Bitcoin’s value skilled a pointy pullback following the US Federal Reserve’s current price lower, however market consultants like Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan stay optimistic concerning the asset’s long-term trajectory.
On Dec. 18, the Federal Reserve introduced a 25-basis-point price lower, scaling again its outlook for 2024 to 2 cuts as an alternative of the beforehand anticipated 4.
Additionally, and maybe extra considerably for Bitcoin, Chair Jerome Powell added that the Fed can’t maintain BTC beneath present rules whereas responding to inquiries about President-elect Donald Trump’s strategic reserve plans.
This triggered important market reactions, with Bitcoin’s value falling to as little as $98,839 earlier than stabilizing at $101,586 earlier at present. Equally, different high digital belongings like Ethereum, XRP, and Solana additionally recorded losses of round 5%, 5.5%, and three%, respectively.
Information from CoinGlass reveals that this crimson market efficiency led to round $800 million in liquidation, impacting greater than 270,000 merchants. Merchants speculating on upward value motion suffered probably the most losses, dropping $662 million over the last 24 hours.
Past crypto, conventional markets just like the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 Index skilled 3% and 4.4% declines, respectively.
Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory
Regardless of this pullback, Hougan reassured buyers that Bitcoin’s fundamentals stay sturdy.
The Bitwise CIO defined that Bitcoin’s current resilience stems from inner crypto-specific components, comparable to rising institutional adoption, pro-crypto shifts in US coverage, and authorities and company Bitcoin purchases.
He additionally highlighted important blockchain developments and rising ETF flows as extra drivers of market energy.
Furthermore, Bitcoin’s technical indicators stay favorable, with its 10-day exponential shifting common ($102,000) nonetheless above the 20-day exponential shifting common ($99,000). Hougan views this as a bullish sign, reinforcing his perception that the present dip is a short-term fluctuation somewhat than the tip of the continuing bull market.
Regardless of exterior pressures, Hougan predicted that Bitcoin would proceed its multi-year upward trajectory, buoyed by sturdy adoption traits and technological developments within the crypto house.
He concluded:
“Crypto’s in a multi-year bull market. 50bps of projected price cuts gained’t change that.”