take a neutral position, and there were no votes for it to rise above 151.00 at the time of writing this review. Technical analysis indicators appear quite mixed this time. On the D1 timeframe, 50% of trend indicators are in green, and the same percentage is in red. Among oscillators, one-third voted for the pair's rise, one-third for its fall, and one-third remained neutral-gray. The nearest support level is located in the range of 148.45-148.80, then 146.85-147.30, 145.90-146.10, 145.30, 144.45, 143.75-144.05, and 142.20. The closest resistance is 150.00-150.15, followed by 150.40-150.80, 151.90 (October 2022 high), and 152.80-153.15.

There is no significant economic data regarding the state of the Japanese economy scheduled for release in the coming week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Important Insights into the Past and Future

First, a few words about the past month. Firstly, on Tuesday, October 31, bitcoin celebrated its birthday. It was on this day in 2008 that someone using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published (or it was published) a document titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System." At the same time, it's worth noting that bitcoin itself emerged as a cryptocurrency on the market only on January 3, 2009. On that day, a block was mined, in which the date and a brief excerpt from an article in The Times were written: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." On January 12, 2009, Nakamoto made the first transaction on the network, sending cryptocurrency to developer Hal Finney. In the same year, bitcoin was listed on the New Liberty Standart exchange. On it, you could buy 1309 BTC for just $1 (which is nearly $55 million today).

The second significant event was not the last day of October but the entire month. We are talking about the "Uptober effect" (a term formed from the English words "up" and "October"). According to observations by CoinGecko experts, in eight of the last ten years, the cryptocurrency market has shown growth in October compared to the previous month. On average, the "Uptober effect" led to a 14% increase in the total capitalization of digital assets, ranging from 7.3% in 2022 to 42.9% in 2021. The exceptions were 2014 and 2018 when the market fell by 12.7% and 8.3% in one month, respectively.

This year, starting at $27,000 on October 1, bitcoin tested the $35,000 level on October 24, showing an increase of approximately 30%. The final note of October placed the flagship cryptocurrency at $34,545. Several altcoins like Solana (SOL) and Chainlink (LINK) also demonstrated significant rallies. All these cryptocurrencies, paired with USD, are available for trading on the NordFX broker.

We have already mentioned that lately bitcoin has lost its inverse and direct correlation and has "decoupled" from both the US dollar and major risk assets. This was the case in the past week as well. Digital gold rose along with the US dollar's ascent and didn't react to the rise of stock indices like the S&P500. As a result, BTC/USD showed modest growth over the course of seven days.

According to Michael Van De Poppe, the founder of the venture company Eight and CEO of MN Trading, bitcoin has officially entered a bull market phase. The expert believes that the asset is ready for a rally to $50,000, followed by a correction, and then a new all-time high (ATH). Van De Poppe noted that bitcoin might face resistance at $38,000 but is likely to continue its rise and reach $45,000-50,000 in January 2024. However, the specialist also points out that a drop below $33,000 is still possible, and he sees it as an excellent opportunity to open long positions. The creators of the information resource Look Into Bitcoin also believe that after surpassing the $34,000 price level, the early phase of a bull market has begun. The next targets are $41,900 and $65,050.

What events in the near and not-so-distant future could have a significant impact on the crypto market? Let's list the most important ones, noting that many of them are happening or will happen in the United States.

First, of course, is the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve (FRS). The "golden times" for digital gold were during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the regulator literally flooded the market with streams of cheap money to support the economy, some of which went to risky assets like cryptocurrencies. Starting at $6,500 in March 2020, a year later in April 2021, BTC/USD reached a high of $64,800, showing a 900% increase. Then, the American regulator shifted towards tightening its policy and raising interest rates, and by 2022, the pair was trading around $16,000. Now, crypto investors are waiting for the Federal Reserve to pivot towards easing again and hope that this will happen in the next year.

The US government regulatory bodies have lately been exerting significant negative pressure on the crypto industry. Perhaps something will change with the arrival of a new president in the White House in 2024. At least some of the candidates for this position promise support for the industry. For now, all the attention is focused on the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). The head of the SEC, Gary Gensler, has repeatedly stated that he is willing to recognize only bitcoin as a commodity, and in his opinion, all altcoins should be regulated under securities laws. Under this pressure, Ethereum, for example, significantly lagged behind bitcoin in terms of price dynamics. This year, at the time of writing this review, ETH has gained about 52%, while BTC has grown by twice as much, around 102%.

Legal battles between the SEC and representatives of the crypto industry are also drawing attention. Recently, Reuters and Bloomberg reported that the Commission will not appeal a court decision in favor of Grayscale Investments. There is also information that the SEC is ending its legal process against Ripple and its executives. However, the cold war with major crypto exchange Binance and its leadership continues. As a result, Binance's share in the spot market has already fallen from 55% to 34% this year. If the US Department of Justice joins forces with more severe charges on the SEC's side, it could deal a significant blow to the crypto market.

The appearance of spot BTC-ETFs also depends on the SEC. According to JPMorgan bank experts, a positive decision by the SEC on registering the first such funds can be expected "within months." "The timing of approval [...] remains uncertain, but it is likely to happen [...] before January 10, 2024 - the final deadline for the applications of ARK Invest and 21 Co. This is the earliest of the various final deadlines that the SEC must respond to," note JPMorgan experts. At the same time, experts also emphasize that the Commission, by supporting fair competition, may approve all applications at once.

The anticipation of the imminent launch of spot BTC-ETFs in the US is fuelling institutional interest in cryptocurrency. According to some estimates, this interest is around $15 trillion, which could eventually lead to BTC/USD rising to $200,000. Skybridge Capital's strategists even mention a larger figure of $250,000. However, due to obstacles from the SEC, according to Ernst & Young analysts, institutional interest is mainly deferred.

Peter Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital and a prominent gold bug, holds the opposite view. According to him, the final approval of spot bitcoin ETFs will mark the end of the bull run for the leading cryptocurrency. Currently, bitcoin is trading around $35,000 because speculators are driving up the price, betting on a positive regulator decision. When the decision is made, there will be no more room for such speculation, which could mark the peak of the rally if bitcoin doesn't crash before that. In Schiff's opinion, cryptocurrency traders may start selling their coins and taking profits even before the SEC makes any decision.

Something that doesn't depend on the regulator is the halving. Recall that in April 2024, the block reward will be halved, reducing from 6,250 BTC to 3,125 BTC, which is expected to lead to reduced issuance. According to some experts, this is a powerful deflationary factor that creates supply shortages and contributes to the rise in the value of bitcoin. Since the coin supply is limited, co-founder of Morgan Creek Digital, Anthony Pompliano, not only expresses optimism about a bull run for bitcoin but also calls it the "most disciplined central bank in the world." According to an optimistic forecast from Ark Invest, BTC could rise to $1.5 million by 2030.

However, the CEO of MN Trading, Van De Poppe, predicts that before bitcoin starts setting new highs, there will first be consolidation and sideways movement for an extended period after the April halving. Even more pessimism is added by a trader and analyst with the pseudonym Rekt Capital, who expects a sharp drop in BTC/USD by March 2024. After the halving, this specialist also anticipates consolidation, but in a very low range of $24,000-30,000, and only after that, in his opinion, the pair will enter a parabolic growth phase towards six-figure levels.

At the time of writing this review, on Friday, November 3, BTC/USD is trading at $34,590. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.29 trillion ($1.25 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains in the Greed zone, though it has dropped from 72 to 65 points.

To conclude this review, in our irregular crypto life hacks section, we have an interesting tip. Where can you use the heat generated from cryptocurrency mining? The answer is in a sauna. A sauna in Brooklyn, New York, has started using the heat generated by mining equipment as a source of water heating. Saunas are becoming increasingly popular among Americans, and this twist benefits miners as it provides an additional argument in discussions about the public utility or significance of such entrepreneurial activities. And this is in New York, near the 40th parallel. Just imagine how useful this life hack could be in northern countries like Norway!
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

NordFX Wins Again in the Best Crypto Broker Category at the AllForexRating Awards

Starting from 2017, the brokerage firm NordFX has received numerous awards for achievements and innovations in the field of cryptocurrency trading. These awards were given by both authoritative professional juries and through open voting by traders. This time, based on the results of voting by visitors to the AllForexRating portal, NordFX has once again achieved a resounding victory in the category of Best Crypto Broker. Receiving this award for the second year in a row underscores the high level and safety of the financial services that the company's clients receive.

The recent years have been quite challenging for the crypto industry. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of bankruptcies among major industry players, pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve (FRS), and central banks of other leading countries have all had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency market capitalization, volatility, and digital asset quotes. In these conditions, NordFX clients have highly appreciated the reliability of the services offered, the opportunity to profit not only from the rise but also from the decline of cryptocurrencies, and the advantages of margin trading that allow for substantial profits even with a relatively small starting capital. For example, traders only need $150 to open a position of 1 Bitcoin, $15 to open a position of 1 Ethereum, $0.3 to open a position of 1 EOS, $0.02 to open a position of 1 Ripple, and $0.001 to open a position of 1 Doge.

The NordFX Savings Account has also gained significant popularity among traders and investors. It is a unique innovation based on DeFi technology. The benefits of DeFi allow account holders not only to earn passive income of up to 35% annually but also to increase their profits through independent trading on financial markets. You can easily take an instant trading loan at just 3% against the funds held in the Savings Account. The account balance can be in USD, BTC, ETH, USDT, DAI, BUSD, or other stablecoins.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– Former Ethereum platform consultant Steven Nerayoff has accused Vitalik Buterin and Joseph Lubin of fraudulent activities. He believes that the co-founders of ETH have misled the crypto community by using social media. Furthermore, according to the lawyer, Buterin and Lubin are involved in manoeuvres that are a thousand times larger in scale than the crimes committed by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
"Statements by Buterin that he attempted to create a decentralized currency are fake. It was centralized from the beginning, and today, it is likely even more concentrated," Nerayoff wrote. In particular, the lawyer suggests the possibility of a secret agreement between the Ethereum network administration and high-ranking U.S. officials, such as SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, at the early stages of altcoin initial placements.
"A small circle of ETH investors controls about 75% of all protocol assets. So now it's easy to manipulate the price or even set its lower or upper limit. Most of the trading you see on exchanges is fake or fictitious to create the illusion of liquidity," Nerayoff expanded on his accusations.
Previously, this lawyer speculated that the full-scale attack on Ripple by U.S. regulatory bodies could have been sponsored by influential ETH holders. In his view, Ripple's detractors may include individuals associated with the SEC, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and even some Ripple employees.

– Crypto investigator Truth Labs believes that it is not the U.S. but the Chinese conglomerate Wangxian Group that has decisive influence over the Ethereum network, and organizations close to the Communist Party of China (CPC) control almost 80% of mined ETH. Truth Labs also claims that Wangxian was one of the original sponsors of the Ethereum network in 2015. The group is also attributed with creating original wallets for Buterin.

– Co-founder of Estonian LHV Bank Rain Lõhmus lost the password to a wallet containing 250,000 ETH. The businessman acquired the coins during an ICO in July 2015, and they remained dormant since then. At that time, the purchase cost him $75,000. On November 10, 2021, when the Ethereum price reached an all-time high of around $4,800, Lõhmus's holdings grew to $1.22 billion. However, even now, they amount to approximately $470 million. Now, the businessman intends to recover the password using artificial intelligence. "My plan," he stated, "is to create Rain Lõhmus as an AI and see if he can retrieve his memories." The possibility of losing access to his funds, the businessman called a "weak point" of blockchain. "It makes you think that this perfect decentralization carries risks that you don't usually consider," Lõhmus shared his conclusions.

– The approval of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on Bitcoin may not benefit either the main cryptocurrency or the people who use it. This is the opinion expressed by the former CEO of BitMEX, Arthur Hayes. He referred to investment giants like BlackRock as "agents of the state." "The state needs its citizens to 'sit in the paper banking system' to tax them with inflationary taxes to repay constantly growing debts. This makes sense for institutional entities that are inherently subject to the state," he said.
According to Hayes, institutional interest in the asset poses a situation that "ultimately may not be to our liking." "Yes, it's good, an ETF emerges, the price rises to a level it can reach. But what is the ultimate benefit of one institution owning all of this cryptocurrency?" he questioned.

– The first cryptocurrency may reach the $47,000 mark by the end of November 2023, according to Rachel Lin, CEO of the decentralized derivatives exchange SynFutures. 'The past weeks have solidified October's reputation as 'Uptober,' with bitcoin gaining nearly 29%. What's even more interesting is that historically, November outperforms October with an average bitcoin return of over 35%. If this November delivers a similar profit, the asset will reach approximately $47,000,' she stated.
As an additional positive factor, Lin noted the growth in the number of users and transactions. In her view, the surge in spot trading volume with a noticeable increase in transfers exceeding $100,000 is particularly noteworthy. 'This is a clear indicator of heightened institutional interest,' the specialist believes. 'Major players are consolidating positions in digital assets, especially in BTC. If we look at the inflow last week, we can see a massive increase: about $325 million entered the sector, with almost $300 million going into bitcoin. Options data also reflect bullish market sentiment.”

– As highlighted by Markus Thielen, the head of research at Matrixport, recent macroeconomic shifts, especially in the Federal Reserve's policies, suggest a potential rally in the market of cryptocurrencies. He reminded us that after the conclusion of the Federal Reserve's policy tightening cycle in January 2019, digital gold (referring to bitcoin) appreciated fivefold. Thielen cautioned against expecting a repetition of such dynamics while explaining that the first cryptocurrency could 'make significant advances' in 2023 and 2024. According to the expert's calculations, bitcoin tends to grow by an average of 23% during the pre-Christmas period of November and December this year.

– Analyst using the alias "Doctor Profit" has shared a rather conservative forecast. He believes that the period leading up to the BTC halving will range between $26,000 and $41,000. In his opinion, investors should be prepared for possible corrections. The expert also does not rule out the possibility of "black swan" events, similar to the one that pushed BTC to local lows before the halving in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

– In an interview with CNBC, the founder of MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor, listed the factors that he believes will lead to a tenfold increase in the price of bitcoin in the medium term. First, he mentioned the upcoming halving, which is expected to increase demand for the cryptocurrency and create a shortage in the market. Another source of buyer pressure will be spot-based ETFs based on the first cryptocurrency.
The third factor will be the soon-to-be-implemented new fair value accounting rules for bitcoin reserves of companies in the United States. Saylor believes that this will open the door for corporations to adopt bitcoin as a treasury asset and create shareholder value. The entrepreneur also pointed out the positive effect of regulatory and law enforcement actions by authorities, including the lawsuit against the former CEO of the collapsed FTX exchange. According to Saylor, "all these early crypto cowboys, tokens that are unregistered securities, unreliable custodians" were liabilities for bitcoin. To take the crypto industry to a new level, it needs "parental supervision." The founder of MicroStrategy also believes that the industry needs to "move away from the 100,000 tokens" that are simply used for speculation and focus on bitcoin. "When the industry shifts its focus away from the small shiny tokens that distract and destroy shareholder value, I think it will move to the next level, and we will see a tenfold increase from where we are now," Saylor concluded.

– The founder of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, has been found guilty of the alleged violations worth billions of dollars. On November 2, the jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case, convicting Bankman-Fried of seven episodes of fraud, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy. According to the law, the controversial businessman faces a minimum of 110 years in prison, essentially a life sentence. However, the judge has the discretion to impose a less severe punishment.

– CEO of ARK Investment Management, Catherine Wood, was asked which of the three asset classes she would prefer to hold for 10 years – cash, gold, or bitcoin. Without hesitation, she replied, "Without a doubt, bitcoin. It is capable of safeguarding savings from both inflation and deflation... It's digital gold." Wood noted that she expects cross-pollination between industries like AI and cryptocurrencies, believing that the first cryptocurrency will only benefit from innovation. As a reminder, according to her predictions, in the next decade, the price of BTC will exceed $1 million.

