Connect with us
  • tg

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin and Ether Dominate Institutional Portfolios: Bybit Report

letizo News

Published

on

The crypto market’s rally clearly indicates that institutions have shown a stronger preference for Bitcoin and Ether, allocating approximately 40% each to these top assets. As of January 31st, 2024, these entities have dedicated 15% to stablecoins and only 5% to alternative coins.

A new report by Bybit suggests that institutional portfolios have become significantly more focused, increasing from 50% to 80% over the past few months.

In contrast, retail investors display a lower concentration in Bitcoin and Ether, comprising around 35% of their total portfolio by January 31, 2024. Retail investors have been found to exhibit a distinct investment approach compared to institutions and are more inclined toward altcoins and holding more cash, as indicated by a larger stablecoin allocation.

Institutions More Bullish on Ether than Bitcoin

Institutions are heavily investing in Ether, according to Bybit’s latest report. This trend first started in September 2023 and became more pronounced in January 2024, reaching approximately 40%.

As of January 31, 2024, Ether stands as the largest holding in institutional portfolios. The heightened allocation to Ether may be attributed to institutions anticipating the positive effects of the Dencun upgrade on Ethereum, particularly in light of Ether’s underperformance in 2023.

The Dencun upgrade, scheduled for launch in March 2024, aims to reduce transaction costs on Layer 2s through a technique known as “proto-dank sharding.” While this upcoming upgrade may not have the same impact as the Merge, its successful implementation is likely to provide a boost to Ether and other Layer 2 tokens.

There is also considerable optimism in the market regarding the approval of a spot Ether ETF by the SEC by the end of 2024.

Altcoin Portfolios Reflect Institutional Skepticism Towards Layer 2

Despite the rising prominence of Layer 2s, institutions are showing optimism towards Layer 1s. Through their altcoin portfolio allocations, such investors have signaled their negative outlook on L2, particularly in anticipation of the highly awaited Dencun upgrade.

It is commonly believed that the fee reduction on L2 could initially lower revenue for such chains, but in the long run, it could provide a competitive advantage for them by increasing margins, Bybit explained. Moreover, recent advancements in zkEVM technology, such as the progress made by Polygon’s zkEVM, have attained Type 1 status.

While institutional sentiment towards L1 appears strongly bullish based on the chart, there has been a decrease in the average dollar value of L1 assets held. However, this decline is significantly less pronounced compared to the drop observed in L2 assets.

Despite witnessing remarkable returns in 2023, institutions have steered clear of these high-risk, high-return investments during that period. These high-profile entities have largely divested from highly volatile token categories, such as meme, AI, and BRC-20 tokens, with the exception of L1, DeFi, and metaverse tokens.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms).

Cryptocurrency

Analyst Predicts $3,500 Target for ETH as $2,800 Resistance Looms

letizo News

Published

on

Ethereum (ETH) is back in the spotlight as analysts and traders eye a potential breakout past the stubborn $2,800 resistance, a level that has repeatedly halted upward momentum over the past month.

With growing institutional interest, regulatory clarity, and bullish social sentiment, some now believe a run toward $3,500 is within reach.

Momentum Meets a Wall

At the time of this writing, ETH was trading at around $2,775, marking a 9.1% gain in the last 24 hours and a more modest 6.2% increase over the past seven days, per data from CoinGecko.

While the asset slightly underperformed the broader crypto market’s 3.3% weekly growth, its recent rally comes on the back of a strong regulatory tailwind. On June 9, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins declared staking and wallet software development outside the scope of securities laws, signaling a dramatic shift in the agency’s stance on decentralized finance (DeFi).

Yet despite the bullish news, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap remains range-bound between $2,475 and $2,775. “The price has swept the highs and the lows… and has retested the range high for the 4th time now,” noted Daan Crypto Trades on X, advising patience until a decisive move occurs.

Market watcher Michaël van de Poppe echoed the sentiment, suggesting that a breakout past $2,800 could ignite a surge toward the $3,400 to $3,500 level, provided ETH holds above the critical $2,575 support zone.

Caution Amidst the Optimism

But not everyone is convinced the good times are coming just yet. Analyst Čyrus Ologun cautioned that ETH remains in a downtrend unless it closes decisively above the aforementioned $2,800, predicting a possible pullback to $2,200. His hypothesis aligns with CryptoPotato’s latest technical analysis, which flagged a bearish rising wedge pattern and growing selling pressure, as reflected in the declining 30-day Taker Buy-Sell Ratio.

Nonetheless, the fundamentals are improving. As angel investor Momin Saqib highlighted not long ago, Ethereum is enjoying “7 straight weeks of net inflows,” with over $815 million going into ETH ETFs in just 20 days, and a record 34.6 million ETH staked, which is roughly 28% of the total supply. Moreover, the SEC’s remarks have galvanized institutional conviction, with major players like BlackRock and Fidelity reportedly increasing ETH exposure.

