At the time of this writing, the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin has seen its value skyrocket to around $19,000 after dropping down to around just $4,840 in mid-March. This is significant because the all-time high for the cryptocurrency is $19,783 back in December of 2017, only to drop down to as low as $3,122.
Within the past year, the price of Bitcoin has more than doubled, posting close to $10,000 in growth in the last two months alone.
Quantitative Easing Worldwide
It is undeniable that the monetary limits of fiat currency are being tested around the world as governments print trillions of dollars for stimulus packages in reaction to Covid-19.
The United States alone has printed trillions of dollars and has far outspent what it has brought in with tax dollars, creating an unprecedented level of debt.
This level of spending and money creation has likely driven many investors to Bitcoin, as it may serve as a safe haven as the value of fiat currencies like the US dollar comes into question. Furthermore, it is uncertain how the stock market, which has been the main beneficiary of quantitative easing, will react when such policies eventually subside.
Mainstream Adoption of Cryptocurrencies
Perhaps the most significant development that may be supporting a potential sustainable growth trend for Bitcoin is the ongoing adoption of cryptocurrencies.
Perhaps one of the main dangers of cryptocurrencies is the fact that at the moment they are difficult to use and are rarely accepted anywhere. A lack of mainstream adoption may have explained the rapid fall of Bitcoin in 2017 as market hype diminished and investors understood that there was not much real value at the time. With the ongoing adoption of Bitcoin by major firms like PayPal, the growing value of Bitcoin may actually be justified.
Cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies seem to be demonstrating undeniable advantages that cannot be ignored for long. These technologies will likely continue to grow in use, which gives further support to the ongoing growth of Bitcoin. Market Insider reports that one person, in particular, billionaire Mike Novogratz, believes that Bitcoin could be heading as high as $65,000.
As with all investments, there are risks involved, especially when there is the potential for great reward as in the rapid rise of Bitcoin. Regardless of what happens, the swift growth of Bitcoin signals a number of important financial milestones as well as warning signs. Signals that not only lend some support to the cryptocurrency’s value but also provide important insight into our current state of financial affairs.
But, despite the naysyers, JPMorgan admits that Bitcoin continued to rally strongly over the past two weeks, nearing the $19k mark, challenging their previous assessment that bitcoin’s overbought positions by momentum traders such as CTAs could potential trigger profit taking or mean reversion flows over the near term. This is shown in the chart below by the open interest of CME bitcoin futures contract, a likely vehicle used by momentum traders such as CTAs, which continued to rise steeply over the past two weeks pointing to position build up rather than position unwinding.
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