This Week In Bitcoin
This Week In Bitcoin is a new segment covering the events of the week that occurred in the Bitcoin industry, covering all the important news and analysis.
Summary
Although bitcoin saw relatively steady gains over the last week, climbing to nearly $40,000, it was only a matter of time before Elon Musk started his fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) campaign again, tweeting a breakup meme alongside the Bitcoin hashtag early Friday morning, which sent the bitcoin price tumbling as much as 7%. Of course, this was to be expected since Musk cannot seem to resist spreading FUD, as he previously had with Tesla stock before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) came knocking.
As the market geared up for Bitcoin 2021 in Miami this weekend, it seemed like there would be few developments during the week outside of the announcements at this conference. Indeed, El Salvador’s president announced that he will introduce a bill that would implement bitcoin as legal tender, becoming the first to do so and paving the way for others to follow. While this was major news coming from the conference, there was further news outside of Bitcoin 2021: Google lifted its 2018 ban on cryptocurrency advertisements on its network; the Finance Minister of Norway suggested an imminent breakout for bitcoin; Coinbase integrated its debit card with Apple and Google’s mobile wallets allowing payments with bitcoin; and Paxful launched Paxful Pay, allowing merchants to accept bitcoin as a payment method.
Highlights
- El Salvador To Declare Bitcoin As Legal Tender
- Google Ad Policy Updates Require Regulatory Compliance From Bitcoin Exchanges And Wallets
- Bitcoin Exchange Paxful Launches Paxful Pay, Enabling Merchants To Receive Bitcoin Payments
- Hungarian Bitcoin Groups To Erect Statue Honoring Satoshi Nakamoto
- Coinbase Card Users Can Now Make Bitcoin Payments And Reap Rewards With Apple Pay
- Bitcoin Mining Rig Manufacturer Canaan Argues Against Chinese Crackdown
Chart Of The Week
Chart courtesy of Bloqport
Bitcoin has been gearing up for a breakout this week, nearing $40,000 before Musk decided to rain on the parade. Along with the continuous FUD, the current dip is nothing new if you’re familiar with bitcoin’s movement over the last decade. The chart above, courtesy of Bloqport, analyses the 2017 bull run, and clearly shows there were several sizable dips on the run up to $20,000.. The current bull run is no different and although there are more eyes and hands on Bitcoin this time around, there is no reason not to expect a breakout soon.
Bullish: Short Term
As I mentioned last week, the current bull run is far from over, and experts such as Cathie Wood agree. More and more people are suggesting a price breakout is imminent, so why should we even consider that not to be the case?
El Salvador’s decision to”‘legalize” bitcoin and make it legal tender in the country is incredibly bullish. As the first country to do so, El Salvador will not only act as a “guinea pig”, but will also pave the way for other countries to follow. In all likelihood, emerging markets will be the first to follow suit, especially those utilizing the US dollar as their reserve currency. The United States’ move to issue more bonds and print more money will have an impact on the dollar's value, affecting those most dependent on it. El Salvador may be the first of many countries to embrace bitcoin.
Google’s lifting of the ban on cryptocurrency ads will have a major impact on the market over the coming months as it will be easier to gather impressions on Bitcoin content. Similarly, as Coinbase, Paxful and others follow PayPal in enabling payment for goods and services using bitcoin, it’s likely to see adoption grow, even if most die-hard bitcoin users would suggest HODLing. The naysayers who have spent years saying bitcoin doesn’t qualify as a currency because you can’t spend it anywhere will go quiet, much like they do when price quickly ascends.
Institutional investors are seeing an increase in interest in assets such as bitcoin, with Standard Chartered and Guggenheim Investments both looking toward introducing funds with bitcoin exposure. Then there’s the Taproot upgrade that appears to be a done deal for the Bitcoin network as more and more miners signal their support. Taproot will bring more privacy, lower transaction fees and more flexibility around smart contracts on the Bitcoin network.
Bullish: Long Term
I am revising my long term outlook from last week to bullish. Although this bull run will eventually peak and see a sizable correction in the near future, there is increasing hope for bitcoin in the long term.
Besides miners moving to “greener” equipment and sources of electricity, states like Texas and countries like El Salvador’s favorable embrace of bitcoin is likely to generate more sovereign entities to follow suit. Companies moving to accept bitcoin will not only benefit consumers and merchants alike but the market as well, despite its volatility.
As the legal framework starts to form around the world for bitcoin, we’re likely to see more investors join the fray. Whether Bitcoiners like it or not, increasing amounts of institutional investors investing in bitcoin is likely to bring more individual investors, as the former brings more security and trust to the community for the latter.
Verdict
Saying things like “look at the bigger picture” or “every cloud has a silver lining” may seem cliché, but it’s true when approaching the current state of the market. Yes, it would be great to see a breakout and bitcoin surging past $65,000 in the next week or two, but it’s important to take a step back and look at what's to come.
Bitcoin’s performance may not appear too favorable with the dips and sideways movement over the last few weeks, but it has remained relatively steady. I am sure the news and events from the past week have not been priced in, though whether that’s due to newcomers selling off in a panic or whales suppressing the price is unclear. What is clear is that Bitcoin is seeing a favourable reaction from the world. Countries are opening up to the idea of Bitcoin and large companies are jumping onboard.
Yes, Bitcoin still has a long way to go in terms of mass adoption, but it’s easy to forget that it’s market cap is in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The world’s leading investors and companies either hold it on their balance sheets or are considering doing so. One thing is for certain: Bitcoin has already made its mark and it is here to stay. No amount of FUD, misinformation or “expertise” can deny that.
Overall, the short term looks bright and, to use a phrase I read on Twitter,let’s shake out the “mayo hands” and get bitcoin to the moon.
This is a guest post by Dion Guillaume. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.