While the asset’s all-time high of $4,878 remains a distant 45% away, the journey back toward that position could be kick-started by the convergence of regulatory clarity, institutional momentum, and increasing on-chain activity, with more than 16 million active addresses recorded so far this week. As pseudonymous trader Master of Crypto put it: “This isn’t just a price pump… People are actually using ETH.”

For now, the consensus seems to be that $2,800 is the line in the sand. A break above could open the floodgates to $3,000 and beyond.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Continue Reading

Cryptocurrency

120,000,000 ADA in Just 2 Days: What Are Cardano Whales Preparing for?

letizo News

Published

on

TL;DR

  • Large investors scooped up more than $85 million worth of ADA in the last two days.
  • The question now arises whether they are getting ready for a price pump, perhaps fueled by encouraging news on the ADA ETF front.

Stacking More ADA

The renowned analyst, going by the pseudonym Ali Martinez on X, disclosed that Cardano whales purchased more than 120 million ADA in the last 48 hours. The USD equivalent of the stash equals over $85 million (calculated at current rates). 

Martinez’s chart shows that the buying spree was conducted by investors holding between 100 million and 1 billion tokens. He also revealed that, as of the moment, they collectively own 3.14 billion ADA, or approximately 8% of the asset’s circulating supply.

The whales’ actions are usually closely monitored by smaller players who may decide to mimic the move and join the ADA ecosystem or increase their exposure. It is also a common theory (or at least a suspicion) that such large investors sometimes have inside information about vital events that can impact the price, which might explain their accumulation (or dumping) efforts. 

One development that Cardano proponents might be waiting for is the potential approval of the first spot ADA ETF in the United States. One of the companies with intentions to introduce this type of product is Grayscale. 

Just a few weeks ago, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delayed its decision on the fund until July 15, with its final “yes” or “no” expected to be announced before the October 22 deadline. 

At the start of the business week, the chances of approval (before the end of 2025) on Polymarket dropped to nearly 40%. However, over the past few hours, the odds briefly surged to 70% and currently stand at 66%.

ADA ETF Odds
ADA ETF Odds, Source: Polymarket

The improved chances come shortly after the SEC greenlighted a NASDAQ crypto US settlement price index, which includes numerous altcoins, such as ADA. 

Poised for an Uptrend?

Cardano’s native token currently trades at around $0.70, representing a 5% daily increase but an 11% decline over the past month. 

Nonetheless, important indicators suggest that a more substantial resurgence may be on the way. For instance, ADA’s exchange netflow has been predominantly negative in the past several months.

ADA Exchange Netflow
ADA Exchange Netflow, Source: CoinGlass

This suggests that many investors may have shifted from centralized platforms to self-custody methods, which reduces immediate selling pressure.

Meanwhile, some well-known analysts on X, including Lucky, have made bullish predictions about ADA’s future price. Those willing to explore that in detail can take a look at our article here.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Continue Reading

Cryptocurrency

US Bitcoin Investors Are Buying Again: What Does This Mean for BTC’s Price?

letizo News

Published

on

The cryptocurrency market is experiencing a surge in bitcoin (BTC) purchases from investors in the United States. This is a positive occurrence for the sector and could drive a sustained rally in bitcoin’s price.

According to a report from the market intelligence platform CryptoQuant, the Coinbase Premium index, which measures U.S. buyer appetite, has reached its highest level in over three months.

U.S. Investors Are Buying BTC

CryptoQuant analyst Dan revealed that the market has been in an upward trend for eight weeks, starting from mid-April. The surge in the Coinbase Premium shows that buying pressure from Bitcoin investors in the U.S. is supporting the uptrend.

Bitcoin’s movement has shown no signs of overheating. Dan says this is a typical sign often seen in rising cycles following corrections. This suggests that the crypto market will see optimistic movements as the bull cycle progresses in the second half of the year.

The increased buying pressure from U.S. investors is evident in the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. Data from CoinGlass shows that six of the eleven U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded inflows that totaled $386.2 million during trading hours on Monday. The positive flows came after two consecutive days of outflows on Thursday and Friday last week.

Besides the positive ETF flows, another sign that buyers are dominating again is the Bitcoin Spot 90-day Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) flashing green for the first time in four months. This metric measures market dominance between buyers and sellers. A separate CryptoQuant analysis disclosed that CVD turning green after a prolonged period in red could mark the start of a new bullish move.

New Whales Acquire BTC at Record Pace

Furthermore, CryptoQuant discovered that Bitcoin whales have been buying at an increased rate. A filter that isolated new whales from long-dormant cold investors found that a fresh cohort has been stacking BTC at a record pace. This cohort holds ≥ 1,000 BTC with an average coin age of less than six months.

Between March 1 and June 4, the holdings of this group of whales doubled, from approximately 500,000 BTC to around 1.1 million BTC. This shows an increase of at least 600,000 BTC worth roughly $63 billion. Additionally, their supply share has climbed from 2.5% to 5.6% of the total BTC circulating supply – this is equivalent to approximately ten months of mining output removed from circulation.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Continue Reading

Trending

©2021-2024 Letizo All Rights Reserved