– While for Catherine Wood, bitcoin is "digital gold," for billionaire Charlie Munger, it's the "dumbest investment," "rat poison," and a "venereal disease." In a recent interview, this associate of Warren Buffett once again criticized digital gold. "When people start creating artificial currency, it's like adding spoiled product to a traditional recipe that has been around for a very long time and used by many people," the investor said. According to him, one of the effective ways to advance civilization is to have a strong currency. It could be shells, corn kernels, gold coins, or debt obligations - the key is that this currency is issued by a central bank.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for November 13 - 17, 2023

EUR/USD: How Mr. Powell Aided the Dollar

The past week witnessed few significant events, which reflected in EUR/USD pair's fluctuations around 1.0700. Notably, there was a slight increase in the Dollar Index (DXY), starting at 105.05 and reaching a peak of 105.97 by Friday, November 10. This growth was primarily attributed to the "hawkish" comments made by the Chair of the Federal Reserve.

On Thursday, November 09, Jerome Powell, participating in a discussion on monetary policy organized by the International Monetary Fund, affirmed that decisions at each Federal Reserve meeting are made "based on the totality of incoming data and its impact on the outlook for economic activity and inflation." Powell expressed uncertainty about the Fed's success in implementing sufficiently restrictive policies to gradually reduce inflation to 2%. Additionally, he noted the rapid growth of the U.S. GDP, suggesting that further economic acceleration could undermine the progress achieved in stabilizing the labor market.

Powell's comments were validated by the data on initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending November 04, totaling 217K, slightly below the previous figure of 220K. While the decrease is modest, it signifies a decline rather than an increase in unemployment.

Market interpretation of Powell's remarks hinted at the regulator's intention to raise the key interest rate once again. Consequently, the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds increased by almost 3%, surpassing the 4.6% mark, providing support to the dollar.

Downward pressure on EUR/USD was also exerted by macroeconomic statistics from the EU. In Germany, month-on-month inflation (CPI) showed a decrease from 0.3% to 0%. Retail sales volumes in the Eurozone as a whole declined by 0.3% in September after a 0.7% decrease in August. However, on an annual basis, this indicator dropped from -1.8% to -2.9%. Many analysts considered that such a decline in consumer activity ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays could indicate the onset of a technical recession in the Eurozone before the end of the current year.

According to CME Group FedWatch data, markets are still pricing in a 90% probability that the Federal Reserve will leave the interest rate unchanged in December 2023. Economists at Finland's Nordea Bank believe that the U.S. Central Bank will maintain the federal funds rate at the current level of 5.50% even in 2024.

However, it seems that the interest rate hike cycle for the Euro has likely come to an end. According to strategists at Wells Fargo, one of the largest banks in the U.S., the bleak growth prospects for the Eurozone suggest that the tightening of the ECB's monetary policy is likely over. The recent successes in reducing inflation strengthen their belief that the peak of rate hikes [4.50%] has already been reached.

Both Nordea and Wells Fargo agree that the ECB will likely be compelled to start reducing borrowing costs in the early summer of next year. "We do not anticipate the first ECB rate cut until the June 2024 meeting, although thereafter, it will consistently cut the deposit rate by 150 basis points to 2.50% from mid-2024 to early 2025. Overall, we believe the risk of rate cuts by the ECB will be higher than previously expected or more aggressive."

Factors such as improved global risk appetite and a slowdown in the U.S. economy could support the Euro. However, the divergence in monetary policy between the Federal Reserve and the ECB will continue to exert downward pressure on EUR/USD. This applies to the currencies of other major countries as well – if their central banks keep current interest rates unchanged or, more so, begin to lower them, the dollar may further strengthen its positions.

EUR/USD concluded the past week at the level of 1.0684. Currently, expert opinions regarding its immediate future are divided as follows: 25% voted for the strengthening of the dollar, 60% sided with the euro, and 15% maintained neutrality.

In terms of technical analysis, 85% of oscillators on the D1 chart are colored green, and 15% are neutral-gray. Among trend indicators, the ratio is 70% to 30% in favor of green.

The nearest support for the pair is located around 1.0620-1.0640, followed by 1.0480-1.0520, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, and 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance around 1.0740, then 1.0800, 1.0865, 1.0945-1.0975, and 1.1065-1.1090, 1.1150, and 1.1260-1.1275.

Unlike the past, rather calm week, the upcoming one is expected to be more eventful. On Tuesday, November 14, data on Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the USA will be released, along with preliminary data on Eurozone GDP for Q3. The next day will bring statistics regarding retail sales volumes and Producer Price Index (PPI) in the United States. On Thursday, November 16, as usual, data on the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. will be reported. Finally, on Friday, a crucial inflationary indicator, Eurozone Consumer Price Index (CPI), will be disclosed.

GBP/USD: Dangerous Proximity to 1.2200

Recall that on November 3, the British currency received a strong bullish impulse following the release of U.S. labor market data. At that moment, GBP/USD literally surged upwards. On Monday, November 6, the pound rose again, reaching a height of 1.2427. However, it decided that it was time for the bulls to stop celebrating and that it was time for GBP/USD to return to the 1.2200 zone.

The trend reversal to the south was aided by statistics from the United Kingdom. In October, business activity in the country's construction sector increased only slightly, from 45.0 to 45.6. Meanwhile, orders in this sector have been declining for the fourth consecutive month, and they are already 20% lower than a year ago. The average mortgage rate now exceeds 8%, and the number of approved mortgage loans has been declining for the fourth consecutive month. Therefore, expecting a significant increase in business activity here is unlikely.

Although the GDP of the United Kingdom grew slightly in September, from 0.1% to 0.2%, it is likely to show a decline in the third quarter, from 0.2% to 0.0%, and remain at 0.6% on an annual basis. In such conditions, the Bank of England (BoE) is unlikely to raise interest rates in the near future. But it won't lower them either. BoE Chief Economist Hugh Pill recently stated that there is no need to raise rates to contain inflation but it is necessary to ensure the restrictive nature of monetary policy. In other words, the rate will remain the same, at 5.25%. As mentioned earlier, in such a situation, the advantage is likely to remain on the side of the dollar. This was clearly demonstrated by the market's reaction after the speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on November 9. As soon as he made a vague hint about rates, GBP/USD rapidly plummeted.

The past week concluded with the pair settling at the level of 1.2225. According to economists at Scotiabank, the 1.2200 zone may serve as a short-term support point; however, weakness below this level indicates the risk of continued losses and a retest of the 1.2000-1.2100 area. Regarding the median forecast for the near future, 60% of analysts voted for a new upward move of the pair, 20% voted for a downward movement, and 20% took a neutral position. Among the D1 oscillators, 50% indicate a southward direction, 15% indicate northward, and the remaining 35% indicate eastward. Among trend indicators, only 15% point upward, while the overwhelming majority (85%) signal a downward trend. In the event of a southward movement, the pair will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2040-1.2085, 1.1960, and 1.1800-1.1840, 1.1720, 1.1595-1.1625, 1.1450-1.1475. In the case of an upward movement, resistance levels will be at 1.2290-1.2335, 1.2430-1.2450, 1.2545-1.2575, 1.2690-1.2710, 1.2785-1.2820, 1.2940, and 1.3140.

Noteworthy in the upcoming week's economic calendar for the United Kingdom is Tuesday, November 14. On this day, a comprehensive set of data on the country's labor market will be released. Moving on to Wednesday, November 15, when the value of the British Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October will be disclosed. Finally, rounding off the week on Friday, November 17, we anticipate the announcement of retail sales volumes in the United Kingdom. 

USD/JPY: Tough Times for the Yen Now, Good Times Ahead

The Bank of Japan (BoJ), in its meeting on October 31, decided to keep its monetary policy parameters unchanged, a stance it has maintained for a very long time. The regulator not only retained the negative interest rate at -0.1% but also kept the yield on 10-year government bonds (JGB) at the existing level. Some market participants were hopeful that, following inflation growth data, the BoJ would raise the yield ceiling from 1% to at least 1.25%. (It's worth noting that the yield on similar U.S. securities exceeded 4.6% on November 9.) However, instead of adjusting to clear signs of increasing inflationary pressure, the Bank of Japan continued to ignore them. This pushed USD/JPY to a peak of 151.71. It would have remained there if not for the U.S. labor market data on November 3, which brought it down to 149.34.

Many analysts believed that officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan (BoJ), with their verbal interventions and incantations, would keep the USD/JPY pair at these levels. If real yen purchases by the authorities were to occur, the pair was expected to continue its decline. However, this did not happen, and on November 10, the pair once again rose to the height of 151.59, concluding the five-day period not far from it at 151.51.

"Hardly surprising is USD/JPY upward trend," commented strategists at Commerzbank. "At current exchange rates, investments in the Japanese yen are simply not particularly attractive for foreign (and domestic) investors. [...] As long as Japan's monetary policy does not undergo a radical change, USD/JPY is likely to test another high soon. The Ministry of Finance will probably react again with the threat of interventions. However, if the Bank of Japan cannot resist making 'dovish' comments, and if the Ministry of Finance indeed intervenes, it will likely only temporarily prevent the rise in currency rates."

According to Dutch Rabobank, the slow pace of Japan's monetary policy normalization suggests that USD/JPY may continue trading above the 150.00 level in the coming weeks. However, the fear of actual interventions from the Japanese Ministry of Finance may impede its upward movement, and the market is likely to be very reluctant to push the pair towards 152.00 and beyond.

Meanwhile, analysts at the Singaporean United Overseas Bank (UOB) believe that the risk of the pair breaking above last week's peak near 151.80 has increased. This level is not far from last year's peak around 151.95, and if the dollar can breach this resistance zone, it is likely to continue its ascent to the 152.50 level in the next 1-3 weeks.

Despite forecasts of growth, experts, echoing officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan, persist in stating that the current weakness of the yen is unjust. "Any increase in rate hike speculation will allow USD/JPY to move lower next year," predicts Rabobank. "We believe," they write, "that in the second half of 2024, the pair could return below the 145.00 level." "Fair value, based on spreads, equity yields, and trading conditions [...] suggests that the dollar is significantly overvalued and should trade closer to 144.50," according to economists at Scotiabank.

However, the question of when this "fairness" will be restored remains open. Soon, according to Societe Generale. In their view, the yen will undoubtedly continue to disappoint for some time, but the downward reversal in USD/JPY is getting closer and closer.

In discussing the near-term prospects of the pair, 55% of analysts anticipate the strengthening of the yen, while 10% have taken a neutral stance. About 35% voted for the pair breaking above 152.00 at the time of the review. Technical analysis supports the latter group, with 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 painted in green.

The closest support level is situated in the 150.00-150.15 zone, followed by 148.45-148.80, 146.85-147.30, 145.90-146.10, 145.30, 144.45, 143.75-144.05, and 142.20. The nearest resistance lies at 151.70-151.90 (October 2022 high), followed by 152.80-153.15 and 156.25.

Aside from the release of preliminary GDP data for Japan's Q3 on Wednesday, November 15, no other significant statistics regarding the state of the Japanese economy are scheduled for the upcoming week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Market Scandals and Records

The past week was marked by two events: the Ethereum scandal and the subsequent rise of bitcoin and the overall crypto market. Let's start with the scandal.

Former Ethereum platform consultant, lawyer Steven Nerayoff, accused Vitalik Buterin and Joseph Lubin of fraudulent activities. He believes that the ETH co-founders were involved in machinations that exceed the scale of crimes committed by FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (whom, by the way, the jury found guilty, facing up to 110 years in prison).

"Buterin's claims of attempting to create a decentralized currency are fake. It was centralized from the beginning, and today, this influence is even more concentrated," Nerayoff writes. "A small circle of ETH investors controls about 75% of all protocol assets. So now it's easy to manipulate the price or even set its upper or lower limit. Most of the trading you see on exchanges is fake or fictitious to create the appearance of liquidity," he continues with his revelations.

Nerayoff also suspects the existence of a secret agreement between the Ethereum network administration and high-ranking US officials, such as SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, which was concluded during the initial stages of the altcoin's launch. Earlier, the lawyer speculated that the full-scale attack on Ripple by US regulatory bodies could have been sponsored by influential ETH holders. In his opinion, Ripple's adversaries may include individuals connected to the SEC, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and even some Ripple employees.

Interestingly, crypto investigator Truth Labs made similar revelations. However, unlike Steven Nerayoff, they believe that it is not the US but the Chinese conglomerate Wangxian Group that has decisive influence over the Ethereum network, and organizations close to the Communist Party of China (CPC) control almost 80% of mined ETH. Truth Labs also claims that Wangxian was one of the early sponsors of the Ethereum network in 2015. This group is also credited with creating Buterin's original wallets.

Whether Nerayoff and Truth Labs can substantiate their accusations is a big question. For now, the price of ETH is rising and reached a maximum of $2,130. As for the leading cryptocurrency, on Thursday, November 9, BTC/USD broke through the $37,000 resistance and set a local high at $37,948: it last traded there in May 2022.

The development of the bullish trend in BTC has led to the updating of annual and historical indicators. The net capital inflow into the crypto market over the last 30 days reached $11 billion, a record for 2023. Institutions added $767 million to crypto funds over the last six weeks, surpassing last year's record of $736 million and reaching the level at the end of 2021. Open interest in bitcoin futures on the Chicago CME Exchange is also at the December 2021 level ($3.7 billion). Long-term holders continue to accumulate bitcoins, bringing their holdings to 14.9 million BTC (more than 70% of the total BTC issuance). The volume of their purchases exceeded 25,000 coins per month. Short-term investors and speculators have also become more active, influenced by the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) effect.

The list of records could go on, but what concerns everyone more is what comes next. If the current dynamics continue, demand for digital gold will keep growing, and supply will continue to decline. In that case, new local or even historical records and highs may be on the horizon.

We've repeatedly listed the factors contributing to the current BullRally. The key ones include the anticipated approval of SEC Bitcoin spot ETFs, the halving in April 2024, and the potential reversal of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. Markus Thielen, Head of Research at Matrixport, reminded that after the end of the Fed's tightening cycle in January 2019, digital gold increased fivefold. However, Thielen cautioned against expecting a repeat of such dynamics but agreed that the leading cryptocurrency could "move significantly" in 2023 and 2024. According to his calculations, bitcoin tends to grow on average by 23% during the pre-Christmas period of November-December this year.

In addition to the growth drivers mentioned earlier, MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor identified several factors that, in the medium term, could lead to a tenfold increase in the price of Bitcoin. According to Saylor, a positive development will be the soon-to-come new rules for accounting for Bitcoin reserves by companies in the United States. "In perspective, this will open the door for corporations to adopt Bitcoin as a treasury asset and create shareholder value," Saylor believes.

The entrepreneur also pointed to the positive effect of regulatory and law enforcement actions by authorities, including the trial of the former CEO of the collapsed FTX exchange. According to Saylor, "all these early crypto cowboys, tokens being unregistered securities, unreliable custodians" were passively benefiting bitcoin. To take the crypto industry to a new level, it needs "parental supervision." MicroStrategy's founder also thinks there is a need to "move away from the 100,000 tokens" that are merely used for speculation, back to bitcoin. "When the industry shifts its focus away from small shiny coins that distract attention and destroy shareholder value, I believe it will move to the next level, and we will get a 10x increase from the current level," Saylor concluded.

Note that this is not the most impressive forecast. CEO of ARK Investment, Catherine Wood, believes that in the next decade, the price of digital gold will exceed $1 million. (Note: Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's longtime partner, recently criticized Bitcoin again, calling it a "tainted product" and adding to his previous descriptions like "the most foolish investment," "rat poison," and a "venereal disease.")

If we talk about the forecast for the near future, according to Rachel Lin, CEO of the SynFutures exchange, by the end of November, the first cryptocurrency could reach $47,000. "The past weeks have strengthened October's reputation as Uptober, with bitcoin gaining almost 29%. Even more interesting is that historically November outperforms October with an average bitcoin return of over 35%. If this November brings a similar profit, the asset will reach around $47,000," she calculated.

As an additional positive factor, Lin noted the growth in the number of users and transactions. In her opinion, the surge in spot trading volume with a noticeable increase in the number of payments over $100,000 is particularly noteworthy. "This is a clear indicator of increased institutional interest. Large players are consolidating positions in digital assets, especially in BTC," the specialist believes.

