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Why Bitcoin and Crypto Stocks Rise or Fall in the First Half of 2024

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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THE Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) cryptocurrency has seen solid gains in the first half of 2024, starting with the introduction of find bitcoin exchange traded funds (ETFs) in January. Bitcoin mining rewards were cut in half on April 19, which didn’t immediately move the cryptocurrency price, but it did set the stage for another four-year boom-bust cycle. By the end of June, it had achieved a solid 44.2% gain according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Then, there is Microstrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR). The enterprise software company decided to ride the Bitcoin wave in the most amplified way four years ago. MicroStrategy’s balance sheet contained $7.5 billion in Bitcoin but only $81 million in cash by the end of March. Mirroring Bitcoin’s rise with an extra dose of adrenaline, MicroStrategy is up a whopping 118.1% in six months.

Meanwhile, most cryptocurrency miners did not share the same bullish fate. The reward halving had an immediate effect on their financial results, and major miners headed in different directions. Digital Marathon Entries (NASDAQ: MARA) saw a price drop of 15.5%, while Riot platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) has lost 40.9% of its market value. Highlighting the complex nature of today’s cryptocurrency market, Clean spark (NASDAQ: CLSK) managed to keep pace with Bitcoin’s gains, pocketing a 44.6% return.

Bitcoin Price Chart

Bitcoin Price Chart

Same fundamental news, different market reactions

Why have these cryptocurrency-related investments taken different directions? Their operations are quite different and market makers are paying attention to these unique qualities.

Clean spark

In the first half of the year, CleanSpark acquired a total of 13 new mining facilities from other companies, spanning the U.S. from Georgia to Wyoming.

Additionally, the all-American Bitcoin miner also swept Wall Street consensus estimates in its first-quarter earnings report in February and its second-quarter earnings update in May. The company turned a profit in both earnings reports, both in terms of free cash flow and adjusted earnings per share.

With proven profitability, a debt-free balance sheet, $323 million in cash reserves, and a similar amount of Bitcoin in its portfolio, CleanSpark appears poised to weather the low production rates of this reward halving cycle.

Not surprisingly, this success story has led to rising stock prices.

Marathon

Marathon experienced the same halving rewards as CleanSpark and has begun its own production facility purchase spree. The company currently has 31.5 exahash per second (EH/s) of mining equipment installed, aimed at the Bitcoin mining business. A much smaller fleet with a capacity of 0.6 EH/s is mining the smallest Caspa cryptocurrency, diversifying Marathon’s crypto operations a bit.

The story continues

The crypto miner is also exploring international production beyond its Texas facilities, running a small test project in Finland and an energy network partnership in Kenya. Marathon burns more cash than it generates, and its Bitcoin holdings outweigh its cash balance by a ratio of 4 to 1.

Investors believe this is a riskier structure, making Marathon shares more vulnerable to economic challenges.

Riot platforms

Riot Platforms operates a smaller Bitcoin mining operation than Marathon or CleanSpark. Its average production capacity stands at 11.4 EH/s, aiming for 31 EH/s by the end of 2024. Both Marathon and CleanSpark are targeting 50 EH/s capacity at the same timeframe.

This company supplements its Bitcoin revenue with energy credits earned by reducing or stopping its mining operations when the Texas power grid needs a boost. The company is involved in a stock-swap takeover attempt of a smaller rival Bit Farms (NASDAQ: BITF), acquiring a 14% ownership stake as Bitfarms adopted a “poison pill” policy.

The acquisition is still uncertain and investors generally hate uncertainty, so Riot Platforms stock price action isn’t going to impress anyone in 2024.

Microstrategy

MicroStrategy is a different story. The company doesn’t operate Bitcoin mining machines, so it doesn’t care much about lower mining rewards.

Founder and Chairman Michael Saylor’s company is very concerned about the price of Bitcoin, now and in the long term, as nearly all of its cash reserves have been converted into Bitcoin holdings. The company also continues to buy more Bitcoin at every opportunity.

The purchases were funded by MicroStrategy software company profits, additional stock sales, new debt, and, in a short-term test, even a loan secured by some of the company’s Bitcoin holdings. This coin-buying strategy magnifies Bitcoin’s gains when times are good, but it also exposes investors to greater risk when Bitcoin prices are falling.

This year the cryptocurrency is on the rise, so the MicroStrategy stock price is benefiting from the cryptocurrency trend.

How Bitcoin Halving Increases Cryptocurrency Mining Profits

Bitcoin’s mining reward halving makes it harder to run a profitable mining operation, at least for a while. This hard-coded four-year cycle is designed to limit the supply of new coins while the cryptocurrency builds real-world demand.

The fundamental laws of supply and demand dictate rising prices in this scenario, and the Bitcoin price chart has shown this pattern for each of the first three halvings. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often echoes familiar patterns, and the fourth reward halving cycle looks set to send Bitcoin prices soaring in the next year or so.

This predictable trend is the foundation of Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin strategy. It also eliminates the weakest hands from the expensive Bitcoin mining industry when rewards are low and the Bitcoin price has not yet begun its upward trend. Riot’s attempt to acquire Bitfarms is an ambitious but risky effort to capitalize on the target company’s financial weakness before the cryptocurrency chart starts to rise again.

There is one clear takeaway for investors from Bitcoin trends in early 2024: Understanding the cyclical nature of Bitcoin and the strategic moves of the major players in the surrounding industry can provide a significant edge. Keep an eye on the players that thrive under pressure, because they are the ones likely to shine when the market rebounds. The presence of spot Bitcoin ETFs should boost and support the current cycle, thanks to a strong influx of money from institutional investors.

