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Crypto Markets Have Benefited From a Positive Environment Since U.S. Election: Citi

The nomination of crypto-friendly Paul Atkins as chair of the SEC provided the final boost that propelled bitcoin through the $100,000 level, the report said.

Dec 6, 2024, 8:47 a.m.
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Crypto markets have benefitted from a positive environment since the U.S. election: Citi. (TungCheung/Shutterstock)

What to know:

  • Crypto markets have benefited from a positive backdrop following Donald Trump's election victory in the U.S., the report said.
  • Citi said Paul Atkins' nomination as SEC chair delivered the final boost that took bitcoin to a record high over $100,000.
  • Other digital assets will likely have more to gain from a more tolerant regulatory environment, the bank said.

Bitcoin (BTC) reached an all-time high above $100,000 earlier this week as a number of tailwinds fueled a post-U.S.-election rally in the world's largest cryptocurrency, Citi (C) said in a research report on Thursday.

"The nomination of digital asset-friendly Paul Atkins to chair the SEC provided the final boost," that saw bitcoin break through $100,000 to record highs, analysts led by Alex Saunders wrote.

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The cryptocurrency was trading around $98,500 at the time of publication.

Bitcoin continues to be bolstered by exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows and other buying as adoption grows, the bank noted.

The macro environment is also constructive for digital assets. Loose financial conditions and resilient growth are positive for crypto tokens, Citi said.

"Other digital assets likely have more to gain from a more permissive regulatory environment," the authors wrote, noting that bitcoin's dominance has fallen.

Citi said it hasn't seen a notable rise in on-chain activity.

Over the longer term, the bank said a network's utility or value will be linked to its usage, macro correlations and production costs.

A new, more benign regulatory system could unlock more and wider use cases for blockchain assets, the report added.

More permissive crypto policies should broaden the asset class, Citi said, but bitcoin, which has already been classified as a commodity, and has both a spot ETF and a futures contract, has less to gain than other tokens.

Read more: Bitcoin Crashed Below $94K in Sudden Plunge From record Perch Around $100K

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Coinbase Sees Crypto Recovery Ahead as Liquidity Improves and Fed Rate Cut Odds Climb

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The crypto exchange also took note of a so-called AI bubble that continues to go strong and a weaker U.S. dollar.

Wat u moet weten:

  • Coinbase Institutional is seeing a potential December recovery in crypto, citing improving liquidity and a shift in macroeconomic conditions that could favor risk assets like bitcoin.
  • The firm's optimism is driven by rising odds of Federal Reserve rate cuts, with markets pricing in a 93% chance easing next week, and improving liquidity conditions.
  • Several recent institutional developments, including Vanguard's crypto ETF policy reversal and Bank of America's greenlighting of crypto allocations, have contributed to bitcoin's rebound from recent lows.