Why bitcoin and cryptocurrency values are dropping quick

Multiple cryptocurrencies — including Bitcoin — dropped sharply Thursday as global stocks continued to fall, CNBC reports.

Bitcoin — which was worth $43,058.75 on Thursday morning — dropped as low as $42,496 in the last 24 hours, according to CNBC.

• Similarly, Ethereum dropped 12% to $3,411.92.
• The cryptocurrency Solana fell 12% to $148.58.

The decline in cryptocurrency coins comes as the Federal Reserve showed officials are seeing a potential quick rise in interest rates for 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.

• “As rates rise, holding volatile investments that produce little income becomes less attractive compared with government bonds,” WSJ reports.

Experts said the fast falloff is a sign that cryptocurrencies are risky investments for most people, per MarketWatch.

• “This is proof that bitcoin acts like a risk asset,” Noelle Acheson, head of market insights at crypto lender Genesis Global Trading, told The Wall Street Journal. “The short-term holders, they are the ones who are trading and will be closest to the exit.”