The over-the-counter (OTC) institutional cryptocurrency market saw a dramatic increase in spot transaction volume in the first half of 2024. A recent report by Finery Markets reveals a 95% year-over-year growth, highlighting a significant rise in institutional engagement. Institutional Interest Drives Massive Growth in Crypto’s Over-the-Counter Industry The Finery Markets team analyzed data from two […]
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Data shows that U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced negative outflows on Friday, totaling $55.1 million, with Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) seeing another notable decrease. Metrics from Thursday reveal GBTC held 316,193.43 bitcoins, but after a decline of 2,048.23 bitcoins, the fund’s holdings reduced to 314,145.2 bitcoins. Blackrock and Fidelity Absorb Bitcoin Despite GBTC’s […]
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In a recent analysis, Stanislas Bernard, the founder of Sinz 21st.Capital, delved into the complexities surrounding Hong Kong’s consideration to approve spot Bitcoin ETFs against the backdrop of China’s escalating economic crisis. With the nation grappling with a record debt-to-GDP ratio of 288% in 2023, and witnessing one of the most severe housing market collapses in three decades, the financial instability has triggered an unprecedented capital flight towards overseas markets.
Amidst these turbulent economic times, Hong Kong’s potential approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs stands out as a pivotal development that could not only be a safe haven for Chinese investors but also significantly influence Bitcoin’s valuation, potentially catapulting it to the elusive $100,000 mark.
China’s economic woes have been intensifying, marked by a towering debt ratio and a plummeting housing sector that has investors scrambling for alternatives. “China currently faces a significant economic downturn, exacerbated by soaring debt and malinvestments in real estate. The crisis, becoming well-known in 2021 with the default of Evergrande Group, has now spread, causing a ripple effect that will likely slow down the Chinese economy for years to come,” Bernard pointed out.
This backdrop of economic instability has incited a significant shift in investor behavior, notably among Chinese investors who, faced with stringent capital controls, have sought refuge in ETFs that offer exposure to foreign markets. Yet, this avenue has been fraught with its own challenges.
“Investors are paying premiums as high as 43% on certain US-focused ETFs due to quota limitations, which speaks volumes about the desperation to find safer investment harbors,” Bernard notes. Such premiums underscore the pervasive fear and uncertainty that have gripped the Chinese market, driving investors towards seemingly any available exit from the volatility of the domestic market.
Bernard believes that not only Hong Kongers but also Chinese mainlanders will flock to Bitcoin ETFs. “They are pretty integrated. Mainland is HK’s largest trading partner. Would not be possible to approve a spot ETF and then close it to mainland. They will enforce transaction limits instead,” the expert said.
In the midst of these developments, Hong Kong’ Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is reportedly considering the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs already by the end of April, as reported yesterday. This move is viewed as a strategic effort to capture a portion of the capital flowing into Bitcoin, especially in the wake of the SEC’s approval of similar ETFs in the US, which saw a meteoric rise with $12 billion of net flow.
“Hong Kong is scrambling for a change. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs could unlock a vast reservoir of stranded Chinese capital into Bitcoin, providing a much-needed life raft for investors,” Bernard explained.
The anticipated approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs by Hong Kong authorities has been met with significant enthusiasm within the crypto community. Influential figures such as Bitcoin Munger and Stack Hodler have been vocal about the potential impact of this development on Bitcoin’s price.
“Hong Kong ETFs approval have accelerated to next week. Most accounts on CT weren’t making a big deal about them, but they are a big deal. They are going to take us to $100k+ in due time. Tick tock!” stated popular Bitcoin analyst Bitcoin Munger (@bitcoinmunger). He refers to the regional yearly year-over-year supply change from West to East.
Stack Hodler (@stackhodler) further emphasized the urgency among Chinese investors to find secure investment avenues outside the traditional system, “Chinese investors were panic-buying a Gold fund at a 30% premium this month as they attempt to get their wealth into something outside the Chinese system. The approval of Hong Kong spot ETFs could be the turning point, offering a sanctioned avenue for wealth preservation amidst the crumbling real estate market.”
Overall, the potential approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong is poised to be a landmark development, not just for the region but for the global market. By offering a secure and regulated channel for investment, it could serve as a catalyst for significant capital inflow into Bitcoin, reinforcing its status as a viable store of value.
“As we stand at the cusp of this historic development, the implications for Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market could be profound. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong could indeed be the harbinger of a new era, potentially driving Bitcoin’s value to new heights,” concluded Bernard.
At press time, BTC traded at $70,945.
Featured image created with DALL·E, chart from TradingView.com
Disclaimer: The article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.
