Bitcoin

Bitcoin Is in the Dumps, Spreading Gloom Over Crypto World

3/19/19
from The Wall Street Journal,
3/19/19:

The value of all cryptocurrencies outstanding is down 85% from peak and volumes on U.S. exchanges have been falling; making it through ‘winter’.

Bitcoin is in the longest slump of its 10-year history. That is forcing even its most ardent supporters to shelve dreams of global disruption and focus on simply tightening their belts long enough to outlast the downturn. Signs of the crypto winter are everywhere, marking a sharp reversal since the manic highs of 2017. The price of bitcoin Tuesday was just above $4,000, down about 80% from a trading peak of about $19,800 in December 2017. The total market value of all cryptocurrencies outstanding is down 85% from its peak in January 2018. And volumes on the largest U.S. exchanges have been falling steadily for the past 15 months, according to research firm TradeBlock.

Bitcoin is still driven largely by momentum, and right now it doesn’t have it. Cryptocurrencies have struggled to attract mainstream institutional investors. Regulation is still unclear, which has scared off some potential users. Companies that have sprung up around the crypto world are under pressure until the next upswing, and crypto fans aren’t sure where that will come from or when. While bitcoin is trading well above its December 2016 level, the severity of the recent drop is raising concerns that it may never recover. The market’s long-term viability now hinges on the development of tangible uses for bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology.

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