Bitcoin Hits 16-Month High Despite Sell-Off in Global Stocks

Bitcoin's (BTC) price has climbed to 15-month highs even as coronavirus-induced instability rocks the stock markets.

AccessTimeIconOct 27, 2020 at 11:41 a.m. UTC
Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 10:24 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Bitcoin's (BTC) price continues to rise even as coronavirus-induced instability rocks the stock markets.

  • Bitcoin is trading near $13,420 at time of writing, a 2.77% gain on the day.
  • That marks a fresh 16-month high for the cryptocurrency, which is now up 25% for the month and 87% on a year-to-date basis.
  • Bitcoin's on-chain data, too, is showing no signs of investor trepidation.
  • The number of daily deposits to cryptocurrency exchanges fell to a nine-month low of 26,889 on Monday.
  • Further, the total number of bitcoins held on exchanges slipped to a two-year low of 2,478,799 BTC, according to data source Glassnode.
  • So the bullish mood continues for bitcoin, even though the global stock markets suffered losses and Wall Street's benchmark equity index, the S&P 500, fell nearly by 2% on coronavirus concerns Monday.
Bitcoin: daily exchange deposits and aggregate balance on exchanges
Bitcoin: daily exchange deposits and aggregate balance on exchanges
  • The decline in exchange deposits suggests investors are unperturbed by the risk aversion in traditional markets and see low odds of bitcoin suffering an equity market-induced sell-off.
  • Investors typically move coins from their wallets to exchanges to liquidate holdings when expecting a price slide, and take direct custody of their assets when the cryptocurrency is expected to rally.
  • In effect, we appear to be seeing a weakening of the positive correlation between bitcoin and the S&P 500 seen since the March crash.
  • "The decline in transfers to exchanges despite risk-off in equity markets is a bullish sign," Matthew Dibb, co-founder, and COO of Stack Funds, told CoinDesk over WhatsApp.
  • The cryptocurrency is likely to stay strong in the coming weeks, he added.
  • Bitcoin's options market is also retaining bullish bias.
  • The one-, three- and six-month put-call skews, which measure the cost of puts relative to calls, continue to hover below zero, a sign of calls – bullish bets – drawing higher prices (or demand) than puts – bearish bets.
Bitcoin put-call skews
Bitcoin put-call skews
  • The cryptocurrency suffered a minor drop to $12,700 during Monday's U.S. trading hours only to chart a quick recovery to levels above $13,000.
  • "The next resistance to take out is $13,800 (June 2019 high).
  • "If bitcoin breaks below $12,700, we will take action and decrease our exposure further," Patrick Heusser, a senior cryptocurrency trader at Zurich-based Crypto Broker AG told CoinDesk in a Twitter chat.
  • Disclosure: The author holds small positions in bitcoin and litecoin.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.



Read more about