U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced another round of net withdrawals, documenting a $19.4 million decrease. The holdings of GBTC diminished from 322,697.17 bitcoins to 318,451.70. U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETF Landscape: Outflows Continue to Persist On April 8, 2024, the U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw a substantial $223.8 million in outflows, and on April […]
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The applications for spot ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) face a potential rejection in May when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reaches its deadline for decisions, according to Vaneck’s CEO. His firm is one of the applicants seeking approval for a spot ether ETF. “Right now, pins are dropping as far as Ethereum is […]
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Two of China’s largest fund management firms have recently been reported to be filing applications for spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to regional sources on Monday. Harvest Global Investments and Southern Fund are seeking approval from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), aiming to obtain authorization to introduce spot bitcoin ETFs. China’s Investment […]
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Ki Young Ju, the founder of CryptoQuant, a blockchain analytics firm, has noticed a curious trend. In a post on X, the founder shared a snapshot suggesting that Bitcoin “old whales” might be shifting their holdings to “new whales,” mainly traditional finance heavyweights like Fidelity and BlackRock.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved these new whales to list spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for all investors.
While a definitive sell-off isn’t confirmed, commentators replying to the founder’s post believe these “old whales” could be mitigating risk. In their assessment, moving their Bitcoin stash from self-custody to a regulated investment vehicle like spot Bitcoin ETFs is a better measure of covering unexpected eventualities.
If this is the approach, then it could prove strategic. Bitcoin holders can transact without depending on a third party. Notably, this development coincides with a significant drop in BTC inventory on major exchanges like Coinbase and Binance, as well as at GBTC.
The decline has accelerated since the introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs, hinting at a potential departure from exchanges. Meanwhile, the operators of GBTC are unwinding the product and converting it to a spot Bitcoin ETF following a court decision.
Even so, that “old whales” are moving their coins to centralized products like ETFs contradicts the core philosophy of BTC as a tool for financial self-sovereignty. Whether more users, mainly retailers, will choose to own spot Bitcoin ETF shares rather than the underlying coins directly remains to be seen.
Institutions might be obliged by law to use a regulated product if they need to be exposed to BTC. However, retailers can choose to buy directly from exchanges or mine. This freedom might lead to more retailers opting to buy BTC.
This trend emerges ahead of the highly anticipated Bitcoin halving. This event is set for mid-April 2024 and will further reduce BTC’s circulating supply, potentially driving higher prices. Before then, BTC prices are firm, steady above $70,000 at the time of writing.
Feature image from DALLE, chart from TradingView
Disclaimer: The article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.
On Monday, the U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced their first positive inflows, breaking a streak of five consecutive days of outflows totaling $887.6 million. The momentum continued into Tuesday, with the ETFs amassing $418 million in inflows, building on the $15.4 million gained the previous day. Bitcoin ETFs’ Fortunes Flip The week prior […]
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The ever-vibrant Shiba Inu community is thriving once more as SHIB gains widespread recognition surpassing top cryptocurrency assets in the market to become the second most sought-after digital asset in the entire European continent, securing its stance in the crypto landscape.
XRP enthusiast and market expert Marcel Knobloch, also known as Collin Brown, reported the coin’s latest milestone on X. According to Brown, Shiba Inu has seen significant growth in its long-term investor base, taking Europe by storm by becoming the second most search crypto in the continent.
Brown noted that the milestone is reminiscent of the peak of 2021, having rallied a startling 300% in just 8 days. SHIB’s interest is not limited to Europe, and it has taken the top spot on search charts all the way from Italy to Nigeria.
As a result of the development, WazirX’s poll has crowned SHIB the king of meme cryptos. Thus, Collin Brown has urged the cryptocurrency space to watch out for Shiba Inu, noting that the Shiba pack is at the forefront of the race.
The rankings were determined following a comprehensive analysis of Google Trends data in the past 1 year in order to ascertain the cryptocurrency that, based on searches, each nation in Europe desires to invest in. After gathering collective data, the findings showed a noteworthy pattern that indicated changes in people’s interest in the crypto market.
Shiba Inu went past notable coins like Ethereum (ETH) – the second largest crypto asset, Cardano (ADA), and Dogecoin (DOGE) – the largest meme coin, securing the top pick in about 7 European countries. These include Russia, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and among others.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) – the largest crypto asset remains the most searched coin in the continent acquiring top choice in about 21 European nations, such as Poland, Germany, Belgium, Romania, etc.
SHIB’s recent achievement displays a constant rise in its interest, reflecting the trust of its community members around the world. In addition to bolstering SHIB’s standing, this ranking indicates that European investors are considering adopting the token even more.
Following the project’s landmark, the Ethereum-based memecoin has managed to secure gains of over 18% in the past week. SHIB has experienced a rebound to the $0.000030 threshold, after falling as low as $0.000025 during the start of the week. With the memecoin market demonstrating momentum presently, SHIB might be poised for more significant gains in the coming months.
Consequently, SHIB’s rise to the aforementioned price has taken advantage of the market’s general recovery and its seven-day upswing. As of the time of writing, Shiba Inu was trading at $0.0000305, indicating a decline of 1% in the past day. Meanwhile, its trading volume and market cap have decreased by over 1% and 16%, respectively.
Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Disclaimer: The article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.