Despite the prevailing optimism, the analyst under the alias Doctor Profit believes that investors should be prepared for corrections and the emergence of "black swans," similar to those before the 2020 halving amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The expert does not exclude the possibility that bitcoin may drop to $26,000 before the upcoming April 2024 halving.

As of the writing of this review on Friday, November 10, BTC/USD is trading at $37,320. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.42 trillion, compared to $1.29 trillion a week ago. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has increased from 65 to 70 points and continues to remain in the Greed zone.

In conclusion of the review, let's delve into our irregular segment of crypto life hacks. So, what do you do if you've lost the password to your crypto wallet? The answer comes from Rain Lõhmus, co-founder of Estonian LHV Bank. During the ICO in July 2015, he acquired 250,000 ETH for $75,000. On November 10, 2021, when the price of Ethereum reached an all-time high of around $4,800, Lõhmus's holdings grew to $1.22 billion. Even now, they are valued at over $500 million. Throughout this time, the coins remained dormant. At some point, the businessman discovered that he had lost the wallet password and now intends to recover it using artificial intelligence. "My plan," he stated, "is to create an AI version of Rain Lõhmus and see if it can retrieve its memories." The banker shared his plans. (By the way, the artificial intelligence ChatGPT predicted that the value of Ethereum by the beginning of 2024 would range from $3,000 to $10,000. If this happens, Lõhmus could become a billionaire again—assuming he finds the wallet password.)
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– Thanks to the rise in the price of the main cryptocurrency, since the beginning of the year, the number of bitcoin-millionaires has tripled. As of November 12, their count stood at 88,628, compared to 28,084 on January 5. This surge represents a growth of 215%. When categorizing millionaires by capital size, those with a minimum of $1 million amounted to 81,962, while those with holdings of at least $10 million numbered 6,666. These figures are sourced from the Wayback Machine web archive.

– Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of the crypto exchange Binance, referred to the economic model of bitcoin as "the greatest business model ever invented in our world." He made this comment in response to data indicating that mining revenues reached new highs. According to media reports, on November 12 alone, BTC miners earned over $44 million in rewards and block fees. This marks the highest daily income in the past year, surpassing the record set in April 2022.

– Security blockchain company SlowMist specialists uncovered a counterfeit Skype application used by hackers in China to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in various cryptocurrencies. Exploiting the country's ban on international messengers, users are forced to download them from unofficial sources. In addition to the malicious pseudo-Skype, hackers used a phishing domain posing as Binance exchange. This allowed them to track messages with addresses resembling TRX and ETH formats. Subsequently, wallets were replaced with those owned by the hackers. The SlowMist team identified and blacklisted over 100 such fraudulent wallets. One of them alone received 110 transactions totalling over 192,856 USDT, stolen from users in China.

– Senator Cynthia Lummis defended the crypto industry and opposed claims that cryptocurrencies are actively used in illegal financial activities. She appealed to the U.S. Congress with a request not to succumb to speculative attacks and emphasized that illegal financial operations are a problem in any economic sector, not related to the asset class but rather to the opportunities for wrongdoers to commit such crimes. "Cryptocurrency is present in less than 1% of the total volume of all illegal financial activities. If we could create a regulatory structure allowing the crypto industry to operate in America, rather than in unregulated foreign markets, its share would be even smaller," said the senator. The reason for Cynthia Lummis's statement was several U.S. news agencies reporting that on the eve of the invasion of Israel, the military wing of HAMAS collected millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Against this backdrop, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a long-time advocate for stricter crypto regulation, formed a coalition of more than 100 senators demanding the immediate adoption of new rules to combat terrorism financing and money laundering in cryptocurrency.

– Investor and bestselling author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad," Robert Kiyosaki, believes that central banks, such as the US Federal Reserve (FRS), are not designed to protect the average person. For this reason, the expert advised exercising wisdom and cited the example of the wealthy. According to him, millionaires do not work for "fake" money, such as the US dollar; instead, they invest in "real assets" like rental properties, gold, silver, and bitcoins, providing long-term financial security and freedom.

– Peter Schiff, the President of Euro Pacific Capital and known as the "gold bug" and a staunch critic of Bitcoin, conducted a poll on X (formerly Twitter) about when the crash of the main cryptocurrency would occur. The responses did not please him much, as the majority of respondents (68.1%) believe that the asset should be bought and held. 23% of those surveyed predicted the crash of the coin after the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs. Only 8.9% voted for the crash to happen before the launch of these exchange-traded funds. Despite the results, Schiff was not deterred, and in his comments, as usual, he took an extremely negative position. "Based on the results obtained," the financier wrote, "I assume that Bitcoin will fall before the ETF launch. Therefore, people who bought into the rumours will not receive any real profit."

– In contrast to Peter Schiff, analysts from Bernstein predict that if spot Bitcoin ETFs are approved, the asset's price will reach $150,000 by 2025. Meanwhile, their colleagues from LookIntoBitcoin recommend taking profits when the coin appreciates to at least $110,000. To determine the peak height to which BTC will rise, LookIntoBitcoin specialists calculated the so-called Terminal Price of the coin. It is calculated considering various factors, including the time between BTC mining and spending, as well as the amount of coins in circulation. The calculations showed that bitcoin will reach the Terminal Price during the next bull run, expected to end in late 2025. After that, a dump will begin, and the BTC price, as usual, will rapidly decline.

– According to ARK Invest CEO Cathy Wood, in the next seven years, the total value of crypto assets could reach $25 trillion, driven by industry development and widespread adoption. She made this forecast while commenting on applications for exchange-traded BTC-ETFs. According to her, traditional markets demonstrate a "flight to quality," as Larry Fink, the head of BlackRock, stated, or a "flight to safety," as stated in ARK Invest. This happens because "Bitcoin does not carry counterparty risk." "Look at what happened during the regional banking crisis. Bitcoin rose from $19,000 to almost $30,000 because the KRE, the regional bank index, collapsed. If you look at this stock index today, it has again dropped to the level it was in March," she added. Wood is confident in the success of the flagship cryptocurrency because "most people understand that bitcoin is a monetary revolution. It is the first global, private, digitally based, rule-based monetary system in history." It's worth noting that Cathy Wood is not alone in her super-optimistic forecasts: Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz believes that within five years, digital gold will rise to $500,000.

– According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, local businesses in Argentina are massively transitioning to payments in bitcoins and USDT. Argentinians and tourists can now even buy products with the USDT stablecoin at the Central Market in Buenos Aires: one of the largest fruit and vegetable suppliers in Latin America. The adoption of cryptocurrency in the country is thriving due to hyperinflation and the devaluation of the paper peso. The inflation rate here rose to 108.8% (YoY) in April, remaining the highest since 1991. Six months ago, the Central Bank of Argentina raised the interest rate to 97%, but this stringent step turned out to be insufficient to curb price growth.

– Bitfinex exchange analysts warn that the price of Bitcoin has reached a local maximum and may correct soon. Currently, according to their report, the average short-term holder realized price (STH RP) of BTC is $30,380, and the difference between this figure and the current asset price is the highest since April 2022. Historically, this indicates that the coin's price has reached a local maximum and may correct to the STH RP level, i.e., drop to the range of $30,000–$31,000. Analyst Doctor Profit also expects a correction, believing that the next correction following positive dynamics will bring BTC back to around $34,000. "The market is overheated right now. Correction is a matter of time," he wrote on his microblog.

– Trader, analyst, and founder of the venture company Eight, Michael Van De Poppe, analysed the current price of Ethereum. In his opinion, overcoming the altcoin resistance at $2,150 will signify the end of the bear market and push the cryptocurrency above the $3,000 threshold, where it may stabilize in the range of $3,100-$3,600. (It's worth noting that the price of Ethereum is above the 200-day SMA, and the coin showed 22 green days in the previous month).

– Matrixport analysts believe that a confident breakthrough above $36,000 will propel the price of the first cryptocurrency to the $40,000 resistance. After that, it will open the way to the $45,000 height, which can be reached by the end of 2023. "Given the steady growth in the number of buyers during US trading hours, we can expect price increases by the end of the month (and year). The Santa Claus rally could start at any moment," the specialists emphasized. As for 2024, Matrixport named six possible drivers that will contribute to positive dynamics: 1) SEC approval of Bitcoin ETF with trading beginning in February-March 2024; 2) IPO of Circle, the issuer of USDC; 3) court approval to restart FTX exchange in December 2023, with actual resumption of work in May-June; 4) bitcoin halving; 5) implementation of EIP-4844 following the Dencun hard fork in the Ethereum blockchain in the first quarter of 2024; 6) possible start of the easing of the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy by mid-2024.

– Many participants in the crypto community supported Matrixport's positive forecast. Analyst CrediBULL Crypto believes that BTC will soon realize an impulse that will send the coin to $40,000. Trader CryptoCon also joined the optimists. According to his calculations, BTC has a "cushion" up to $47,000. The level, as he believes, can be reached in the summer of 2024, after which a correction to around $31,000 is possible. CryptoCon is confident that the active growth phase, against the backdrop of the halving, will occur at the end of 2024 – the beginning of 2025.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for November 20 - 24, 2023

EUR/USD: November 14 - a Dark Day for the Dollar

In the previous review, the overwhelming majority of experts expressed opinions favouring further weakening of the American currency. This prediction came to fruition. The Consumer Inflation report in the United States, published on Tuesday, November 14, toppled the Dollar Index (DXY) from 105.75 to 103.84. According to Bank of America, this marked the most significant dollar sell-off since the beginning of the year. Naturally, this had an impact, including on the dynamics of EUR/USD, which marked this day with an impressive bullish candle, rising nearly 200 points.

It is noteworthy that exactly a year ago, after the release of data on October inflation, U.S. bond yields plummeted, stock indices soared, and the dollar significantly declined against major world currencies. And history repeated itself. This time, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the U.S. for October decreased from 0.4% to 0% (m/m), and on an annual basis, it dropped from 3.7% to 3.2%. The Core CPI for the same period decreased from 4.1% to 4.0%: the lowest level since September 2021.

In reality, a 0.1% drop in inflation is not that significant. However, the market's strong reaction demonstrated how overbought the dollar was. As analysts at ING (Internationale Nederlanden Groep) write, a powerful bullish trend in Q3 this year led to a 4.9% increase in the dollar. Keeping the dollar strong was easy due to the high interest rates and increased yields of U.S. Treasury bonds.

But everything comes to an end at some point. The data released on November 14 confirmed the weakening of inflationary pressure and convinced the market that the Federal Reserve (FRS) would no longer raise the key interest rate. Moreover, market participants now do not rule out that the regulator may shift to easing its monetary policy not in the middle of next summer but as early as the spring of the following year. ING economists believe that the onset of a recession in the U.S. will compel the FRS to cut the rate by 150 basis points in Q2 2024. According to MUFG Bank, the probability of a rate cut in May 2024 is now 80%, in March – 30%. Such a reduction will halt the dollar's bullish rally, support so-called commodity currencies, and, as MUFG believes, EUR/USD could reach the height of 1.1500 over the next year.

As for the near-term outlook, according to Societe Generale economists, regardless of the outcomes of the Federal Reserve meeting on December 13 and the ECB on December 14, seasonal trends for the euro in the last month of 2023 are bullish. However, the dollar may be supported by weak growth rates in the Eurozone. Germany's economy is in a state of stagnation, preliminary GDP data for the Eurozone showed a decline of -0.1% in Q3, and the European Commission lowered the economic growth forecast for 2023 from 0.8% to 0.6%. Therefore, the euro may also come under pressure from speculation about a cut in the ECB interest rate.

EUR/USD finished the past week at the level of 1.0913. Currently, experts' opinions on its immediate future are divided as follows: 60% voted for the strengthening of the dollar, 25% sided with the euro, and 15% remained neutral. As for technical analysis, 100% of trend indicators and oscillators on D1 are coloured green, but 25% of the latter are in overbought territory. The nearest support for the pair is located around 1.0830, then 1.0740, 1.0620-1.0640, 1.0480-1.0520, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance in the area, then 1.0945-1.0975 and 1.1065-1.1090, 1.1150, 1.1260-1.1275.

 Next week, on Wednesday, November 22, the minutes of the last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will be published. On Thursday, November 23, preliminary data on business activity (PMI) in Germany and the Eurozone will be released, and the following day will bring similar indicators from the U.S. Additionally, traders should take into account that on Friday in the United States, markets will close early as the country observes Thanksgiving Day.

GBP/USD: Surprise from UK CPI

The strengthening of the pound on U.S. inflation data turned out to be even greater than that of the euro. On November 14, GBP/USD rose by 240 points, from 1.2265 to 1.2505. This is good news for the British currency. However, there is also bad news: inflation in the United Kingdom is on the decline.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in October decreased from 0.5% to 0% (m/m) and fell from 6.7% to 4.6% on an annual basis. The Core CPI for the same period decreased from 6.1% to 5.7%. All these figures turned out to be below expectations and were a surprise not only for the market but also for British officials.

Megan Greene, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV on November 16 that despite the current decline in inflation, wage growth in the UK remains incredibly high, and labour productivity is low. These two factors complicate the movement toward the target CPI level of 2.0% and make one wonder whether the Bank of England's policy is restrictive enough. According to Megan Greene, BoE might have to stick to a restrictive policy longer than anticipated.

If inflation does not bring new surprises, it is unlikely that the Bank of England will continue to raise interest rates in the coming months. But even if it continues to keep it at the current level of 5.25%, while the Federal Reserve starts lowering rates, it will benefit the pound. However, at the moment, making any forecasts is quite challenging.

"We remain cautious for now," write economists at German Commerzbank. "One surprise does not mean everything is settled. And given the remarkable instability of inflation in the UK, there is a risk that the return to the target inflation level will be uneven. Wage data released on Tuesday also confirms this view. At the moment, the Bank of England can breathe a sigh of relief, but caution is still necessary."

GBP/USD ended the past week at the level of 1.2462. As for the median forecast of analysts for the near future, here their voices were divided equally: a third of them pointed north, a third to the south, and a third to the east. For D1 trend indicators, 90% point north, 10% to the south. All 100% of oscillators are looking up, with 15% of them signalling overbought conditions. In the event of the pair moving south, it will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2390-1.2420, 1.2330, 1.2210, 1.2040-1.2085, 1.1960, and 1.1800-1.1840, 1.1720, 1.1595-1.1625, 1.1450-1.1475. In the case of the pair rising, it will face resistance at levels 1.2500-1.2510, then 1.2545-1.2575, 1.2690-1.2710, 1.2785-1.2820, 1.2940, and 1.3140.

Events of the upcoming week in the calendar include a speech by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on Tuesday, November 21. The following day will see the release of the Inflation Report and discussion of the country's budget, and on Thursday, November 23, preliminary data on business activity (PMI) in various sectors of the UK economy will be released.

USD/JPY: U.S. Treasuries Expected to Rescue the Yen

On November 13, USD/JPY reached a height of 151.90, updating a multi-month high and returning to where it traded in October 2022. However, on U.S. inflation data, the yen staged a comeback.

Unlike the U.S. CPI, macro statistics from Japan had minimal impact on the yen, though there were notable points to consider. For instance, the country's GDP in the third quarter showed a decline of -0.5% after a 1.2% growth in the previous period and a forecast of -0.1%. Against this backdrop, the head of the Bank of Japan (BoJ), Kadsuo Ueda, made a surprising statement on Friday, November 17, stating that the country's economy is recovering and is likely to continue doing so, albeit at a moderate pace.

Ueda is not certain that the weak yen negatively affects the Japanese economy. On the contrary, this weakness has a positive impact on exports and the profits of Japanese companies operating in the global market. Therefore, the head of the regulator is unsure about the order and extent to which the Bank of Japan will change its monetary policy. "We will consider ending the YCC policy and negative rates if we can expect our inflation target to be reached on a stable and sustainable basis," vaguely stated Kadsuo Ueda.

Meanwhile, Japan's Finance Minister, Sin'iti Sudzuki, stated that he is ready to take necessary measures in case of increased speculative pressure on the national currency. Deputy Minister Ryosei Akazawa supported his chief and reiterated that the government would intervene in the foreign exchange market to curb excessive volatility. The words of both officials somewhat strengthened the national currency, and on Friday, November 17, it found a local bottom at the level of 149.19. The final chord sounded slightly higher – at 149.56.

