In 2008, Bitcoin was created by an individual or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, sparking the cryptocurrency movement. The first open-source cryptocurrency was launched as a response to the 2008 financial crisis.
The initial idea behind Bitcoin was to create a decentralized digital currency that would allow for peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries like banks. This concept was revolutionary at the time.
As of 2022, the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies had reached over $2 trillion, with Bitcoin accounting for more than 40% of the market share.
Wazirx $230M Theft: A Wake-Up Call for Indian Regulators
The $230 million crypto theft at Wazirx was a wake-up call for Indian regulators. This massive heist occurred in February 2024.
The incident highlighted the need for stricter regulations in the Indian crypto market. It's surprising how quickly a single event can prompt a government to take action.
The theft took place on February 12, 2024, at 20:39 PM IST, and was reported on July 3, 2024, at 16:33 PM IST. The exact details of the theft are still unclear.
The Wazirx theft was a significant event that caught the attention of Indian regulators. It's a reminder that the crypto world is not immune to security breaches.
The incident serves as a reminder that the crypto market is still largely unregulated. This lack of oversight can lead to devastating consequences, as seen in the Wazirx theft.
Market Downturn
The crypto market downturn has been a wild ride. The Federal Reserve's recent monetary policy announcement has been a primary contributor to the decline, with Fed Chair Powell's hawkish stance and indication of fewer rate cuts in 2025 dampening investor sentiment.
Tightening global liquidity conditions and rising bond market volatility have created unfavorable conditions for risk assets. This has led to a significant decline in the crypto market, with Bitcoin declining 3% to its lowest levels since June 25.
The Federal Reserve's hawkish stance on interest rates is also a major factor in Bitcoin's decline. Fears of a slower-than-expected rate cut cycle in 2025 have contributed to the downward pressure. Pre-holiday low liquidity conditions have also exacerbated the situation.
Market structure weaknesses and high leverage have also contributed to the downward pressure. This has led to a surge in leveraged position liquidations, with almost $300M in crypto leveraged positions gone. Bitcoin and Ethereum dominated the liquidations, each seeing around $42 million in long positions and approximately $19–20 million in short positions liquidated.
The crypto winter has also revealed larger, systemic problems in the industry. A string of failures started in May, with a pair of cryptocurrencies called Terra and Luna, the trading platform Voyager, a crypto hedge fund called Three Arrows Capital, BlockFi, Celsius, and others failing. These firms are deeply interconnected, and so, the moment you kind of have one problem somewhere in the crypto sector, it spreads very, very quickly.
Here is a list of some of the major crypto failures:
- Terra and Luna
- Voyager
- Three Arrows Capital
- BlockFi
- Celsius
Blockchain and Technology
Blockchain technology, the backbone of cryptocurrencies, has come a long way since its inception. It allows for secure, transparent, and decentralized transactions.
The decentralized nature of blockchain is one of its most significant advantages, with no central authority controlling the network. This has enabled the creation of numerous blockchain-based applications beyond cryptocurrencies.
However, the scalability issues of blockchain technology have hindered its widespread adoption. The high energy consumption of some blockchain networks, like Bitcoin, has also raised environmental concerns.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers. It uses cryptography to secure and verify each transaction, making it virtually impossible to alter or manipulate.
Blockchain technology allows for secure and transparent data storage, which is why it's often used for financial transactions, such as with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These transactions are recorded in a public ledger, known as a blockchain, that is maintained by a network of computers.
The decentralized nature of blockchain means that no single entity controls the data, making it more resistant to hacking and censorship. This is because the data is stored across multiple computers, making it difficult for a single point of failure to occur.
Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt various industries, including finance, supply chain management, and healthcare. It can provide a secure and transparent way to record and verify transactions, which can increase trust and efficiency.
The use of blockchain technology can also reduce the need for intermediaries, such as banks and lawyers, which can save time and money. This is because the technology allows for direct transactions between parties, without the need for a third-party intermediary.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Technical Analysis
Bitcoin's long-term outlook remains relatively stable, retesting local support just below $93,500.
This support level has been regularly tested since late November and coincides with the local peaks established on November 13, when this level marked a new record high.
The 50-day exponential moving average is providing crucial technical support, reinforced by the round number of $92,000, which bulls are likely to defend strongly.
The psychological barrier of $90,000 lies just below, but buyers shouldn't be concerned unless the price drops below $74,000, where the 200-day exponential moving average intersects with support levels from October 29.
Ethereum is currently testing support at the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level, coinciding with month-old lows.
Below this lies the more significant support at $3,000, reinforced by the 200-day moving average and 50% Fibonacci retracement.
Dogecoin has been forming support around $0.30 for nearly a week, matching month-old lows, and if this level fails to hold, we might see a decline toward the 200-day EMA near $0.22.
XRP has been maintaining local support at $2.20 since mid-November, and even if this level breaks, the psychological support at $2.00 lies just below.
Analysts project ETH could reach between $4,000 to $6,500 by the end of 2024, and even $32,000 by 2030, while experts from VanEck predict the BTC price at $180,000 next year.
