Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has shared three “huge" opportunities yet to be realized in crypto, including mass crypto wallet adoption, inflation-resistant stablecoins, and Ethereum-powered website logins. During an interview with Bankless co-owner David Hoffman, Buterin shared his outlook for the crypto industry in 2023, responding to Hoffman’s raised concern that the “adoption wave” for decentralized applications is now over and that there’s “less opportunity” for developers to come in and build new decentralized applications. Buterin instead shrugged off the “limbo period” that Hoffman eluded to, firstly suggesting that more developments need to be made on cryptocurrency wallet infrastructure in order …

The Federal Reserve’s strategy to hike interest rates may continue, making it difficult for the crypto industry to bounce back. For crypto assets to become the hedge against inflation, the industry needs to explore ways to decouple crypto from traditional markets. Decentralized finance (DeFi) can perhaps offer a way out by breaking away from legacy financial models. How Federal Reserve policies are affecting crypto In the 1980s, Paul Volcker, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, introduced the interest hiking policy to control inflation. Volcker raised interest rates to over 20%, forcing the economy into a recession by reducing people’s …

Crypto markets threw a nice head fake this week by rallying into resistance on a “positive” Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, before retracing the majority of those gains right after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell took on a surprisingly hawkish tone during his post-rate-hike presser. The Fed hiked interest rates by 0.50%, which was well within the expectation of most market participants, but the eyebrow-raiser was the Federal Open Market Committee consensus that rates would need to reach the 5%–5.5%+ range in order to hopefully achieve the Fed’s 2% inflation target. This basically threw cold water on traders’ lusty dreams …

Bitcoin (BTC) set new one-month highs on the Dec. 14 Wall Street open on the day of key events for the United States Federal Reserve. Bitcoin bullish with Ustocks into FOMC Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting $18,126 on Bitstamp, beating the $18,106 high from the day prior. U.S. stocks edged higher as markets eagerly awaited feedback from the Fed after the November Consumer Price Index (CPI) print showed inflation slowing beyond expectations. Dec. 14 was set to see a decision on rate hikes for the month from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), together with …

Bitcoin (BTC) hit new one-month highs on Dec. 13 as United States inflation data sent a surge of optimism through markets. BTC price rebounds aU.S. inflation slows Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting $18,105 on Bitstamp after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) print for November came in below expectations. The readout, dubbed the “most important” of the year, even beat analysts’ expectations on inflation slowing. November CPI was 7.1% year-on-year, compared to the 7.3% forecast. Month-on-month was 0.1% versus the 0.3% expected. "The all items index increased 7.1 percent for the 12 months ending November; this …

Bitcoin (BTC) starts one of the most important macro weeks of the year in a precarious position below $17,000. After its latest weekly close, BTC/USD showed little upward momentum prior to the Dec. 12 Wall Street open. With volatility yet to appear, the largest cryptocurrency continues to trade in a narrow range, and analysts are increasingly impatient for new catalysts. These, they agree, should come in the next few days — United States economic data is due, and its content and impact on economic policy will likely have a significant impact on crypto markets. Elsewhere, the uneasy status quo continues …

What does stagflation mean for Bitcoin? As stagflation goes alongside high inflation and economic downturn, BTC can be seen as a hedge against inflation and simultaneously as a risky asset whose price could fall during an economic decline. BTC may be seen through the same lens as gold, which traditionally functioned as a hedge against inflation. Indeed, BTC could naturally be an excellent hedge against inflation. First, BTC is a decentralized global means of payment beyond the control of central authorities. Governments have no control over it, making it almost immune to potential corruption and monetary policy. In addition, BTC …

Bitcoin (BTC) starts its first full week of December at three-week highs as bulls and bears battle on. After a weekly close just above $17,000, BTC/USD seems determined to make the most of relief on stocks and a weakening U.S. dollar. As the United States gears up to release November inflation data, the dollar looks to be a key item to watch as BTC price action teases a recovery from the pits of the FTX meltdown. All may not be as straightforward as it seems — miners are facing serious hardship, data shows, and opinions on stocks’ own ability to …

Bitcoin (BTC) attempted to flip $17,000 to support on Dec. 1 after sealing its lowest monthly close in two years. Bitcoin gains inch up as November end Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD circling $17,100 in a second intraday charge at higher levels. The pair managed to avoid losses as the monthly candle closed, instead seeing solid daily gains of around 4.5% for Nov. 30. Nonetheless, Bitcoin shed 16.2% for the month, making November 2022 its worst since 2019. The more buoyant mood coincided with comments from the United States Federal Reserve. In a speech on inflation …

The world is quick to blame inflation for the rising prices at grocery stores and retailers. This was the #1 political issue for recent Election Day voters in the United States. For example, media sources recently reported poll data that 85% of Americans could not afford to spend $200 on a Thanksgiving meal in November 2022, and only 25% could afford $100. However, few recognize inflation is only part of the problem. Higher costs for products and services are also directly attributable to settlement fees paid by transportation providers who are forced to take out the equivalent of payday loans …

Bitcoin (BTC) spiked to $17,000 at the Nov. 15 Wall Street open as fresh United States economic data continued to show inflation cooling. "Good" PPI boosts risk assets Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it came closer to multi-day highs. Volatility had returned an hour before the open as the U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) came in below expectations. Core PPI was unchanged month on month, with PPI overall up 0.2% versus 0.4% forecast. Year-on-year PPI was 8% versus 8.3% forecast. The data, already in stark contrast to last month’s PPI, follows on from October’s Consumer …

Those who come bearing warnings are rarely popular. Cassandra didn’t do herself any favors when she told her fellow Trojans to beware of the Greeks and their wooden horse. But, with financial markets facing unprecedented turbulence, it’s important to take a hard look at economic realities. Analysts agree markets face serious headwinds. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that one-third of the world’s economy will be in recession in 2023. Energy is in high demand and short supply, prices are high and rising and emerging economies are coming out of the pandemic in shaky conditions. There are five fundamental — …