First Mover Americas: Bitcoin, Ether Remain in Tight Price Range

The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for Oct. 25, 2022.

AccessTimeIconOct 25, 2022 at 12:21 p.m. UTC
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Price Point

Bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) continued to trade in a tight trading range Tuesday with traders expecting prices to remain unchanged for another week as there are no potentially risky events or catalysts on the horizon.

Traders are focusing on next week’s Federal Reserve rate decision where the Fed is expected to hike by 75 basis points again. After that, traders are expecting the consolidation phase for cryptocurrencies to remain.

“Currently, I am leaning towards excluding a rally to the upside, and I expect the consolidation phase to stay,” Matteo Bottacini, a trader at Crypto Finance AG, wrote in a morning note. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we again test May/June lows for both BTC and ETH."

Bitcoin reached lows of $18,900 in May, and ether dropped to lows of $880 in mid-June.

In traditional markets, U.S. stock futures were little changed after the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached its highest closing level in six weeks on Monday.

Bitcoin market share hits two-year high

(Kaiko)
(Kaiko)

According to data from Kaiko, bitcoin’s market share of trade volume has hit its highest level in over two years.

The share of bitcoin volume versus volume for altcoin markets aggregated across 14 centralized exchanges climbed past 50% for the first time since 2020, according to a research report by Kaiko.

“Bitcoin dominance has increased sharply since April, which suggests that sentiment has turned predominantly bearish after the collapse of Terra’s ecosystem and the wave of high-profile bankruptcies over the summer,” the report stated.

CoinDesk Market Index

Biggest Gainers

Asset Ticker Returns DACS Sector
Ribbon Finance RBN +7.87% DeFi
Axie Infinity AXS +6.48% Culture & Entertainment
My Neighbor Alice ALICE +3.74% Culture & Entertainment

Biggest Losers

Asset Ticker Returns DACS Sector
Rally RLY -3.88% Culture & Entertainment
Aave AAVE -2.99% DeFi
Polymath POLY -2.78% DeFi

Sector classifications are provided via the Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS), developed by CoinDesk Indices to provide a reliable, comprehensive and standardized classification system for digital assets. The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) is a broad-based index designed to measure the market capitalization weighted performance of the digital asset market subject to minimum trading and exchange eligibility requirements.

Chart of the Day

By Omkar Godbole

Chart of the Day 10/25
  • The S&P 500's weekly chart has flipped bullish in a positive sign for risky assets, including cryptocurrencies.
  • The chart tweeted by FS Insight's Matt Cerminaro shows a bullish divergence of the 14-week relative strength index (RSI), a popular technical indicator.
  • Bullish RSI divergence occurs when the price makes a lower low, but the RSI makes a higher low, indicating a trend reversal higher.

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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.

Lyllah Ledesma

Lyllah Ledesma is a CoinDesk Markets reporter currently based in Europe. She holds bitcoin, ether and small amounts of other crypto assets.

Omkar Godbole

Omkar Godbole is a Co-Managing Editor on CoinDesk's Markets team.


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