CryptoGeek XRP price prediction suggests the token could soar to almost $1,000 next year.
4 Robustness Checks
To ensure the integrity and reliability of blockchain technology, several robustness checks are in place. One key check is the use of cryptographic hash functions, which are designed to be one-way and irreversible, making it impossible to alter transaction data without being detected.
The Merkle tree, a data structure used in blockchain, allows for efficient verification of the integrity of the entire blockchain by only requiring a small portion of the data to be verified.
Blockchain's decentralized nature provides a level of redundancy, as multiple nodes verify and validate transactions, reducing the risk of a single point of failure.
The Bitcoin protocol, for example, has a built-in mechanism to prevent double-spending, ensuring that each transaction is unique and valid.
A New Digital Economy
Blockchain technology is paving the way for a new digital economy that's more transparent and secure.
With the rise of decentralized networks, traditional intermediaries like banks and governments are being cut out, allowing for direct transactions between individuals and businesses.
This shift is being driven by the increasing adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which are using blockchain technology to facilitate secure and transparent transactions.
Decentralized networks are also enabling the creation of new business models, such as token-based economies, where assets can be represented as digital tokens.
These tokens can be traded, exchanged, and used as a store of value, creating new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The digital economy is also being transformed by the use of smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement written directly into lines of code.
This allows for the automation of complex business processes, reducing the need for intermediaries and increasing efficiency.
By leveraging blockchain technology, individuals and businesses can participate in a more inclusive and equitable digital economy.
Crash and Recovery
The crypto market has been on a wild ride, and the recent crash has left many investors wondering if it will ever recover.
Historical patterns and market fundamentals suggest that recovery potential is possible, as seen in Bitcoin's quick rebounds above $100,000 after recent dips.
The 2024 market has shown resilience through increased institutional investment and favorable political developments, though current market conditions remain volatile.
Is Crashing?
The cryptocurrency market has been experiencing a challenging period, with both Bitcoin and major altcoins like Ethereum, XRP, and Dogecoin seeing significant losses. Bitcoin's price briefly dipped below $94,000, while Ethereum has dropped nearly 16% over the past week.
The total market capitalization has now fallen to just over $3.3 trillion, marking the lowest level in a month. This decline has triggered approximately $1.5 billion in liquidations across the crypto market.
The Fear and Greed Index for cryptocurrencies has moved closer to 50, indicating a neutral market sentiment. This suggests investors are currently in a wait-and-see mode, neither panicking about dramatic drops nor eagerly buying the dip.
Ethereum's price is currently hovering around $3,300, while XRP has declined by 8% and now trades at $2.20. Dogecoin, the meme-inspired cryptocurrency, has shed 21% of its value, currently trading at $0.31.
Will It Ever Recover?
The crypto market has shown resilience in 2024, with increased institutional investment and favorable political developments contributing to its recovery potential.
Historical patterns suggest that Bitcoin can quickly rebound above $100,000 after recent dips, as we've seen in the past.
The market remains volatile, but the 2024 market has shown signs of stability through increased investment and positive developments.
Recent Events
The crypto market has seen a significant decline recently. Bitcoin has fallen below $94,000.
This drop has also affected Ethereum, which has dropped to around $3,350. The total market capitalization has decreased to $3.3 trillion, marking the lowest level in nearly a month.
Approximately $1.5 billion in liquidations have been triggered across the crypto market due to this decline.
SEC and Regulatory Issues
The SEC and regulatory issues in the cryptocurrency world are a major concern.
In India, a $230 million crypto theft at Wazirx in 2024 was a wake-up call for regulators and the government.
Regulatory bodies like the SEC need to stay on top of these issues to protect investors.
A $230 million crypto theft at Wazirx in 2024 was reported in July 2024.
The incident highlighted the need for stronger regulations to prevent such thefts in the future.
Regulatory issues can make or break the cryptocurrency market, as seen in the case of Wazirx.
The theft was reported on July 3, 2024, and it's a stark reminder of the importance of regulatory oversight.
Regulators need to work closely with cryptocurrency exchanges to prevent such incidents.
The incident was reported 5 months after the theft occurred on February 12, 2024.
Data and Analysis
The cryptocurrency market has experienced its fair share of ups and downs, with price fluctuations that can be both thrilling and terrifying. Bitcoin's long-term outlook remains relatively stable, retesting local support just below $93,500, a level that has been regularly tested since late November.
In the past, a significant market crash occurred on September 5th, 2018, resulting in price decreases in 95 of the 100 leading digital currencies. This crash was largely driven by the behavior of prominent cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The crash highlighted the importance of understanding the dynamics of the cryptocurrency market, where smaller cryptocurrencies tend to follow the behavior of larger ones. According to the experts from VanEck, after the current correction, Bitcoin will be returning to the price discovery phase, with a predicted price of $180,000 next year.
Abstract
The cryptocurrency crash on September 5, 2018, was a significant event that affected 95 out of the 100 leading digital currencies.
