Ripple’s XRP is leading the way as many of the industry’s top 20 cryptocurrencies are beginning to experience solid gains over the early morning and afternoon hours.
XRP, Bitcoin and Ethereum Are Fighting for Their Lives
At press time, XRP has built itself up to 28 cents per unit – a near five-cent boost since it was first struck by the crypto bloodbath of last September. Bitcoin is also holding its own and is currently trading at just shy of $8,450. This is a spike of more than $100 in just the last 24 hours alone, and Ethereum has also risen to $183. This is a two dollar rise since yesterday.
While it’s probably too early to say whether the crypto space is entering a “rally phase,” it’s a positive sign to see so many currencies working to bring themselves out of the doldrums. Many coins and tokens are refusing to give into present resistance and are fighting against the negative odds that have been set against them.
One of those odds comes in the form of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) recent rejection of the Bitwise bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), which many considered to be the last possible chance a bitcoin ETF had of being approved. With this latest rejection, however, bitcoin has managed to hold its position and has not been subjected to further falls, another potential insinuation that perhaps the coin is learning to mature.
Christel Quek – chief commercial officer and co-founder of BOLT Global, explains:
Bitcoin and Ethereum moved higher the past couple of days, strengthening in the $8,000s mark – despite yet another setback from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC rejected another attempt at a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) over concerns of transparency issues and market manipulation. Crypto markets have been closely watching each ETF application for any signs of progress as it is hoped that a US bitcoin ETF would provide traders and investors a more formal access to the cryptocurrency than going through the various crypto exchange platforms.
Is Bakkt Responsible for This?
Perhaps these sudden price surges can be attributed to Bakkt’s sudden boost in business. As reported yesterday by Live Bitcoin News, the institutional platform – after experiencing a mediocre reception in the beginning – has now traded roughly $2 million in bitcoin futures contracts over the past two weeks. Despite a slow start, the enterprise appears to be making a lot of headway with institutional investors.
This could potentially be the kick that bitcoin needs with the SEC. As both Bakkt and ETFs are designed for institutional players, the SEC may reconsider their rejections in the future granted Bakkt continues to do well. Thus, perhaps crypto-based trading firms like Bitwise shouldn’t be discouraged from potentially submitting applications later down the line.