Hopes that the BoJ will eventually tighten its monetary policy continue to linger among market participants. Strategists at Danske Bank, for example, predict a decline in USD/JPY below the 140.00 mark within 6-12 months. In their view, this is primarily due to the fact that the yield of long-term U.S. bonds has peaked. "We expect that in the coming year, the yield differential will contribute to the strengthening of the Japanese yen," they write. "In addition, historical data suggest that global conditions characterized by slowing growth and inflation favor the strengthening of the Japanese yen."

Speaking of the near-term prospects for the pair, 65% of analysts expect further strengthening of the yen, while 35% anticipate a new advance of the dollar. As for the technical analysis on D1, the forecast here is maximally neutral. Both among trend indicators and oscillators, the ratio between red and green is 50-50. The nearest support level is in the zone of 149.20, then 148.40-148.70, 146.85-147.30, 145.90-146.10, 145.30, 144.45, 143.75-144.05, 142.20. The nearest resistance is 150.00-150.15, then 151.70-151.90 (October 2022 maximum), further 152.80-153.15, and 156.25.

There is no planned release of any other significant statistics regarding the state of the Japanese economy in the upcoming week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: When Will You Become a Bitcoin Millionaire?

According to the Wayback Machine web archive, the surge in the value of the main cryptocurrency has led to a threefold increase in bitcoin millionaires since the beginning of the year. As of November 12, their count reached 88,628, a significant jump from the 28,084 recorded on January 5. Notably, bitcoin's price rose from $16,500 to $37,000 during this period.

Now, envision the potential scenario envisioned by Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz, where digital gold could soar to $500,000 within the next five years. Could the number of millionaires surpass a million? Moreover, when the BTC rate exceeds $1 million, as forecasted by ARK Investment CEO Catherine Wood, could we also join the ranks of those possessing this coveted wealth? It's highly desired that these aspirations materialize. Now, let's delve into why they could become reality and why they might crumble into fragments.

The experts at Matrixport have identified six drivers that, in their opinion, will contribute to the emergence of a BullRally in the coming months. These are: 1) SEC approval of spot bitcoin ETFs with trading expected to commence in February-March 2024; 2) the IPO of Circle, the issuer of USDC; 3) court approval for the relaunch of the FTX exchange in December 2023, with actual resumption of operations in May-June; 4) the bitcoin network halving; 5) the implementation of EIP-4844 following the Dencun hard fork in the Ethereum blockchain in Q1 2024; 6) the potential onset of easing in the monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve by mid-2024.

Diving deeper into two of these factors, the first and the fourth: they currently play a crucial role in accelerating the accumulation of BTC by hodlers, surpassing the issuance of new coins by 2.2 times. Notably, over 57% of coins from the circulating supply have been dormant in wallets for over two years. Simultaneously, the supply from short-term holders and speculators is sharply decreasing. This dynamic creates a significant deficit in the digital gold market, propelling prices upward. Many experts anticipate that this trend will intensify significantly after the approval of spot ETFs and the 2024 halving.

According to the analytics agency Glassnode, since mid-2022, due to the decline in crypto asset prices, miners have been compelled to sell nearly all the coins they mined to cover operational expenses and payments on debts, amounting to approximately $1 billion per month. After the halving and a 50% reduction in rewards, this volume is expected to decrease to $0.5 billion. Some companies may struggle to sustain mining operations altogether. The influx of new coins is projected to drop from 81,000 to 40,500 per quarter, further amplifying the supply shortage and driving prices upward. Historical data indicates that, in the year following halvings, BTC prices surged by 460% to 7745%.

Regarding the potential influx of institutional capital upon approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), much has already been discussed. Let's delve into a few more forecasts. According to analysts at CryptoQuant, the overall cryptocurrency market capitalization would rapidly increase by $1 trillion in this scenario. Approximately ~1% of assets under management (AUM) from managing companies would enter the bitcoin market, potentially raising the market capitalization of digital gold by $450-900 billion. In terms of price, this suggests a short-term increase for the BTC/USD pair to $50,000-73,000.

Analysts from Bernstein predict that, in the event of bitcoin ETF approval, the asset's price could reach $150,000 by 2025. Meanwhile, their counterparts at LookIntoBitcoin advise profit-taking when the coin appreciates to at least $110,000. To determine the peak height to which BTC will rise, LookIntoBitcoin specialists calculated the so-called Terminal Price. This is computed considering various factors, including the time between bitcoin mining and spending, as well as the quantity of coins in circulation. Calculations indicate that bitcoin will reach the Terminal Price during the next bull rally, expected to conclude by the end of 2025. Looking at a longer horizon, one can explore the forecasts of Mike Novogratz and Catherine Wood for the next five to seven years (see above).

And now, a bucket of cold water poured on the hot heads of crypto optimists by analysts at JPMorgan, one of the world's largest banks. They recently released a sceptical report that scrutinizes investor expectations. The main theses are as follows: 1) The introduction of spot ETFs will only lead to a capital shift from existing investment products (such as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust) but will not generate new demand; 2) Lost SEC cases [against Ripple and Grayscale] will not increase loyalty in crypto regulation, and as the regulatory framework takes shape, the situation will only become more stringent; 3) The impact of the halving is unpredictable, as the reward reduction is already factored into the price.

So, what awaits the leading cryptocurrency? This is the question posed by Peter Schiff, the president of Euro Pacific Capital, known as the "gold bug" and a fervent critic of bitcoin. This billionaire conducted a poll on X (formerly Twitter) on the topic of when the crash of the leading cryptocurrency will occur. The majority of respondents (68.1%) believe that the asset should be bought and held. 23% of those surveyed predicted the coin's crash after the launch of spot bitcoin ETFs. Only 8.9% voted for the crash to happen before the launch of these exchange-traded funds.

Now about the current situation. Bitfinex exchange analysts warn that the price of bitcoin has reached a local maximum and may correct in the near future. According to their report, the average purchase price of BTC by short-term holders (Short-Term Holder Realized Price – STH RP) is currently at $30,380, and the difference between this figure and the current price of the asset is the highest since April 2022. Historically, this indicates that the coin's price has reached a local maximum and may correct to the STH RP level, dropping to the $30,000–$31,000 range.

Doctor Profit, an analyst, also anticipates a correction and believes that the next correction following the positive trend will bring BTC back to around $34,000. "The market is overheated right now. Correction is a matter of time," he wrote on his microblog.

On the contrary, Matrixport analysts believe that a confident breakthrough above $36,000 will push the price of the leading cryptocurrency towards the $40,000 resistance. After that, it may open the way to the $45,000 height, which could be reached by the end of 2023. "Considering the steady growth in the number of buyers during US trading hours, we can see price growth by the end of the month (and year). Santa Claus rally can start at any moment," emphasized the specialists.

Many members of the crypto community supported Matrixport's positive forecast. Analyst CrediBULL Crypto believes that BTC will soon realize an impulse that will send the coin to $40,000. Trader CryptoCon also joined the optimists. According to his calculations, BTC has room to reach $47,000. However, he believes that this level may only be reached in the summer of 2024, after which a correction to around $31,000 is possible. The active growth phase due to the halving, according to CryptoCon, is expected by the end of 2024 – the beginning of 2025.

As of the writing of this review on Friday, November 17, BTC/USD is trading at $36,380. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.38 trillion ($1.42 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has dropped from 70 to 63 points but still 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.

[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– The largest crypto exchange, Binance, has announced that it has reached a global agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in connection with their investigations into issues related to registration, compliance, and violations of anti-Russian sanctions.
As part of the agreement, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) stepped down from the position of CEO of the exchange as of November 21, 2023. Additionally, under the terms of the agreement, Binance will pay regulators and law enforcement authorities substantial amounts (approximately $7 billion) in fines and compensations to resolve charges and claims against them.
In addition to the financial settlement, Binance has agreed to completely withdraw from U.S. markets and will "adhere to a set of stringent sanctions compliance commitments." Furthermore, the exchange will be under the five-year observation of the U.S. Tresrey service with open access to its financial records, records, and systems.
While such a significant fine will heavily impact the company, experts view this decision unequivocally positively, considering the exchange's leading role. Representatives of Binance also stated their firm belief in both the crypto industry and the bright future of their company.

– Bittrex Global, another crypto exchange based in Liechtenstein, will cease all operations and halt trading on December 4th. The exchange's management strongly advises all customers to log into their accounts and withdraw their assets as soon as possible. Bittrex Global has already frozen its referral program and halted advertising campaigns.

– Scammers recently conducted another fake cryptocurrency giveaway impersonating Elon Musk. The campaign included live video streams on YouTube featuring a deepfake of Musk. The individual in the video spoke with a generated voice. Participants were initially required to send cryptocurrency to specified addresses to take part in the giveaway. They were promised to receive the cryptocurrency back to their wallets, but with a 200% bonus. According to experts from BitOK, even several well-known news outlets fell into the trap, sharing links to the fake broadcasts.

– Javier Milei, a libertarian and implicit supporter of bitcoin, emerged victorious in the second round of the presidential elections in Argentina. He will assume the presidency of the country on December 10.
Due to the economic crisis, the Argentine peso is rapidly depreciating, with inflation exceeding 140% over the last 12 months. Milei blames the central bank for the troubles affecting the state's residents, branding the agency's employees as fraudsters. He believes they devised a mechanism to deceive citizens through an inflation tax.
During the electoral campaign, Javier adeptly manipulated his positive statements about bitcoin, stating that, thanks to this cryptocurrency, "money will return to its creator – the private sector of the economy." However, the new head of Argentina has not yet declared his intention to recognize bitcoin as legal tender, following the example of President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. Furthermore, he has advocated for a dollarization policy, entailing the replacement of the Argentine peso with the US dollar.

– Can we expect a new significant downward correction from bitcoin? According to the well-known analyst Willy Woo, this is unlikely. He examined blockchain data reflecting the average purchase price of BTC by investors, based on which he concluded that the main cryptocurrency probably won't fall below $30,000 again.
Woo shared with readers a chart showing a dense gray band, indicating the price around which a significant portion of the bitcoin supply fluctuated at that time. According to Woo, this reflects "strong consensus value." The analyst claims that since the creation of bitcoin, this band has acted as reliable price support. Woo's chart shows that such bands have formed eight times throughout the entire existence of bitcoin and have always supported its price.
However, not everyone trusts Woo's calculations. For instance, an analyst using the pseudonym TXMC reminded that in 2021, Woo made a similar forecast, stating that bitcoin would never drop below $40,000. Yet, the following year saw precisely that happening.

– According to the calculations of several experts, the fundamental indicators of the cryptocurrency have never looked better. For instance, 70% of the existing supply of BTC has not moved from one wallet to another during this year, marking a record in bitcoin's history. Such withdrawal rates are extraordinary for a financial asset, as summarized by a group of analysts led by Gautam Chhugani.
Another positive factor is the upcoming halving, which could reduce the monthly selling pressure from miners from $1 billion to $500 million (at today's BTC rate of $37,000).
Additionally, the potential approval of bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. is seen as a positive catalyst. This approval would facilitate large investors' access to the cryptocurrency. According to experts from Bernstein, against this backdrop, the price of the leading cryptocurrency could rise to $150,000 by the beginning of 2025.

– Apple users have filed a collective lawsuit against the tech giant, accusing it of unfair competition due to restrictions on cryptocurrency payments. The document filed in the California district court claims that Apple entered into a "secret agreement" with Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App to limit users' use of decentralized cryptocurrency technology in payment applications.
The plaintiffs also allege that Apple employs "technological and contractual restrictions," including hardware exclusivity in the App Store and "constraints on web browser technology," to "exercise unlimited control over each application installed and launched on iPhone and iPad." As a result, users are forced to pay higher trading commissions.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Apple has faced such lawsuits. The court ruling in the Epic Games lawsuit against Apple stated in April 2023 that software providers in the App Store are allowed to offer alternative payment options to avoid high commissions.

– Experts from the analytical company Glassnode highlight a continuous outflow of BTC coins from exchanges. The overall supply of the primary cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly scarce, and the circulating supply is currently at a historical minimum.
In a recent report by Glassnode, it is stated that 83.6% of all circulating bitcoins were acquired by current owners at a lower cost than the current market value. If this metric surpasses the 90% mark, it could indicate the beginning of the euphoria stage, where almost all market participants have unrealized profits.
According to analysts, statistically, these figures can help determine the current stage of the market. For instance, when less than 58% of all BTC coins are profitable, the market is considered to be in the bottom formation stage. Once the metric surpasses the 58% mark, the market transitions to the recovery stage, and above 90%, it enters the euphoria stage.
Glassnode believes that over the past ten months, the market has been in the second of these three stages, recovering from a series of negative events in 2022, such as the collapse of the Luna project and the bankruptcy of the FTX crypto exchange.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for November 27 – December 01, 2023

EUR/USD: Day of Thanksgiving and Week of Contradictions

Reminder that the American currency came under significant pressure on November 14 following the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report in the USA. In October, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased from 0.4% to 0% (m/m), and on an annual basis, it dropped from 3.7% to 3.2%. The Core CPI for the same period decreased from 4.1% to 4.0%: reaching the lowest level since September 2021. These figures caused a tumble in the Dollar Index (DXY) from 105.75 to 103.84. According to Bank of America, this marked the most significant dollar sell-off since the beginning of the year. Naturally, this had an impact on the dynamics of the EUR/USD pair, which marked this day with an impressive bullish candle of almost 200 pips, reaching resistance in the 1.0900 zone.

DXY continued to consolidate near 103.80 last week, maintaining positions at the lows from the end of August to the beginning of September. Meanwhile, the EUR/USD pair, transforming 1.0900 from resistance to a pivot point, continued its movement along this line.

Market reassurance, besides Thanksgiving Day, was also influenced by the uncertainty regarding what to expect from the Federal Reserve (FRS) and the European Central Bank (ECB). Following the release of the inflation report, the majority of investors believed in the imminent conclusion of the hawkish monetary policy of the American central bank. Expectations that the regulator would raise interest rates at its meeting on December 14 plummeted to zero. Moreover, among market participants, the opinion circulated that the FRS might shift towards easing its monetary policy not in mid-summer but already in the spring of the following year.

However, the minutes of the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting were published on November 21, and their content contradicted market expectations. The minutes indicated that the leadership of the regulator considered the possibility of additional tightening of monetary policy in case of inflation growth. Furthermore, FRS members concluded that it would be prudent to keep the rate high until inflation reaches the target.

The content of the minutes slightly supported the American currency: EUR/USD crossed the 1.0900 horizon from top to bottom, dropping from 1.0964 to 1.0852. However, overall, the market reaction was restrained since the formulations mentioned above were quite vague and lacked specificity regarding the future monetary policy of the United States.

If in the United States, market expectations clashed with the FRS protocols, in Europe, the ECB protocols contradicted the subsequent rhetoric of individual leaders of this regulator. In its latest protocol, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank left the door open for the resumption of the monetary restriction cycle and urged policymakers to avoid unwarranted easing of financial conditions. A similar sentiment was expressed by the ECB President, Christine Lagarde, in her speech on Friday, November 24, stating that the fight against inflation is not yet over. However, a little earlier, the head of the Bank of France, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, stated that interest rates would not be raised anymore.

So, the question of what the future monetary policy of the ECB will be remains open. In favour of hawks, it is noted that wage growth in the Eurozone accelerated in Q3 from 4.4% to 4.7%, and purchasing managers highlighted an increase in inflationary pressure. On the other hand, the Eurozone's economy continues to experience stagflation. Business activity (PMI) has been below the critical 50-point mark for the sixth consecutive month, indicating technical recession.

A glimmer of light in the darkness came from macro statistics from Germany, some indicators of which gradually improved. PMI dropped to a minimum of 38.8 points in July and then began to grow slowly. Preliminary data published on Thursday, November 23rd, showed that this index rose to 47.1 (though still below 50.0). The economic sentiment index from the ZEW Institute returned to the positive territory for the first time in half a year, sharply rising from -1.1 to 9.8. According to some economists, this growth is likely linked to a noticeable decrease in inflation (CPI) in Germany over the last two months: from 6.1% to 3.8%.

