Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally in 2023 has been boosted by expectations that the United States Federal Reserve will slow down the pace of its rate hikes as inflation has started cooling down. Some even anticipate a rate cut by the end of the year. That assumption received a jolt on Feb.3 when the U.S. employment data for January beat expectations and unemployment hit its lowest level since May 1969. If markets do not react negatively to news perceived as bearish, it’s a sign that the sentiment has turned positive. Traders may then shift their focus to the next important economic data …

Bitcoin (BTC) gained about 40% in January, its best finish in the first month of the year since 2013. The sharp rally caused a change in sentiment and the futures markets which saw backwardation in November and December started trading at a healthy contango in January, according to Glassnode. Coming out of a bear market low, a rally driven by the leaders rather than the laggards is a sign that the bottoming process may have begun. The rise in Bitcoin’s dominance from about 38% in November to above 42% in January is an indication that smart investors may have started …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) admitted on record that the sale of LBRY tokens in the secondary market doesn’t constitute a security. The settlement came during an appeal hearing in the LBRY vs. SEC case on Jan. 30. LBRY Hearing: The Stakes for ALL Crypto https://t.co/YPbrBkw0Od — CryptoLaw (@CryptoLawUS) January 30, 2023 In what many called a victory for the entire crypto industry against SEC’s overreach regulation by enforcement, Attorney John Deaton settled a major debate during the appeal hearing. SEC was awarded summary judgment in its favor during the Nov. 07 hearing. The judgment categorized each …

Traders tend to lighten up positions before important events because they hate uncertainty. The United States Federal Reserve’s policy decision is on Feb. 1, where the central bank is expected to hike rates by 25 basis points. Market observers will keenly watch for any hints about how high the rates could go. That could be one of the reasons for the profit-booking in Bitcoin (BTC) and select altcoins on Jan. 30. Bitcoin’s sharp recovery in January could also be signaling the start of a new bull market, according to certain on-chain metrics. The Profit and Loss Index from on-chain analytics …

After two weeks of a stupendous rally, Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has largely been flat this week. This is a positive sign as it shows that market participants are not growing nervous before a slew of central bank meetings take place next week. The United States Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England are scheduled to announce their policy decisions next week. The confidence of the bulls received another boost after the U.S. core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) data for December showed the slowest annual rate of increase since October 2021. The core PCE rose 4.4% from a year …

Monica Long has been named the new president of Ripple, moving up from the general manager position. Long joined the company in 2013 as director of communications and expanded her role last year from general manager of RippleX, the blockchain development side of the business, to general manager of the company as a whole, adding RippleNet, the company’s financial network, to her purview. The presidency of Ripple has been a somewhat nebulous position until now, with the title being ascribed to both co-founders Brad Garlinghouse and Chris Larsen at various times. Long’s promotion comes at a good moment for the …

Bitcoin (BTC) has been consolidating near $23,000 for the past few days. The next big question troubling investors is whether the rally is over or if Bitcoin resume its recovery. The strong year-to-date rally in Bitcoin has turned several analysts bullish in the short term. They anticipate Bitcoin to extend its up-move and reach $25,000 and even $30,000. However, for the slightly longer term, analysts seem to be divided. In comments to Cointelegraph, economist Lyn Alden said Bitcoin could face “considerable danger” in the second half of 2023 as liquidity risks rise. On the other hand, ARK Invest CEO and …

Online fraudsters are impersonating major cryptocurrency firms like Ripple and Binance by creating fake websites and email imposters pretending to provide staking services for XRP. One such website, ripple.com-staking.tech, includes a blog post titled “XRP staking set to debut January 2023 for retail users,” inviting users to “stake” their XRP with unrealistic returns on investment (ROI), ranging from 12% to 27%. The fake scheme attempts to rush XRP investors’ decision by stating that only the first 10,000 accounts will receive a higher ROI. The fake website provides a well-crafted clone of Ripple’s website, ripple.com, by copying the original layout, and …

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has risen about 37% year-to-date and is not showing any signs of slowing down. The S&P 500 index (SPX) has also made a winning start to the year but has seen a relatively muted rally of roughly 4%. While the price of risky assets are rising, the United States dollar index (DXY), perceived as a safe haven, extended its downtrend and declined more than 1% in January. The change in sentiment toward risky assets may have been triggered by expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could slow down its rate hikes as inflation cools off. Some analysts …

The United States equities markets are on track to finish the week in the red but that has not resulted in a deeper loss for Bitcoin (BTC). The news of cryptocurrency lender Genesis filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy also did not have any meaningful impact on Bitcoin’s price. This shows that the selling pressure could be reducing. However, trading firm QCP Capital warned in the latest edition of its regular markets newsletter that the current recovery in Bitcoin was only a bear market relief rally. They anticipate this recovery to be followed by another bout of selling which could sink …

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expects the firm’s long-running dispute with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) will be finalized within “single-digit months” and remains confident in securing a favorable outcome. Speaking to CNBC on Jan. 18 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Garlinghouse said the verdict could come as soon as June this year now that both parties have “fully filled and fully briefed” their arguments before the U.S. District Court: “We expect a decision from a judge certainly in 2023. You don’t really have control over when a judge makes their decisions. But I’m optimistic that sometime in …

The United States producer price index (PPI) fell 0.5% for the month, which was much more than the 0.1% decline estimated by economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The largest monthly decline since April 2020 was also aided by a sharp drop in energy prices. Another report showed that the retail sales data dropped 1.1% in December, a tad bit more than the anticipated 1% decrease. Although both data points show inflation is cooling off, the U.S. stock markets failed to hold on to their initial gains. Similarly, several cryptocurrencies sold off from their intraday highs, indicating that traders may have …