Investors turn to assets that benefit from rising interest rates.
Cryptocurrencies are trading down Monday US time after Bitcoin (BTC) dropped to its lowest point since September 2021. Investors continue their move out of riskier, growth-oriented assets and into sectors that benefit from rising interest rates, such as financials and consumer staples.
Bitcoin fell as much as 5% to touch a low of US$39,712.10, according to CoinDesk, but has since recaptured some of its losses.
As the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, other cryptocurrencies tend to follow its trends. Bitcoin’s slump is dragging several other top cryptos down with it.
Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, was down 7% at its lowest point Monday. Binance Coin (BNB) was also down 7%, while Solana dropped by as much as 8%.
What happened?
Declines across the cryptocurrency market began in mid-November 2021, as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies retreated from record highs.
The broader cryptocurrency market dropped lower last week on news that the Fed would soon increase interest rates and shrink its massive balance sheet.
Bitcoin has lost around 40% of its value since hitting an all-time high of US$68,990.90 in November 2021. Ethereum reached a high of over US$4,800 in the same month and is now down around 37%.
How top cryptocurrencies are doing over the last 24 hours
Here’s how some of the top cryptos have fared over the last 24 hours as of Monday afternoon. Prices are accurate at the time of this writing.
- Bitcoin (BTC). Down 2.88%
- Ethereum (ETH). Down 5.23%
- Litecoin (LTC). Down 5.33%
- Polkadot (DOT). Down 7.81%
- Solana (SOL). Down 8.31%
- Binance Coin (BNB). Down 5.19%
- Tether (USDT). Up 0.01%
- Cardano (ADA). Down 7.08%
- USD Coin (USDC). Down 0.09%
- XRP (XRP). Down 5.28%
Interested in cryptocurrency? Learn more about the basics with our beginner’s guide to Bitcoin, dive deeper by learning about Ethereum and see what blockchain can do with our simple guide to DeFi.
Disclaimer:
This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider,
service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade. Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and
involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance
is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own
circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify
the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements)
and consult the relevant Regulators’ websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may
have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.
At the time of publication, Matt Miczulski owned BTC and ETH.
Read More:Crypto slump deepens as Bitcoin briefly drops below $40K | finder.com