However, only desperate optimists can claim that the country's economy has rebounded and transitioned to recovery. Germany's recession is far from over. For the fourth consecutive quarter, GDP is not growing; worse yet, it is contracting: GDP for Q3 2023 decreased by 0.1% and compared to the same quarter of the previous year, it declined by 0.4%. According to Bloomberg, the budget crisis in Germany could lead to many infrastructure and environmental projects not receiving funding. As a result, economic growth may slow down by 0.5% next year.

In general, the prospects for both currencies, the dollar and the euro, are shrouded in the fog of uncertainty. As economists from the Japanese MUFG Bank note, "the window for the dollar to reach the highs set in October and/or beyond may already be closed. However, the growth prospects in the Eurozone also do not indicate significant opportunities for EUR/USD."

For the second consecutive week, EUR/USD concluded near the 1.0900 level, specifically at 1.0938. Currently, expert opinions regarding its near future are divided as follows: 40% voted for the strengthening of the dollar, 40% sided with the euro, and 20% remained neutral. In terms of technical analysis, all trend indicators and oscillators on the D1 timeframe are in green, but one-third of the latter are in overbought territory. The nearest support for the pair is located around 1.0900, followed by 1.0830-1.0840, 1.0740, 1.0620-1.0640, 1.0480-1.0520, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, and 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance around 1.0965-1.0985, 1.1070-1.1090, 1.1150, 1.1260-1.1275, and 1.1475.

In the upcoming week, preliminary inflation (CPI) data for Germany and the GDP for the United States for Q3 will be released on Wednesday, November 29. The following day will reveal the CPI and retail sales volumes for the Eurozone as a whole, along with the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index and the number of initial jobless claims in the United States. The workweek will conclude on Friday, December 1st, with the publication of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector in the United States and a speech by the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell.

GBP/USD: First Came the Word. But Will There Be Deeds?

Recent macroeconomic data indicates that the UK's economy is on the mend, contributing to the strengthening of the British pound. Business activity in the country is rebounding, with the Services PMI and Composite PMI indices showing growth, although they remain in contraction territory after three months of decline. The Manufacturing PMI is also below the threshold value of 50.0, indicating contraction/growth, but it rose from 44.8 to 46.7, surpassing forecasts of 45.0. The growth in business activity is supported by a decrease in core inflation. According to the latest CPI data, it decreased from 6.7% to 4.6%, and despite this, the economy managed to avoid a recession, with GDP remaining at 0%.

Against this backdrop, according to several analysts, unlike the Federal Reserve (FRS) and the European Central Bank (ECB), there is a significant likelihood of another interest rate hike by the Bank of England (BoE). This conviction has been fuelled by recent hawkish comments from the regulator's head, Andrew Bailey, who emphasized that rates should be raised for a longer period, even if it may have a negative impact on the economy.

The Chief Economist of the BoE, Hugh Pill, also stated in an interview with the Financial Times on Friday, November 24, that the Central Bank would continue to combat inflation, and it cannot afford to weaken its tight monetary policy. According to Pill, key indicators, namely inflation in service prices and wage growth, remained persistently high throughout the summer. Therefore, even though "both of these measures have shown a slight – but welcome – sign of coming down, they remain at very high levels."

Such hawkish statements from Bank of England leaders contribute to bullish sentiments for the pound. However, according to economists at Commerzbank, despite Andrew Bailey's efforts to convey a hawkish stance with his comments, it is not necessarily guaranteed that real actions, such as an interest rate hike, will follow. "Even in the case of positive surprises from the real sector of the UK economy, the market always keeps in mind the rather indecisive approach of the Bank of England. In this case, the potential for sterling to rise in the near future will be limited," warns Commerzbank.

Despite Thanksgiving Day in the United States, some preliminary data on the state of the American economy was still released on Friday, November 24. The S&P Global PMI for the services sector increased from 50.6 to 50.8. The composite PMI remained unchanged in November at the previous level of 50.7. However, the manufacturing sector's PMI in the country showed a significant decline – despite the previous value of 50.0 and expectations of 49.8, the actual figure dropped to 49.4, reflecting a slowdown in growth. Against this backdrop, taking advantage of the low-liquidity market, pound bulls pushed the pair higher to a height of 1.2615.

As for technical analysis, over the past week, GBP/USD has surpassed both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages (DMA) and even breached the resistance at 1.2589 (50% correction level from the July-October decline), marking the highest level since early September. The week concluded with the pair reaching 1.2604.

Economists at Scotiabank believe that "in the short term, the pound will find support on minor dips (to the 1.2500 area) and looks technically poised for further gains." Regarding the median forecast of analysts in the near future, only 20% supported Scotiabank's projection for pound growth. The majority (60%) took the opposite position, while the remaining analysts maintained a neutral stance. All trend indicators and oscillators on the D1 timeframe point north, with 15% of the latter signalling overbought conditions. In the event of a southward movement, the pair will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2570, followed by 1.2500-1.2520, 1.2450, 1.2370, 1.2330, 1.2210, and 1.2040-1.2085. In the case of an upward movement, resistance awaits at levels such as 1.2615-1.2635, 1.2690-1.2710, 1.2785-1.2820, 1.2940, and 1.3140.

One notable event in the upcoming week's calendar is the scheduled speech by the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on Wednesday, November 29. As of now, there are no other significant events related to the United Kingdom's economy expected in the coming days.

USD/JPY: The Near Future of the Yen Lies in the Hands of the Fed

The momentum gained by USD/JPY after the release of the U.S. inflation report on November 14th proved to be so strong that it continued into the past week. On Tuesday, November 21, the pair found a local bottom at the level of 147.14. Once again, news from the other side of the Pacific, specifically the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes, served as a signal for a northward reversal.

As the primary catalyst for the yen revolves around speculations about changes in the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) policy, markets awaited the release of national inflation data on Friday, November 24th. It was anticipated that the core CPI would increase by 3.0% (year-on-year) compared to the previous value of 2.8%. However, it grew less than expected, reaching 2.9%. The rise in the overall national CPI was 3.3% (year-on-year), exceeding the previous figure of 3.0% but falling short of forecasts at 3.4%. As a result, this had little to no impact on the Japanese yen's exchange rate.

According to economists at Commerzbank, the inflation indicators suggest that the Bank of Japan is unlikely to aim for an exit from its ultra-easy monetary policy in the foreseeable future. The dynamics of USD/JPY in the coming weeks will likely depend almost entirely on the movement of the dollar.

This stance is probably acceptable to the Japanese central bank, reflecting the market's low expectations regarding a tightening of its passive and dovish policy. This sentiment was reaffirmed by Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who addressed Parliament on Wednesday, November 22nd. Kishida stated that the BoJ's monetary policy is not aimed at directing currency rates in a particular direction. From this, it can be inferred that the country's leadership has entrusted the Federal Reserve of the United States with this function.

The closing note of the week for USD/JPY settled at the level of 149.43, maintaining its position above the critical 100- and 200-day SMAs. This suggests that the broader trend still leans towards bullish sentiments, despite recent local victories for bears. Regarding the immediate prospects of the pair, only 20% of experts anticipate further strengthening of the dollar, another 20% side with the yen, while the majority (60%) refrain from making any forecasts. As for the technical analysis on the daily chart (D1), the forecast remains uncertain. Among trend indicators, the ratio is evenly split between red and green (50% each). Among oscillators, 60% favour red, 20% favour green, and 20% are neutral-grey. The nearest support level is located in the zone of 149.20, followed by 148.90, 148.10-148.40, 146.85-147.15, 145.90-146.10, 145.30, 144.45, 143.75-144.05, and 142.20. The nearest resistance is at 149.75, followed by 150.00-150.15, 151.70-151.90, then 152.80-153.15 and 156.25.

There is no planned release of any significant statistics regarding the state of the Japanese economy next week.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: "Modest" Fine of $7,000,000,000

From the events of the past week, one stands out. It has been reported that the largest crypto exchange, Binance, reached a global settlement with the US Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, related to their investigations into registration issues, compliance, and violations of anti-Russian sanctions.

As part of the agreement, on November 21, 2023, CZ (Changpeng Zhao) stepped down as the CEO of the exchange. Additionally, under the agreement, Binance will pay regulators and law enforcement substantial amounts (around $7 billion) in the form of fines and compensations to settle charges and claims against them. In addition to the financial settlement, Binance has agreed to completely withdraw from the US markets and will "comply with a set of stringent sanction requirements." Furthermore, the exchange will be under a five-year observation by the US Treasury with open access to its accounting books, records, and systems.

The $7 billion payouts are a substantial amount that will significantly impact the company. Can it survive this? After news of these fines, a wave of panic sentiments swept through the market. According to DeFiLlama data, Binance's reserves decreased by $1.5 billion in two days, with an outflow of $710 million during the same period. These are substantial losses. However, looking at history, such withdrawal rates are not extraordinary. In June, after the SEC filed a lawsuit, the outflow exceeded $1 billion in a day, and in January, amid the BUSD stablecoin scandal, the outflow reached a record $4.3 billion for 2023. So, there is likely no catastrophe, and the exchange will face local difficulties.

Representatives of Binance stated that they firmly believe in the crypto industry and the bright future of their company. Many experts view the exchange's agreement with US authorities as a positive event, considering Binance's leading role in the crypto industry. Confirmation of this was the bitcoin dynamics: in the first hours, BTC/USD dropped by 6%, but then rebounded: on Friday, November 24, it even broke through resistance in the $38,000 zone, reaching a high of $38,395.

According to several experts, the fundamental indicators of the leading cryptocurrency have never looked better. For example, 70% of the existing BTC supply has not moved from one wallet to another during this year. "This is a record level in bitcoin's history: such withdrawal rates are extraordinary for a financial asset," summarizes a group of analysts led by Gautam Chhugani.

Glassnode, an analytical company, also notes a consistent outflow of BTC coins from exchanges. The total supply of the leading cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly scarce, and the circulating supply is currently at an all-time low.

In a recent Glassnode report, it is stated that 83.6% of all circulating bitcoins were acquired by current owners at a lower cost than the current value. If this figure surpasses the 90% mark, it could indicate the beginning of the euphoria stage, where almost all market participants have unrealized profits.

According to analysts, statistical data can help determine the current market stage. For instance, when less than 58% of all BTC coins are profitable, the market is in the bottoming formation stage. Once the indicator surpasses the 58% mark, the market transitions into the recovery stage, and above 90%, it enters the euphoria stage.

Glassnode believes that over the last ten months, the market has been in the second of these three stages, recovering from a series of negative events in 2022, such as the collapse of the Luna project and the bankruptcy of the crypto exchange FTX.

So, the chances of entering the New Year 2024 on an upward trajectory are increasing. Positive expectations are reinforced by the upcoming halving in April. It may reduce the monthly selling pressure from miners from $1 billion to $500 million (at the current BTC rate). Additionally, the potential approval of bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. is a positive catalyst, easing access to cryptocurrency for major investors. According to experts at Bernstein, against this backdrop, by the beginning of 2025, the price of the first cryptocurrency could rise to $150,000.

Can one expect a significant downward correction from bitcoin in the near future? The crypto market is known for its unpredictability and volatility. However, according to renowned analyst Willy Woo, this is unlikely. He examined blockchain data reflecting the average purchase price of BTC by investors, concluding that the primary cryptocurrency is unlikely to drop below $30,000 again.

Woo shared a chart with readers, showing a dense grey band representing the price around which a significant portion of bitcoin's supply fluctuated. According to the expert, this reflects "strong consensus price." Woo claims that since the inception of bitcoin, this band has acted as a reliable price support. The chart demonstrates that such bands formed eight times throughout bitcoin's existence, always supporting its price.

However, it's important to acknowledge that not everyone trusts Woo's calculations. An analyst using the pseudonym TXMC reminded that Woo made a similar forecast in 2021, stating that bitcoin would never drop below $40,000. Yet, the next year saw exactly that happen: on November 20, 2022, BTC/USD reached a minimum in the $15,480 range.

Since that tragic date, bitcoin has appreciated by more than 2.4 times. As of the evening of Friday, November 24, BTC/USD is trading around $37,820. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.44 trillion (compared to $1.38 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has risen from 63 to 66 points and continues to be in the Greed zone.

As for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it remains proactive. Following the resolution with Binance, it has now filed charges against the cryptocurrency trading platform Kraken. According to the SEC, the platform operated as an unregistered exchange for securities, broker, dealer, and clearing agency. The SEC lawsuit alleges that since September 2018, Kraken has earned hundreds of millions of dollars by unlawfully facilitating the buying and selling of securities in crypto assets. It remains to be seen how much it will cost Kraken to settle its issues with U.S. authorities.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– The share of bitcoins potentially yielding profit has reached 83.7% of the total supply. This is the highest figure since November 2021, according to a report from Bitfinex analysts. Meanwhile, market activity is low. Experts have noted that coin owners are reluctant to sell, and buyers are not actively seeking them. "One reason for this is that the actual size of unrealized profits remains modest," added Bitfinex.
According to analysts, the ratio between short-term and long-term holders of digital gold is shifting in favor of the latter. The active supply of bitcoin has fallen to a five-year minimum: only 30% of coins have moved in the past year. Accordingly, approximately 70% of bitcoins, or "unprecedented" 16.3 million BTC, remained inactive throughout the year. At the same time, 60% of coins have remained motionless for two years. According to Bitfinex specialists, these indicators signify that the market is "in a relatively strong position" as coin owners see a positive return on their investments and are not in a hurry to liquidate assets.

–  As a result of the resolution of the U.S. authorities' claims against Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao, bitcoin is now poised to exceed $40,000 by the end of the year, according to statements from Matrixport. Various estimates suggested that Binance could face fines of up to $10 billion, with allegations of illegal misappropriation of user funds or market manipulation. However, on November 21, an agreement was reached, with the company agreeing to pay $4.3 billion to U.S. authorities. Changpeng Zhao stepped down as CEO and posted a bail of $175 million to remain free. This outcome is considered by Matrixport experts as a "turning point in the crypto industry," indicating that Binance will likely retain its position among the largest crypto exchanges for at least the next two to three years.
In light of this news, Bitcoin initially experienced a temporary correction but then rebounded from $36,000. This confirmed a strong trend, and according to Matrixport experts, a rise above $40,000 in December appears "inevitable." However, they assess the probability of this "inevitable" outcome not at 100%, but at 90%.

– During a speech before students in Frankfurt, Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank, shared that despite "numerous warnings," her son invested in cryptocurrencies. However, the investments turned out to be unsuccessful, and he lost approximately 60% of the invested funds. Nevertheless, according to the head of the ECB, the investment amount was not very significant.
"He ignored my recommendations. Of course, it's his right. But when we talked about it next time, he admitted that I was right. I have a very negative attitude towards cryptocurrencies. People can invest in anything and speculate on anything. But they don't need to enable participation in various criminal and sanction-evading schemes and businesses," concluded Ms. Lagarde.

– The TRON (TRX) blockchain, created by the head of the cryptocurrency exchange HTX and Poloniex, Justin Sun, has reportedly surpassed bitcoin in popularity among terrorists, according to experts interviewed by Reuters. They claim that this is due to the higher transaction speed and lower cost of transactions. The TRON company stated that they do not control the users of the blockchain, adding that theoretically, any technology can be used for criminal activities.
Reuters-analysed experts also stated that the dominant asset in the TRON network is the stablecoin USDT from the company Tether. Tether has previously faced accusations of aiding fundraising for terrorists from US legislators. The company has denied these allegations, emphasizing its active participation in freezing suspicious funds, including in collaboration with Israeli authorities. It's worth noting that the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing in Israel froze 143 wallets on the TRON blockchain from July 2021 to October 2023.
However, journalists point out the difficulties in accurately assessing the amounts collected by terrorists in cryptocurrencies, and it is challenging to determine whether the assets in the frozen wallets were indeed intended for such groups.

