Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, experienced a significant decline on January 8, 2025, falling below $93,000 amid a broader crypto market sell-off. This downturn erased the gains Bitcoin had accumulated earlier in the year. The cryptocurrency reached a session low of $92,600 during U.S. trading hours, marking a nearly 10% drop from its peak above $102,000 on Monday. Although it rebounded slightly to around $94,300, it remained down by 2.5% over the past 24 hours.
The sell-off was not limited to Bitcoin; other cryptocurrencies also faced declines. Cardano's ADA, Render's RNDR, and Aptos' APT led losses in the CoinDesk 20 Index, which fell over 3% during the same period. This sharp two-day decline resulted in the liquidation of nearly $1 billion worth of leveraged derivatives positions across various crypto assets, predominantly affecting long positions that had bet on rising prices. Consequently, Bitcoin's price temporarily dipped below its starting value for the year, though it later recovered to stand about 1% above its January 1 opening.
The downturn also impacted crypto-related stocks. Bitcoin mining companies such as TeraWulf (WULF), Bit Digital (BTBT), Bitdeer (BTDR), Iris Energy (IREN), and Hut 8 (HUT) experienced declines ranging from 5% to 8%. Semler Scientific, a medical devices producer that adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy similar to MicroStrategy's (MSTR), saw its stock drop nearly 10% during the day, contributing to a weekly decline of more than 15% and placing it roughly 40% below its late December high. MicroStrategy's stock also fell by 2.2% on Wednesday.
Analysts have cautioned crypto traders about potential challenges in January, citing macroeconomic factors that could pose headwinds for risk assets. These factors include a hawkish Federal Reserve stance, rapidly increasing long-term government bond yields, persistent inflation, and the possibility of a U.S. government shutdown. The market pullback appeared to be triggered by strong U.S. economic data released on Tuesday, which led investors to adjust their expectations regarding interest rate cuts for the year.
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher J. Waller expressed support on Wednesday for further interest rate cuts throughout the year, aiming to alleviate inflation concerns potentially exacerbated by incoming President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs. However, this did little to alter investors' outlook on interest rates, as indicated by the CME FedWatch tool. Minutes from the Fed's most recent policy meeting, released Wednesday afternoon, revealed that most members believed the risks of rising inflation had increased and expressed concern that Trump's tariff policies could have a more significant impact on price levels than previously anticipated.
Despite the recent decline, some traders anticipate a short-term rebound for Bitcoin. With the latest drop bringing Bitcoin back to the lower end of its trading range since late November, cross-asset trader Bob Loukas, founder of Station3 NYC, suggested that Bitcoin might experience a bounce from these lows in the coming days. However, he also noted that prices could continue to consolidate within this range and potentially decline further before reaching new all-time highs. Loukas commented, "Doesn't have to be uber bearish, but we might need to fiddle around in a range and get more comfortable with $100k prints before we can really leave this area behind."
edge fund QCP highlighted upcoming events that could influence Bitcoin's trajectory, including the U.S. non-farm payrolls data report and the Federal Reserve meeting later this month. They forecasted a potential bounce in Bitcoin's price as President Trump's inauguration on January 20 approaches, stating, "With market anticipation building, we believe bitcoin's pullback is merely a pause, setting the stage for a bullish rally as Trump's inauguration fuels optimism."
In summary, while Bitcoin has faced a notable decline amid a broader crypto market sell-off, some traders and analysts remain optimistic about a potential short-term rebound, though they advise caution given the prevailing macroeconomic uncertainties.
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