The crash was not caused by the trading behavior of cryptocurrency traders, but rather by the dominant factor of the prominent cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin.
Bitcoin's behavior played a major role in the crash, and it's interesting to note that smaller cryptocurrencies followed the larger ones in their price decreases.
Our analysis shows that the more prominent cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, bitcoin cash, and eos, were the most affected in the crash.
These larger cryptocurrencies were also the ones that triggered the crash, with their price decreases being the dominant factor.
The introduction of a single-cryptocurrency circuit breaker, specifically for the largest cryptocurrency bitcoin, is proposed to halt trading during market disruptions.
This would help prevent future crashes by limiting the impact of market volatility on the entire cryptocurrency market.
Data Description
The data used in our analysis was obtained from Kaiko, a reputable source for cryptocurrency data. We received millisecond data for 10 different cryptocurrencies between August 26th and September 15th, 2018.
The data includes information on cryptocurrency-to-cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency-to-fiat currency pairs traded on 28 different exchanges. We queried Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by these exchanges to obtain the data.
The data is stamped at the millisecond timeframe in Universal Coordinated Time and presented in the form of comma-separated files. Each row records a trade and user ID, transaction type, cryptocurrency volume, transaction fees, and time stamp.
We performed a data-cleaning procedure to prepare the data for analysis. This involved aggregating trades following their trade IDs and removing transactions with missing or duplicate information.
The cleaned data only includes US dollar-denominated trades.
Federal Reserve and Economy
The Federal Reserve's recent actions have had a significant impact on the economy and cryptocurrency market. The Fed cut rates by 0.25%, but Fed Chair Powell's cautious statements about future rate cuts and emphasis on maintaining restrictive policy to control inflation spooked investors.
Powell's announcement last Wednesday caused a drop in Bitcoin, which slid from near its historic highs, losing almost 6% in a single day. The current monthly lows are a direct consequence of Powell's announcements.
Global liquidity conditions are tightening, with central banks reducing their balance sheets and rising bond market volatility making conditions unfavorable for risk assets. This has particularly affected Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are sensitive to liquidity changes.
The Fed's projection of only two rate cuts in 2025 was less aggressive than markets had hoped, contributing to the current economic uncertainty.
News and Updates
Elon Musk's memecoin took a hit, crashing 98% after a name change. This is a stark reminder that even the most well-known figures in the crypto space can't escape market volatility.
The crypto market as a whole is feeling the pinch, with Bitcoin falling below $94,000 and Ethereum dropping to around $3,350. This decline has triggered approximately $1.5 billion in liquidations across the crypto market.
Some of the most popular cryptocurrencies, like XRP, are also experiencing a downturn. XRP's price has dropped to December lows, with analysts predicting it could hit $50 in 2025.
Today's Events
Bitcoin has fallen below $94,000, a significant drop in its value.
The total market capitalization has decreased to $3.3 trillion, marking the lowest level in nearly a month.
Ethereum has also taken a hit, dropping to around $3,350.
This decline triggered approximately $1.5 billion in liquidations across the crypto market.
Most Viewed
XRP's price has taken a hit, dropping to December lows, and analysts predict it might reach $50 in 2025.
One of the main reasons for XRP's decline is the uncertainty surrounding its future, with some analysts predicting a significant drop in value.
MiCA, a European regulation, is threatening the future of USDT, a popular stablecoin, with a potential ban looming in just 4 days.
Here are some of the most viewed news articles that caught our attention:
- Why Is XRP Going Down Today?
- MiCA Threatens USDT’s Future in Europe
Latest News
Elon Musk's memecoin has seen a significant drop in value, plummeting to 98% of its initial price after a name change.
Thursday, February 1st, 2025, was a busy day for news, with several high-profile events unfolding. Interactive Brokers ended 2024 on a strong note, with daily average revenue trades soaring 66%.
Elon Musk has come to the defense of his Cybertruck after an explosion occurred at the Trump International Hotel.
If you're following the crypto market, you might have noticed the recent decline in Bitcoin's value, which has fallen below $94,000, and Ethereum, which has dropped to around $3,350.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is crypto crashing now?
Crypto is crashing due to hawkish Federal Reserve commentary, which suggests a shallower rate cut and higher inflation, leading to selling pressure. This has triggered a negative bias in Bitcoin, causing it to drop below the $100,000 resistance level.
Why did the crypto market collapse?
The crypto market collapsed due to a global sell-off and a soft US jobs report, sparking recession fears and causing a 12% drop in Bitcoin's value. This sudden downturn has left investors cautious and seeking answers about the market's future.
Sources
- https://www.moneycontrol.com/cryptocurrency/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10479-023-05575-0
- https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/why-is-crypto-down-today-bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-and-xrp-are-crashing/
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/29/crypto-crisis-digital-currencies-boom-collapse-bitcoin-terra
- https://www.npr.org/2022/12/29/1145297807/crypto-crash-ftx-cryptocurrency-bitcoin
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