– Specialists from the analytical company Santiment have noted an increase in the correlation between the cryptocurrency and stock markets. In November, bitcoin, Ethereum, and the S&P 500 index, on average, grew by 9.2%. The strengthening correlation was observed after bitcoin traded in a narrow price range in late October to early November, showing no significant fluctuations. According to historical data, if bitcoin continues to outpace stocks, it will once again disrupt the correlation, which is considered one of the factors for the formation of a bullish crypto market, according to Santiment.
On November 24, the price of the leading cryptocurrency reached $38,300 for the first time since May of the previous year, prompting bitcoin traders to start taking profits. This is indicated by the slowing growth of the number of wallets with a positive balance. From November 23 to 27, the indicator increased by only 0.25%, reaching 50.91 million wallets.

– The trader, analyst, and founder of the venture company Eight, Michael van de Poppe, predicts that a few weeks before the approval of the first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), the coin's price may rise to $48,000. The expert anticipates that the bitcoin ETF will be approved by the SEC in the next five to six weeks. Consequently, the price of BTC could increase in December as investors seek to profit from the potential rally.
However, after approval, the price of the leading cryptocurrency may experience a sharp decline. The potential retracement target is the 200-week exponential moving average (EMA), currently around $26,500. Van de Poppe suggests that this downward trend may persist even after the upcoming halving. The analyst suspects that it is during this period that traders will actively accumulate coins, triggering the next bullish rise with a target ranging from $300,000 to $400,000.

– Strategists at Standard Chartered Bank believe that BTC could reach $50,000 this year and $120,000 by the end of 2024. The bank's initial forecast hinted at a potential surge to $100,000 but was later revised upward. The price of $120,000 is nearly three times the current value. The optimism from Standard Chartered's experts is linked to the increased profitability of mining when selling a smaller quantity of tokens to maintain the same cash flow volume, ultimately leading to price growth.

– The term "Bitcoin Santa Rally" is gaining popularity on social media platforms, fuelled by the impressive growth of the leading cryptocurrency by approximately 10% in November and 130% since the beginning of the year. This phenomenon echoes the historical "Santa Claus Rally" in the stock market when stocks surge between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In the crypto market, a similar rally first occurred in late November 2013 when the price of bitcoin was less than $1,000. Throughout December, the bitcoin price consistently rose, reaching a peak of $1,147 by December 23. The next significant surge happened during the holiday season in 2017. Bitcoin embarked on a steep upward trajectory, surpassing $19,000 by mid-December and touching $20,000 for the first time.
However, in 2021, Santa Claus didn't bring joy to crypto traders; the result was the opposite. On November 10, the asset reached an all-time high, approaching $69,000, but in December, the price was influenced by volatility and low trading volumes during the holiday season. By the end of the year, bitcoin was trading around $46,000.
Naturally, this year, members of the crypto community are hopeful for bitcoin's growth, as indicated by Google Trends data.

– Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano (ADA), criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for not classifying bitcoin as a security, thereby granting it "complete freedom of action," unlike other cryptocurrencies. According to Hoskinson, BTC is not as decentralized as the SEC believes: more than 51% of the hashing power can be controlled simply by taking the three largest mining pools to court.
In response, Blockstream CEO Adam Back explained to Hoskinson that the main reason is that bitcoin did not conduct an initial coin offering (ICO). "Bitcoin did not conduct an ICO. Most people thought it had no value. It was mined from scratch, it is decentralized, the project has no CEO. ICOs are what led regulators to demand registration from crypto companies. So ADA, Ethereum, and other crypto assets are considered securities under the Howey Test. And bitcoin is considered a commodity," stated Adam Back.
Hoskinson countered by stating that Cardano also did not conduct an ICO. According to him, the project simply distributed coins, and then thousands of people, who had never met before, began trading ADA on crypto exchanges and using the Cardano blockchain for their projects.

– The National Police Agency of South Korea has issued a warning about an increase in activity from North Korean hackers. Experts noted that the criminals are resorting to new sophisticated schemes, often posing as government officials and well-known journalists.
In 2023, North Korean hacking activity has shown a significant escalation in both scale and aggression. Unlike the previous year, where the primary focus was on the spread of ransomware programs, this year there is a shift towards more aggressive phishing attacks. In 2023, South Korean authorities halted the operations of more than 40 fictitious websites associated with cybercriminals.

– Dan Tapiero, Managing Partner and CEO of 10T Holdings, is confident in the inevitable increase in the value of the world's first cryptocurrency. The businessman believes that bitcoin is becoming an increasingly attractive means of savings. "There are many things, such as real estate, that people often invest in. Art, paintings... And bitcoin really can become part of such asset lists."
According to Tapiero, the "next bull trend will come in 2025. And we will see bitcoin surpass $100,000." "I think that's a pretty conservative estimate," he added. The expert believes that negative interest rates on U.S. Treasury bonds will serve as a special "mega-bull signal" for BTC.

– Former CEO of the crypto exchange BitMEX, Arthur Hayes, intends to withdraw funds invested in U.S. Treasury bonds and put them into cryptocurrency before the "Chinese printing press starts its monetary intervention."
According to his forecast, China will significantly increase its investment volumes in external markets. This monetary and credit expansion, combined with the weakening of the U.S. dollar, has the potential to benefit the cryptocurrency market. "Such a scenario will have a positive impact on the value of many risky assets, including cryptocurrencies. The interchangeable nature of global fiat credit implies that capital from China may permeate adjacent financial markets and contribute to the increase in the value of digital assets such as bitcoin," explains the co-founder of BitMEX.
 

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.

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

[Stan NordFX]

NordFX Super Lottery $100,000

Participation in the NordFX Super Lottery is a great opportunity to improve your financial situation by winning one or even several large cash prizes. The total prize pool is $100,000. 60 prizes of $250 and 15 prizes of $1000 to $5000 will be drawn on January 5.

The organizer of the Super Lottery is NordFX, an international brokerage company with 15 years of experience in financial markets, which is trusted by clients from 188 countries around the world. All information about the terms of the Super Lottery can be found on the broker's official website.

As early as 1748, Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait adorns the $100 bill, formulated one of the main financial laws: Time is Money. So, hurry up and don't waste time: the sooner you participate in the lottery (which is not difficult at all), the more likely you are to win there!
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

November 2023 Results: NordFX's Top 3 Traders Set Records with Profits of $470,000

NordFX Brokerage Company Summarizes Client Trading Performance for November 2023. Additionally, an evaluation was conducted on the social trading services – PAMM and CopyTrading, along with the profits generated by the company's IB partners.

- The client from Western Asia with account number 1691XXX secured the highest profit this month, reaching $351,521. This remarkable achievement was attained through trading in gold (XAU/USD), euro (EUR/USD), and the British pound (GBP/USD).

- Similarly, fellow countryman with account number 1692XXX claimed the second position on the podium of distinction, accruing a profit of $91,650. The same currency pairs – XAU/USD, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, along with USD/JPY, contributed to this impressive outcome.

- The third spot is occupied by the account holder with number 1733XXX from Southeast Asia. Utilizing the favoured NordFX trading instrument – gold (XAU/USD), they achieved a profit of $26,713.

In NordFX's passive investment services, the following situation has developed:

- In the PAMM service, the Trade and Earn account continues to attract attention. It was opened 631 days ago but remained dormant, awakening only in November 2022. Over 13 months, its profitability approached 210% with a relatively small maximum drawdown of less than 17%. Undoubtedly, the manager of this account can take pride in such performance.
   
Two long-standing accounts on the PAMM service's showcase have persevered, previously mentioned in our past reviews – KennyFXPRO-The Multi 3000 EA and TranquilityFX-The Genesis v3. Recall that on November 14, 2022, they suffered significant losses, with the drawdown at that moment approaching 43%. However, PAMM managers decided not to give up, and by November 30, 2023, the profit on the first of these accounts exceeded 118%, and on the second, 78%.
   
- In CopyTrading, noteworthy is the signal yahmat-forex, which, over 160 days, demonstrated a profitability of 190% with a maximum drawdown of 37%. Also catching attention is the startup with the original name $20 - ⟩ $1,000,000. One can reasonably guess that the provider of this signal intends to increase the deposit from $20 to $1 million. Currently, in its 37 days of existence, the profit stands at 101% with a moderate drawdown of less than 18%.
   
Undoubtedly, such profitability appears very attractive and far exceeds the returns on bank deposits. However, subscribers must always remember that past successes do not guarantee the same results in the future. Therefore, as usual, we urge investors to exercise maximum caution when investing their money.

Among the IB partners of the NordFX brokerage company, the top three are as follows:
- The largest commission reward once again was credited to a partner from Western Asia, account number 1645XXX. This time it amounted to $10,525.
- Next is their colleague from South Asia, account number 1675XXX, who earned $6,510 in November.
- Finally, another partner from South Asia, account number 1700XXX, closes the top three leaders, receiving $5,034 in commissions.

***

Attention! On January 5, 2024, just a month away, NordFX will host the New Year draw of its super lottery. A multitude of cash prizes ranging from $250 to $5,000 will be up for grabs among the company's clients.

There's still time to become a participant and have a chance to win one or even several of these prizes. All details are available on the NordFX website.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for December 04 – 08, 2023

EUR/USD: December – A Formidable Month for the Dollar

Who will start loosening the grip on their monetary policies earlier, the Federal Reserve (FRS) or the European Central Bank (ECB)? The discussion on this topic remains active, as clearly seen in the quotes' charts. The statistics from the past week did not allow EUR/USD to solidify above the significant level of 1.1000. It all began on Wednesday, November 29, with the publication of inflation data in Germany. The preliminary Consumer Price Index (CPI) in annual terms amounted to 3.2%, which is lower than both the forecast of 3.5% and the previous value of 3.8%. In monthly terms, the German CPI went even deeper into the negative territory, reaching -0.4% (against a forecast of -0.2% and 0.0% the previous month).

These data marked the beginning of the euro's retreat. EUR/USD continued its decline after the release of the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the Eurozone. Eurostat reported that, according to preliminary data, the HICP fell to the lowest level since June 2021, amounting to 2.4% (y/y), which is lower than both the 2.9% in October and the expected 2.7%. The monthly indicator was -0.5%, decreasing from 0.1% in the previous month.

All these data have shown that deflation in the Eurozone significantly outpaces the American one. As a result, many market participants, including strategists at the largest banking group in the Netherlands, ING, have started talking about the imminent victory of the ECB over inflation. They have concluded that the European Central Bank will be the first to ease its monetary policy, including lowering interest rates and engaging in monetary expansion. According to forecasts, this process may begin in April, and with a 50% probability, even a month earlier, in March. The likelihood that the key interest rate will be reduced by 125 basis points (bps) during 2024, from 4.50% to 3.25%, is estimated at 70%. Indirectly, the move towards a more dovish policy was recently confirmed by a member of the ECB's Executive Board and the head of the Bank of Italy, Fabio Panetta, who spoke about the "unnecessary harm" that can be caused by persistently high-interest rates.

As for the United States, FOMC officials speak not of harm but, on the contrary, of the benefits of high-interest rates. For instance, John C. Williams, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, stated that it is appropriate to keep borrowing costs on a plateau for an extended period. According to him, this would allow for a complete restoration of the balance between demand and supply and bring inflation back to 2.0%. Williams predicts that the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index will decrease to 2.25% by the end of 2024 and stabilize near the target level only in 2025.

Therefore, it is unlikely that we should expect the hawks of the Federal Reserve to turn into doves in the near future. Especially considering that the U.S. economy allows maintaining such a position: stock indices are rising, and the GDP data published on November 29 showed a growth of 5.2% in Q3, surpassing both market expectations of 5.0% and the previous value of 4.9%.

Given this situation, it's not surprising that EUR/USD experienced a decline.

On Friday afternoon, it reached a local low at the level of 1.0828 and would have continued to decline further if it were not for the head of the Federal Reserve. Jerome Powell spoke at the very end of the workweek and stated that he considers premature the discussion of when the U.S. central bank can begin to ease its monetary policy. He hinted that the Fed will keep the interest rate unchanged at the current level of 5.50% at the December meeting. Powell also noted that the core inflation in the U.S. is still significantly higher than the target of 2.0%, and the Federal Reserve is ready to continue tightening its policy if necessary. In general, he said the same things as John Williams. However, if the words of the President of the New York Fed strengthened the dollar, somehow similar words from the Fed Chair weakened it: during Powell's speech, the DXY Index lost about 0.12%. Market reactions are truly unpredictable! As a result, the final chord of the week sounded at the level of 1.0882.

What awaits us in December? Following the logic mentioned above, the dollar should continue its advance against the euro. However, a seasonal factor may intervene, indicating a bearish movement for the dollar in December against a range of currencies. According to economists at Societe Generale, the average decline of the Dollar Index (DXY) over the last 10 years in December is 0.8%. Seasonally, the euro (EUR), Swedish krona (SEK), British pound (GBP), and Swiss franc (CHF) tend to rise, while the movements of the Australian dollar (AUD), Canadian dollar (CAD), Japanese yen (JPY), and Mexican peso (MXN) can be considered mixed.

Specialists at the Japanese MUFG Bank also confirm bullish indicators for EUR/USD in the last month of the year. "The seasonal tendency in December," they write, "is quite convincing: over the last 20 years, December has seen EUR/USD rise 14 times, with an impressive average gain of 2.6% over these 14 years. If we exclude December 2008 (+10.1%), the average gain in the other 13 cases was still significant at +2.0%. Moreover, in 8 out of 11 cases when EUR/USD rose in November, it was followed by a rise in December" (and it rose indeed!). "But this does not mean," caution MUFG, "that we can ignore fundamental factors." It is relevant to remind here that based on such factors, the Federal Reserve (FRS) and the European Central Bank (ECB) will make decisions at their meetings on December 13 and 14, respectively.

At the moment, experts' opinions on the near future of EUR/USD are divided as follows: 50% voted for the strengthening of the dollar, 30% sided with the euro, and 20% remained neutral. Regarding technical analysis, 50% of oscillators on the D1 chart are coloured green, 30% are in a neutral grey, and only 20% are red. Interestingly, half of these 20% are already signalling oversold conditions. Among trend indicators, 65% favour the bullish side, while 35% point in the opposite direction.

The nearest support for the pair is located in the area of 1.0830-1.0840, followed by 1.0740, 1.0620-1.0640, 1.0480-1.0520, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, and 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance around 1.0900, 1.0965-1.0985, 1.1070-1.1110, 1.1150, 1.1230-1.1275, 1.1350, and 1.1475.

A substantial flow of data is anticipated from the American labour market in the upcoming week of December 5 to 8. The highlight will be on Friday, December 8, when crucial indicators such as the unemployment rate and the number of new non-farm jobs (NFP) will be published. Additionally, on Tuesday, December 5, we will learn about business activity (PMI) in the U.S. service sector. Data on retail sales in the Eurozone will be available on Wednesday, December 6, and the following day, we will find out about GDP. Finally, on Friday, December 8, revised data on consumer inflation (CPI) in Germany will be released.

GBP/USD: Three Reasons in Favor of the Pound

The likelihood that the US Federal Reserve has likely concluded its cycle of monetary restriction and interest rates have plateaued has been mentioned earlier. Similar sentiments were expressed regarding the historical seasonal advantages of the British pound over the dollar in December.

Verbal support for the British currency was provided by the rhetoric of the Bank of England (BoE) leadership, which currently has no plans to adjust its current monetary policy trajectory. As known, this trajectory is aimed at tightening. Deputy Governor of the BoE, Dave Ramsden, stated that monetary policy should continue to be restrictive to curb inflation. A similar hawkish position was taken by BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, who emphasized that rates should rise for longer, even if it negatively affects the economy.

Currently, the key interest rate for the pound is at a 15-year high of 5.25%. Its last increase occurred on August 3, after which the Bank of England took a pause. However, this does not necessarily mean that they won't resume and increase the rate by 25 basis points at their December or January meeting.

Similar hawkish statements from the leaders of the Bank of England contribute to bullish sentiments for the pound. Even despite the dollar's rise in the second half of the past week, GBP/USD couldn't breach the support at 1.2600. According to economists from the Singaporean United Overseas Bank (UOB), as long as this strong level remains unbroken, there is a possibility for the pair to move slightly higher in the next 1-3 weeks before an increased risk of a pullback. UOB believes that, at the moment, the likelihood of the pound rising to the resistance level of 1.2795 is not substantial.

