The last week has again seen the majority of Crypto prices fall. Bitcoin’s price has dropped by around $700 in the past 7 days, Ethereum has also fallen by around $60.
The decline in price this week could have been deeper but the SEC’s announcement that they are not considering Bitcoin and Ethereum as securities saw a slight uptrend in prices.
But Why have we been on a downward trend IN 2018?
I thought I’d list some of the reasons I believe we have been on a downtrend in recent months:
Regulation
Towards the end of 2017 we constantly posted that the biggest challenge Crypto would face in 2018 would be regulation. Many governments and institutions are calling for tougher regulations, there have been rumours of outright bans which have caused many to panic sell.
Many also believe that strict regulation will undermine the purpose of Bitcoin and Crypto – removing their truly ‘decentralised’ nature in which they were created.
I am of the view that a proper regulatory system could actually benefit Crypto in the long term so long as it is not taken too far. If regulation ends up preventing the use of Crypto then we are likely to see developers reacting to this by creating their own decentralised trading platforms and ways around restrictions. Governments and institutions will do well to work with Crypto creators in order to create a balanced regulatory system.
Exchange Hacks
We have seen a number of exchanges (particularly smaller exchanges) being hacked which has led many to sell their Cryptos as they fear they will be taken by hackers.
Exchanges need to do better in keeping Cryptos safe and this is an area where regulation could actually help. As time goes on we will see better exchanges, easier to use and more security.
Price manipulation
We seen recent news that the price of Crypto, and Bitcoin in particular were manipulated which led to the all time high of $20,000. Tether and Bitfinex have come under scrutiny and in an apparent price manipulation, this has again contributed to a big down turn in the price.
CRYPTOS RISE AND FALL TOGETHER
Cryptos in general have been rising and falling together. If Bitcoin climbs then so do the majority of others, but if Bitcoin falls then the rest follow. We are yet to see Crypto prices become truly independent of each other.
Conclusion
We have to keep in mind that we are still at a very very early stage when it comes to Crypto. We still do not know the true value of Crypto until we start seeing more real world use. The potential is huge, the technology is advanced, but the true value in terms of price is yet to be established.
Once Cryptos stop following Bitcoin prices, we will see many fall as their use proves worthless, and those that have real world use and benefit will climb. Crypto still needs to find its place and it is too early to know how regulation will work, how exchanges will operate and how much Crypto will impact the world in terms of real world use. As for me, I can see exciting times ahead but that will not come with teething problems along the way.
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We are not investment or financial advisors and are here to provide news and our opinions. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets and the Cryptocurrency market, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.