Following Jerome Powell's remarks, GBP/USD settled at the level of 1.2710 at the conclusion of the past week. Regarding its immediate future, 20% are in favour of further ascent, while the majority of surveyed analysts (55%) have taken the opposite position, and the remaining 25% remain neutral. On the D1 chart, all trend indicators and oscillators unanimously point north, with the latter indicating overbought conditions at 15%.

In the event of a southward movement, the pair will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2600-1.2635, followed by 1.2570, 1.2500-1.2520, 1.2450, 1.2370, 1.2330, 1.2210, and 1.2040-1.2085. In case of an upward movement, resistance awaits at levels 1.2735-1.2755, then 1.2800-1.2820, 1.2940, 1.3000, and 1.3140.

No significant economic events related to the United Kingdom are anticipated for the upcoming week.

USD/JPY: Caution, More Caution, and Even More Caution

We mentioned in the previous overview that the dynamics of USD/JPY in the coming weeks would be almost entirely dependent on the dollar's performance. Additionally, its volatility would be influenced by the oversold condition of the yen: in mid-November, the pair reached a peak at 151.90, a level not seen since October 2022, and before that, 33 years ago in 1990. The result of the synergy between these two factors was observed last week. Following the Dollar Index (DXY), the pair initially dropped by 300 points, from 149.67 to 146.67, then rose in two waves to 148.51. On December 1, it responded with a significant red candle to the statement from the head of the Federal Reserve, finishing at 146.79.

The influence of the United States on the dynamics of USD/JPY is consistently evident. However, will the Bank of Japan (BoJ) impact the strength of its national currency? Hopes for this are diminishing. BoJ board member Toyoaki Nakamura made comments on Thursday, November 30, expressing his opinion on the possibility of transitioning from an ultra-easy monetary policy. He stated that tightening it prematurely is risky, and for now, it is necessary to patiently maintain the current course. As for the timing of when this can be done, according to the official, it is currently challenging to determine. 'We can change our policy when the Japanese economy sees sustainable growth in wages and inflation,' Nakamura explained. 'Now is the time to exercise caution in our policy.'

One might think, was the Bank of Japan not cautious before this? Judging by its monetary policy, BoJ can confidently contend for the title of the 'Most Cautious Central Bank in the World.'.

According to economists at the Singaporean United Overseas Bank (UOB), in the next 1-3 weeks, USD/JPY is likely to trade in a range between 146.65 and 149.30, then start declining. Regarding the median forecast, in the near term, only 20% of experts anticipate further strengthening of the dollar, while 60% are in favour of the yen, and 20% have refrained from making any predictions. As for trend indicators on D1, 85% favour the yen, recommending buying the pair in only 15% of cases. All oscillators are in the red, with 100%, and a quarter of them are in the oversold zone. The nearest support level is located in the 146.65 zone, followed by 145.90-146.10, 145.30, 144.45, 143.75-144.05, and 142.20. The closest resistance is at 147.25, then 147.65-147.85, 148.40, 149.20, 149.80-150.00, 150.80, 151.60, 151.90-152.15, 152.80-153.15, and 156.25.

Among the events in the upcoming week's calendar, it is worth noting Tuesday, December 5, when data on consumer inflation in the Tokyo region will be released, and Friday, December 8, when the GDP volume of Japan for Q3 2023 will be announced.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: A Year Between a Bear Past and a Bull Future

December is upon us, making it a fitting time not only to review the week's outcomes but also to assess the entire passing year. Apparently, 2023 has the potential to serve as a transition between the bear 2022 and the bull 2023, supported by an impressive 11% growth in the leading cryptocurrency in November and a staggering 130% increase since the beginning of the year.

The share of potentially profitable bitcoins has reached 83.7% of the total supply, marking the highest level since November 2021. According to analysts at Bitfinex, the balance between short-term and long-term holders of digital gold is tilting in favour of the latter. The active supply of bitcoin has dropped to a five-year low, with only 30% of coins moving over the year. Consequently, approximately 70% of bitcoins, or an "unprecedented" 16.3 million BTC, remained stagnant throughout the year. Moreover, 60% of these coins have been motionless for two years. According to Bitfinex experts, these metrics indicate that the market is in a "relatively strong position" as coin holders are experiencing positive returns on their investments and are not rushing to liquidate assets in anticipation of even greater profits.

Positive sentiments have increased, especially among large investors (those with investments of $1 million or more). Over the first 11 months of 2023, they have increased their investments in crypto funds by 120%, bringing the total to $43.3 billion. Bitcoin remains the leader in this regard, with its volume growing to $32.3 billion, a 140% increase. Among altcoins, Solana has also attracted institutional interest. However, Ethereum had been showing negative dynamics for a while, although it has recently started to recover.

The rise in optimism in the market is attributed to: 1) the resolution of the issues between the U.S. authorities and the crypto exchange Binance, 2) the anticipation of the imminent launch of spot bitcoin ETFs, and 3) the upcoming bitcoin halving in April next year.

Regarding point 1, as a result of a settlement agreement between the U.S. authorities and Binance, bitcoin is now expected to exceed $40,000 by the end of the year, according to Matrixport. Various estimates suggested that Binance could face fines of up to $10 billion and might be accused of unauthorized appropriation of user funds or market manipulation. However, on November 21, an agreement was reached that Binance would pay a $4.3 billion fine, cease operations in the U.S., and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, stepped down and posted a $175 million bail to remain free. This outcome is considered by Matrixport experts as a 'turning point in the crypto industry,' indicating that Binance will maintain its position among the largest crypto exchanges for at least the next two to three years.

In light of this news, bitcoin initially experienced a temporary correction but then bounced back from $36,000. This confirmed a strong trend, and according to Matrixport experts, a rise above $40,000 in December appears 'inevitable.' However, they assess the probability of this 'inevitable' outcome at 90%, acknowledging that unforeseen events could still impact the situation.

According to some experts, the "peaceful" withdrawal of Binance from the U.S. market should ease tensions and facilitate the approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of applications for the creation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for spot bitcoin. In November, the SEC held a series of meetings with applicants to allow them to edit their submissions in accordance with the regulator's requirements. The presence of this dialogue was viewed as a positive factor. It is not ruled out that by January 10, 2024, the Commission will approve a significant portion, if not all, of the applications for launching bitcoin ETFs. This date marks the deadline for approving the joint application from ARK Invest and 21Shares. If the regulator makes a negative decision, it risks getting involved in legal proceedings again. The SEC has already lost a legal battle with an investment giant like Grayscale, with the court deeming the SEC's actions "arbitrary and capricious." So, is it worth stepping on the same rake again and risking similar humiliations?

Trader, analyst, and founder of the venture company Eight, Michael Van De Poppe, expects the first bitcoin ETFs to be approved by the SEC in the next five to six weeks. Consequently, the price of BTC could rise in December as investors try to profit from the potential rally. The expert forecasts its growth to $48,000. However, after approval, according to Van De Poppe, BTC/USD could sharply decline. The lower target of this potential pullback is the 200-week exponential moving average (EMA) line, which is currently around $26,500. This downward trend may continue even after the upcoming halving, Van De Poppe believes. The analyst suspects that it is then that traders will actively accumulate coins, triggering the next bullish rally with a target ranging from $300,000 to $400,000.

The strategists at Standard Chartered believe that BTC could reach $50,000 by the end of this year and $120,000 by the end of 2024. The bank's initial forecast indicated a possible rise to $100,000 but was later increased. The price of $120,000 is three times higher than the current level. This optimism from Standard Chartered experts is linked to the increased profitability of mining when selling a smaller quantity of tokens to maintain the same cash flow volume, leading to price growth.

The Managing Partner and CEO of 10T Holdings, Dan Tapiero, is confident in the inevitable growth of the first cryptocurrency and believes that bitcoin is becoming an increasingly attractive means of savings. However, in his opinion, the next bullish trend will not occur in 2024 but in 2025. "And we will see bitcoin surpass $100,000," predicts Tapiero, adding that this is a rather conservative estimate. The businessman believes that negative interest rates on US Treasury bonds will be a special "mega-bull signal" for BTC.

(Note that the former CEO of the crypto exchange BitMEX, Arthur Hayes, intends to withdraw the funds he invested in US Treasury bonds and invest them in cryptocurrency in the near future, without waiting until 2025.)

We have repeatedly noted earlier that the leading cryptocurrency has "decoupled" from both stock indices and the dollar exchange rate, disrupting direct and inverse correlations. However, now analysts at the Santiment analytical company are observing an increase in the correlation between the crypto and stock markets. In November, bitcoin, Ethereum, and the S&P 500 index grew on average by 9.2%. The strengthening connection was recorded after bitcoin traded in a narrow price range in late October to early November, showing no significant fluctuations. "If bitcoin continues to grow, surpassing stocks," say the analysts at Santiment, "this will once again disrupt the correlation, which, according to historical data, is one of the factors for the formation of a bullish crypto market.

BTC/USD set a new high for 2023 on Friday, reaching $38,950, aided by the surge in risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, mentioned in this review by the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in his speech. As of the evening of December 1, BTC/USD is trading around $38,765. The overall market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.45 trillion ($1.44 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear and Greed Index rose from 66 to 71 points and still remains in the Greed zone.

So, December has arrived, and many members of the crypto community are once again talking about the "Bitcoin Santa Rally." This phenomenon mirrors the historical "Santa Claus Rally" in the stock market when stocks rise between Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the crypto market, a similar rally first occurred at the end of November 2013 when the price of BTC was less than $1,000. Throughout December, the price of bitcoin steadily rose, reaching a peak of $1,147 by December 23. The next significant surge happened four years later during the holiday season of 2017. Bitcoin embarked on a steep upward trajectory, surpassing $19,000 by mid-December and touching $20,000 for the first time. However, in 2021, Santa Claus didn't bring joy to traders; the result was the opposite. On November 10, the asset reached an all-time high, approaching $69,000, but in December, the price was influenced by volatility and low trading volumes during the holiday days. By the end of the year, bitcoin was trading in the $46,000 range.

Naturally, this year, members of the crypto community are hoping for a convincing rise in digital gold. It remains to be seen whether Santa Claus will fulfil these hopes.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

CryptoNews of the Week

– On the night of December 5 to 6, the flagship cryptocurrency reached a peak of $44,464. The last time BTC traded above $40,000 was in April 2022, before the collapse of the Terra ecosystem triggered a massive crypto market downturn. The current positive sentiments in the market are linked to the potential approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart stated that the approval of these fund launches is likely to occur between January 5 and 10. Among other reasons for the rise in BTC are the increasing network hash rate and investor optimism regarding the recovery of the U.S. economy. Investor hopes are also fuelled by upcoming changes in crypto industry regulations.

– Bitcoin's price is expected to surpass the $100,000 level even before the upcoming halving in April 2024, according to Blockstream CEO Adam Back. The cryptocurrency industry veteran noted that his forecast does not take into account a potential bullish impulse in the event of the SEC approving spot Bitcoin ETFs. Regarding the long-term movement of digital gold quotes, the entrepreneur agreed with the opinion of BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, who predicts a range of $750,000 to $1 million by 2026.
For reference: Adam Back is a British businessman, a cryptography expert, and a cypherpunk. It is known that Back corresponded with Satoshi Nakamoto, and a reference to his publication is included in the description of the bitcoin system. Adam Back, who had not previously made public price forecasts for BTC, garnered significant attention from many members of the crypto community due to these statements.

– Ledger's CEO Pascal Gauthier, Lightspark's Chief Marcus David, and CoinDCX's top executive Vijay Ayyar also anticipate the bitcoin price to reach $100,000 in 2024. They shared this outlook in an interview with CNBC. "It seems that 2023 was a year of preparation for the upcoming growth. The sentiments towards 2024 and 2025 are very promising," stated Pascal Gauthier.
"A number of market participants expect bullish growth sometime after the halving, but considering the news about ETFs, we could very well start seeing growth before that," believes Vijay Ayyar. However, in his opinion, a "complete rejection of ETF could disrupt this process," and this is something that should always be kept in mind.

– Cardano's leader, Charles Hoskinson, ridiculed CoinDesk's annual list of "Most Influential Personalities in the World of Cryptocurrency." According to Hoskinson's calculations, "appearing on Coindesk's most influential list carries an 18 percent chance of a prison sentence." Since Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has topped this list four times, he has a very high chance of ending up behind bars.
Previously, leaders of crypto projects who now face legal issues were included in this prestigious list. This includes the founder of the collapsed Terra project, Do Kwon, and the former CEO of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried. According to observations by Hoskinson and other prominent figures who appeared on the CoinDesk list multiple times, they have encountered legal problems.
Some members of the crypto community responded to Cardano's leader, suggesting that he might be envied for not being on this list. It's worth noting that last year, Hoskinson expressed displeasure with CoinDesk for not including him in the top 100 most influential figures in the cryptocurrency industry and for not mentioning him in surveys over the eight years.

– Jim Lee, Chief of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS), has stated that investigations related to cryptocurrency occupy more than 50% of the agency's working hours. While almost 90% of cases were related to money laundering three years ago, last year, over half of various tax violations were related to failure to report income from capital gains in cryptocurrency or mining, as well as concealing ownership of crypto assets.
"The desire to evade cryptocurrency taxes spans a wide range of taxpayers, from individuals to various levels of corporate institutions intentionally not disclosing their cryptocurrency income. Therefore, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division is forced to initiate an increasing number of cases of tax crimes involving crypto assets every year," lamented the official.
Jim Lee reminded that cryptocurrency is subject to taxation, and failure to pay or report accurate information about crypto income to the authorities can result in both penalty sanctions and imprisonment for up to five years.

– According to the well-known bitcoin maximalist Max Keiser, bitcoin may soon surpass the $150,000 mark and continue to rise. Keiser shared that, according to unconfirmed rumours, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Qatar is preparing to enter the crypto market with massive investments, intending to allocate up to $500 billion into the leading cryptocurrency. "This will be a seismic shift in the cryptocurrency landscape," believes Keiser.
He noted that, in his observations, many major financial institutions such as BlackRock, Fidelity, Ameritrade, Bakkt, JP Morgan, and others are gearing up to launch crypto products. These products could potentially encourage institutional investors, including hedge funds, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds, to invest in digital assets.

– Not all influencers are confident in the optimistic prospects of BTC's value growth and strongly recommend exercising maximum caution when it comes to cryptocurrency investments. For instance, one of the prominent public crypto sceptics and advocate for physical gold, Peter Schiff, is certain that the speculative frenzy surrounding bitcoin ETFs will soon come to an end, and the collapse of bitcoin will be more impressive than its recent rallies.

– Renowned analyst Ali Martinez believes that if Ethereum closes above $2,150 for the week, this altcoin could pave the way for an upward movement with a target level of $2,600, and possibly even up to $3,500. These targets are determined by Martinez based on the analysis of graphic patterns.
Martinez also notes that approximately 5.85 million crypto wallets hold 43.8 million ETH acquired at prices ranging from $1,900 to $2,100. Therefore, this range could become a "significant support level for years to come."

– Military forces should prioritize the study of the underlying algorithm of bitcoin, Proof-of-Work (PoW), to ensure the defense capability of the country, according to U.S. Space Force Major and author of the book "Softwar," Jason Lowery. In an open letter to the Defense Innovation Board of the U.S. Department of Defense, he highlighted that the issue holds "national strategic significance." According to him, the blockchain of the first cryptocurrency is not only a "monetary system" but also provides the foundation for securing "all forms of data, messages, or command signals."

– Bloomberg Intelligence's Senior Macro Strategist, Mike McGlone, asserts that currently, bitcoin exhibits much greater strength than gold. The expert noted that on December 4th, the price of gold reached a record high, fuelled by investors' expectations of a potential interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Subsequently, gold declined by 5.1%, while bitcoin continued to rise, surpassing $44,000.
However, the analyst cautioned that bitcoin's volatility may hinder its ability to trade reliably, similar to physical gold, during periods of "risk aversion." According to McGlone, for bitcoin to compete with the precious metal as an alternative asset, it must establish key reliability indicators. These include achieving a negative correlation of BTC with the stock market and attaining a high deficit during periods of money supply growth.

– Alejandro Cao de Benos was detained at the Madrid railway station. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in April 2019, Benos demonstrated to North Korean officials how a state could use cutting-edge technologies for money laundering and evading international sanctions. Before his arrest, the Spaniard had been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) most-wanted list for over a year, hiding in Barcelona under a fictitious name.
As a supporter of the North Korean regime, in 2000, Benos founded the Korea Friendship Association and appeared in documentaries about North Korea. The U.S. Department of Justice claims that Benos began planning a blockchain conference in North Korea in 2018. Among its participants was former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith, who was also arrested for involvement in the event. In 2022, Griffith was sentenced to five years in prison.
On Friday, December 1, Benos appeared before the High Court of Spain. He refuted the charges brought by the U.S. prosecution, deeming them false. The man faces up to 20 years of imprisonment in a U.S. prison, but extradition proceedings have not yet begun.
 

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.

[Stan NordFX]

Forex and Cryptocurrencies Forecast for December 11 – 15, 2023

EUR/USD: Continuation of the Rate War

The labour market and inflation: these are the factors that Central Banks closely monitor when making decisions regarding monetary policy and interest rates. It is sufficient to recall the significant shift that occurred after the publication of October's inflation data in the United States. In November, the dollar weakened significantly, and the classical portfolio of stocks and bonds yielded the highest profit in 30 years! EUR/USD, starting at 1.0516, reached a monthly peak on November 29 at 1.1016.

Regarding the labour market, crucial indicators were released on Friday, December 8, including the unemployment rate and the number of new non-farm payrolls (NFP) in the United States. The first indicator revealed a decline in unemployment: in November, the rate dropped to 3.7%, surpassing both the forecast and the previous value of 3.9%. The second indicator showed an increase in the number of new jobs: 199K were created in a month, surpassing both the October figure of 150K and the market expectations of 180K. It cannot be said that such statistics significantly supported the dollar. However, at the very least, it did not harm it.

Two to three months ago, the market's reaction to such data would have been more intense, as there were still hopes for further increases in the Federal Reserve's interest rates in 2023. Now, those expectations are nearly reduced to zero. The discussions revolve not around how the key rate will rise, but rather how long it will be maintained at the current level of 5.50% and how actively the regulator will reduce it.

An economist survey conducted by Reuters revealed that just over half of the respondents (52 out of 102) believe that the rate will remain unchanged at least until July. The remaining 50 respondents expect the Federal Reserve to start cutting before that. 72 out of 100 respondents believe that by 2024, the rate will gradually be reduced by a maximum of 100 basis points (bps), possibly even less. Only 5 experts still hold hope for further rate increases, even if it's just by 25 bps. It's worth noting that Reuters' survey results do not align with the immediate market expectations, which forecast five rate cuts of 25 bps each starting from March.

A Citi economist, as part of the Reuters survey, noted that an increase in core inflation would disrupt the narrative of the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates and delay this process. The upcoming inflation data in the United States will be available on Tuesday, December 12, and Wednesday, December 13, with the release of the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI), respectively. Following this, on Wednesday, we can expect the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve, where decisions on interest rates will be made. Market participants will undoubtedly focus on the economic forecasts presented by the FOMC and the comments from the leadership of the Federal Reserve.

However, it's not only the Federal Reserve that influences the EUR/USD pair; the European Central Bank (ECB) also plays a significant role, and its meeting is scheduled for next week on Thursday, December 14. Currently, the base rate for the euro stands at 4.50%. Many market participants believe it is too high and could push the fragile economy of the region into recession.

Deflation in the Eurozone is considerably outpacing that in the United States. Last week, Eurostat reported that, according to preliminary data, the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) fell to its lowest level since June 2021, at 2.4% (y/y), which is lower than both October's 2.9% and the expected 2.7%. This is very close to the target level of 2.0%. Hence, to support the economy, the ECB may soon initiate the process of easing its monetary policy.

Market forecasts suggest that the first cut in the key rate could occur in April, with a 50% probability even a month earlier in March. There is a 70% probability that by 2024, the rate will be reduced by 125 bps. However, the consensus estimate among Reuters experts is more conservative, anticipating a decrease of only 100 bps.

So, the rate war between the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank will continue. While the one who previously prevailed was the one with faster advancing rates, now the advantage will be with the one whose retreat occurs more slowly. It is entirely possible that investors will receive some information regarding the regulators' plans after their meetings next week.

As for the past week, EUR/USD concluded at the level of 1.0760. Currently, expert opinions regarding the pair's immediate future are divided as follows: 75% voted for the strengthening of the dollar, while 25% sided with the euro. Among trend indicators on D1, the distribution is the same as with experts: 75% for the dollar and 25% for the euro. For oscillators, 75% favor the red side (with a quarter of them in the overbought zone), while 10% point in the opposite direction, and 15% remain neutral.

The nearest support for the pair is situated around 1.0725-1.0740, followed by 1.0620-1.0640, 1.0500-1.0520, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0200-1.0255, 1.0130, and 1.0000. Bulls will encounter resistance around 1.0800-1.0820, 1.0865, 1.0965-1.0985, 1.1020, 1.1070-1.1110, 1.1150, 1.1230-1.1275, 1.1350, and 1.1475.

In addition to the events mentioned earlier, the economic calendar highlights the release of the summary data on the U.S. retail market on Thursday, December 14th. On the same day, the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits will be traditionally published, and on December 15th, the preliminary values of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) in the manufacturing and services sectors of the United States will be released. Additionally, on Friday, preliminary data on business activity in Germany and the Eurozone as a whole will be disclosed.

GBP/USD: Should We Expect a Surprise from the BoE?

The Bank of England (BoE) conducted its quarterly survey on December 8. It turns out that inflation expectations for the UK population in November 2024 are 3.3%, which is lower than the previous quarter's figure of 3.6%. Meanwhile, 35% of the country's population believes that they would personally benefit from a decrease in interest rates. In other words, the majority (65%) is not concerned about this indicator. However, it is a matter of concern for market participants.

The BoE meeting will also take place next week, on Thursday, December 14, shortly before the ECB meeting. What will be the decision on the interest rate? Lately, the hawkish rhetoric of the Bank of England's leadership has verbally supported the British currency. For instance, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey recently stated that rates should rise for longer, even if it may negatively impact the economy. However, experts predict that the regulator will likely maintain the status quo at the upcoming meeting, keeping the key interest rate at 5.25%, which is already the highest level in the last 15 years.

Expectations for the rate in 2024 imply an 80 bps decrease to 4.45%. If the Federal Reserve lowers its rate to 4.25%, it would give the pound some hope for strengthening. However, this is a matter of the relatively distant future. Last week, the dollar actively recouped November losses, resulting in the GBP/USD pair finishing the five-day period at 1.2548.

Speaking of its immediate future, 30% voted for the pair's rise, another 30% for its fall, and 40% remained indifferent. Among trend indicators on D1, 60% point north, while 40% point south. Among oscillators, only 15% are bullish, 50% bearish, and the remaining 35% remain neutral. In the event of the pair moving south, it will encounter support levels and zones at 1.2500-1.2520, 1.2450, 1.2370, 1.2330, 1.2210, 1.2070-1.2085, and 1.2035. In case of an upward movement, the pair will face resistance at levels 1.2575, then 1.2600-1.2625, 1.2695-1.2735, 1.2800-1.2820, 1.2940, 1.3000, and 1.3140.

Among the important events in the upcoming week, in addition to the Bank of England meeting, the release of a comprehensive set of data from the United Kingdom labour market is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12. Additionally, the country's GDP figures will be published on Wednesday, December 13.

USD/JPY: Is the Bank of Japan Losing Caution?

The strengthening of the Japanese currency has taken on a sustained character since the beginning of November. This occurred a couple of weeks after the peak in yields of U.S. ten-year Treasury bonds when the markets were convinced that their decline had become a trend. It's worth noting that there is traditionally an inverse correlation between these securities and the yen. If Treasury yields rise, the yen weakens against the dollar. Conversely, if bond yields fall, the yen strengthens its positions.

A significant moment for the Japanese currency was on Thursday, December 7, when it strengthened across the market spectrum, gaining approximately 225 points against the U.S. dollar and reaching a three-month peak. USD/JPY recorded its minimum at that moment at the level of 141.62.

The main reason for the yen's advance has been the growing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will finally abandon its negative interest rate policy, and this is expected to happen sooner than anticipated. Rumours suggest that regional banks in the country are pressuring the regulator, advocating for a departure from the yield curve control policy.

As if to confirm these rumours, the BoJ conducted a special survey of market participants to discuss the consequences of abandoning the ultra-loose monetary policy and the side effects of such a move. Additionally, the visit of the BoJ Governor, Kadsuo Ueda, to the office of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, added fuel to the fire.

The yen is also benefiting from market confidence that the key interest rates of the Federal Reserve (FRS) and the European Central Bank (ECB) have reached a plateau, and further reductions are the only expectation. As a result of such a divergence, an accelerated narrowing of yield spreads between Japanese government bonds on one side and similar securities from the US and Eurozone on the other can be predicted. This is expected to redirect capital flows into the yen.

Furthermore, the Japanese currency might have been supported by the slowdown in the growth of stock markets over the past three weeks. The yen is often used as a funding currency for purchasing risky assets. Therefore, profit-taking on stock indices such as S&P500, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and others has additionally pushed USD/JPY lower.

Graphical analysis indicates that in October 2022 and November 2023, the pair formed a double top, reaching a peak at 151.9. Therefore, from this perspective, its retracement downward is quite logical. However, some experts believe that a definitive reversal on the daily timeframe (D1) can only be discussed after it breaks through support in the 142.50 zone. However, at the time of writing this review, on the evening of Friday, December 8th, thanks to strong US labor market data, USD/JPY rebounded from a local low, moved upward, and concluded at 144.93.

In the immediate future, 45% of experts anticipate further strengthening of the yen, 30% side with the dollar, and 25% remain neutral. As for indicators on D1, the advantage is overwhelmingly in favour of the red colour. 85% of trend indicators are coloured red, 75% of oscillators are in the red, and only 25% are in the green.

The nearest support level is located in the 143.75-144.05 zone, followed by 141.60-142.20, 140.60, 138.75-139.05, 137.25-137.50, 135.90, 134.35, and 131.25. Resistances are positioned at the following levels and zones: 145.30, 146.55-146.90, 147.65-147.85, 148.40, 149.20, 149.80-150.00, 150.80, 151.60, and 151.90-152.15.

Except for the release of the Tankan Large Manufacturers' Index on December 13 for Q4, there is no anticipation of other significant macroeconomic statistics regarding the state of the Japanese economy.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Rational Growth or Speculative Frenzy?

Late in the evening on December 8, the flagship cryptocurrency reached a peak of $44,694. The last time BTC traded above $40,000 was in April 2022, before the Terra ecosystem crash triggered a massive crypto market collapse. Among the reasons for the sharp rise in BTC, growing network hash rate, investor optimism about the U.S. economic recovery, and expectations of a Federal Reserve policy easing are mentioned. However, the main reason for the current bull rally is undoubtedly the potential approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S.

Twelve companies have submitted applications to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create ETFs, collectively managing over $20 trillion in assets. For comparison, the entire market capitalization of bitcoin is $0.85 trillion. These companies will not only offer existing clients the opportunity to diversify their assets through cryptocurrency investments but also attract new investors, significantly boosting BTC capitalization. Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, overseeing $1.4 trillion in assets, recently explained the increased institutional interest, stating, "The demand for bitcoin is evident, and a spot ETF is the best way to access it." Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart believes that the approval of these fund launches is 90% likely to occur from January 5 to 10.

According to Bitfinex experts, the current active supply of bitcoin has dropped to a five-year low: only 30% of the coins have moved in the past year. Consequently, approximately 70% of bitcoins, or "unprecedented" 16.3 million BTC, remained dormant over the year. At the same time, 60% of the coins have been in cold wallets for two years. Simultaneously, as noted by Glassnode, the average deposit amount on cryptocurrency exchanges has approached absolute highs, reaching $29,000. Considering that the number of transactions is continuously decreasing, this indicates the dominance of large investors.

Alongside the bitcoin rally, stock prices of related companies have also surged. In particular, shares of Coinbase, MicroStrategy, miners Riot Platforms, Marathon Digital, and others have seen an increase.

Senior Macro Strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, Mike McGlone, believes that bitcoin is currently demonstrating much greater strength than gold. He noted that on December 4, the price of gold reached a record high, after which it decreased by 5.1%, while bitcoin continued to rise, surpassing $44,000. However, the analyst warned that bitcoin's volatility could hinder it from being traded as reliably as physical gold during "risk-off" periods. According to McGlone, for bitcoin to compete with precious metals as an alternative asset, it must establish key reliability indicators. This includes a negative correlation of BTC with the stock market and achieving a high deficit during periods of monetary expansion.

McGlone's warning pales in comparison to the forecast of Peter Schiff, President of the brokerage firm Euro Pacific Capital. This well-known crypto sceptic and advocate for physical gold is confident that the speculative frenzy around BTC-ETF will soon come to an end. "This could be the swan song... The collapse of Bitcoin will be more impressive than its rally," he warns investors.

Former SEC official John Reed Stark echoes his sentiments. "Cryptocurrency prices are rising for two reasons," he explains. "First, due to regulatory gaps and possible market manipulation; second, due to the possibility of selling inflated, overvalued cryptocurrency to an even bigger fool [...] This also applies to speculation about a 90% probability of approving spot ETFs."

In the interest of fairness, it should be noted that the current surge is not solely the fault of spot BTC-ETFs. The excitement around them gradually started building up since late June when the first applications were submitted to the SEC. Bitcoin, on the other hand, began its upward movement from early January, growing more than 2.6 times during this period.

Several experts point out that the current situation remarkably mirrors previous BTC/USD cycles. Currently, the drawdown from the all-time high (ATH) is 37%, in the previous cycle for the same elapsed time, it was 39%, and in the 2013-17 cycle, it was 42%. If we measure from local bottoms instead of peaks, a similar pattern emerges. (The first rallies are an exception, as young Bitcoin grew significantly faster in the nascent market.)

According to Blockstream CEO Adam Back, the price of bitcoin will surpass the $100,000 level even before the upcoming halving in April 2024. The industry veteran noted that his forecast doesn't take into account a potential bullish impulse in the event of SEC approval of spot bitcoin ETFs. Regarding the long-term movement of digital gold quotes, the entrepreneur agreed with the opinion of BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, forecasting a range of $750,000 to $1 million by 2026.

For reference: Adam Back is a British businessman, a cryptography expert, and a cypherpunk. It is known that Back corresponded with Satoshi Nakamoto, and a reference to his publication is included in the description of the bitcoin system. Previously, Adam Back did not make public price forecasts for BTC, so many members of the crypto community paid close attention to his words.

The CEO of Ledger, Pascal Gauthier, the head of Lightspark, David Marcus, and the top manager of the CoinDCX exchange, Vijay Ayyar, also anticipate the bitcoin exchange rate to reach $100,000 in 2024. They shared this information in an interview with CNBC. "It seems that 2023 was a year of preparation for the upcoming growth. Sentiments regarding 2024 and 2025 are very encouraging," said Pascal Gauthier. "Some market participants expect a bullish trend sometime after the halving, but considering the news about ETFs, we could very well start the rise before that," believes Vijay Ayyar. However, unlike Adam Back, in his opinion, "a complete rejection of ETFs could disrupt this process."

Renowned bitcoin maximalist, television host, and former trader Max Keiser shared unconfirmed rumors that the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar is preparing to enter the crypto market with massive investments and plans to allocate up to $500 billion in the leading cryptocurrency. "This will be a seismic shift in the cryptocurrency landscape, allowing bitcoin to potentially surpass the $150,000 mark in the near future and go even further," stated Keiser.

Unlike the television host, we will share not rumors but absolutely accurate facts. The first fact is that as of the review writing on the evening of December 8, BTC/USD is trading around $44,545. The second fact is that the total market capitalization of the crypto market is $1.64 trillion ($1.45 trillion a week ago). And finally, the third fact: the Crypto Fear and Greed Index has risen from 71 to 72 points and continues to be 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.