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Anders Bylund has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Why Bitcoin and Crypto Stocks Rise or Fall in the First Half of 2024 was originally published by The Motley Fool

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We are the editorial team of Blockchainbulletin, where seriousness meets clarity in cryptocurrency analysis. With a robust team of finance and blockchain technology experts, we are dedicated to meticulously exploring complex crypto markets with detailed assessments and an unbiased approach. Our mission is to democratize access to knowledge of emerging financial technologies, ensuring they are understandable and accessible to all. In every article on Blockchainbulletin, we strive to provide content that not only educates, but also empowers our readers, facilitating their integration into the financial digital age.

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Cryptocurrency Price August 1: Bitcoin Dips Below $65K; Solana, XRP Down Up To 8%

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Major cryptocurrencies fell in Thursday trading following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged. Overnight, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate at 5.25-5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while also signaling the possibility of a rate cut at its next meeting in September. The unanimous decision by the Federal Open Market Committee reflects a continued wait-and-see approach as it monitors inflation trends.

CoinSwitch Markets Desk said: “Bitcoin has fallen below $65,000 after the US Federal Reserve announced it would keep interest rates unchanged. However, with markets now anticipating rate cuts at the next Federal Reserve meeting in September, the outlook for a Bitcoin rally by the end of the year has strengthened.”

Meanwhile, CoinDCX research team said: “The crypto market has plunged after the Fed decision. Tomorrow’s US unemployment rate announcement is expected to induce more volatility, with the ‘actual’ figure coming in higher than the ‘expected’ one, which is positive for cryptocurrencies.”

At 12:21 pm IST, Bitcoin (BTC) was down 3.2% at $64,285, while Ethereum was down nearly 4.5% at $3,313. Meanwhile, the global market cryptocurrency The market capitalization fell 3.6% to around $2.3 trillion in the last 24 hours.

“Bitcoin needs to clear its 200-day EMA at $64,510 to consolidate further. Otherwise, a retest of $62,000 could be in the cards,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.

Altcoins and meme coins, such as BNB (3%), Solana (8%), XRP (5.7%), Dogecoin (5%), Cardano (4.6%), Avalanche (4.3%), Shiba Inu (3.8%), Polkadot (3.4%), and Chainlink (4%) also saw declines.

The volume of all stablecoins is now $71.64 billion, which is 92.19% of the total cryptocurrency market volume in 24 hours, according to data available on CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 54.99%. BTC volume in the last 24 hours increased by 23.3% to $35.7 billion.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, opinions and views provided by experts are personal. They do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE, JUP Down 10% While Bitcoin Drops 4%

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE and JUP drop 10% as Bitcoin recedes 4%

Altcoins dogwifhat, Bonk, THORChain, and Jupiter have suffered losses of more than 10%, while Bitcoin is down 4% in the last 24 hours.

After a period of relative calm yesterday, July 31, Bitcoin (BTC) price action has seen a drastic change as the cryptocurrency dropped by more than $3,500, bringing its value to $63,300. At the same time, altcoins mirrored this trend, with the total value of liquidated positions rising to nearly $225 million over the course of the day.

Initially, the week started on a positive note for Bitcoin, which reached its highest point since early June, hitting $70,000. However, this peak was short-lived, as it was quickly rejected, leading to a substantial decline, with Bitcoin falling below $65,500.

The cryptocurrency managed to regain some stability, trading comfortably at around $66,800. However, following a Press conference According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the value of Bitcoin has fallen again to $64,300, down more than 3% in 24 hours.

BTC Price Chart 24 Hours | Source: crypto.news

The recession coincided with a relationship from the New York Times stating that Iran had called for retaliatory measures against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, increasing the risk of further conflict in the region.

Meanwhile, on the economic front, the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rates in place, offering little information on a planned September rate cut. Powell also hinted that while no concrete decisions have been made on the September adjustment, there is growing consensus that a rate cut is likely.

Amid Bitcoin’s decline, altcoins have suffered even more significant losses. For example, dogwifhat (Wife) saw a 12.4% drop and (DISGUST) has suffered a 10% drop. Other altcoins such as THORChain (RUNE) also fell by 10%, while Jupiter (JUPITER) and the Ethereum naming service (ENS) decreased by 8% and 9% respectively.

Among the largest-cap cryptocurrencies, the biggest losers are Solana (SOL) with a decrease of 8%, (Exchange rate risk) down 6%, Cardano (ADA) down 4%, and both Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) recording a decrease of 4.4%.

Data from CoinGlass indicates that approximately 67,000 traders have been negatively impacted by this increased volatility. BTC positions have seen $61.85 million in liquidations, while ETH positions have faced $61 million. In total, the value of liquidated positions stands at $225.4 million at the time of writing.

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Riot Platforms Sees 52% Drop in Bitcoin Production in Q2

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Riot Platforms posts 52% decrease in Bitcoin production for Q2

Bitcoin mining firm Riot Platforms has released its second-quarter financial results, highlighting a decline in cryptocurrency mined due to the recent halving.

Colorado-based Bitcoin (BTC) mining company Riot platforms revealed its second quarter financial results, highlighting a significant reduction in mined cryptocurrencies attributed to the recent halving event that took place in early April.

The company reported total revenue of $70 million for the quarter ended July 31, a decline of 8.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Riot Platforms attributed the revenue decline primarily to a $9.7 million decrease in engineering revenue, which was partially mitigated by a $6 million increase in Bitcoin extraction income.

During the quarter, the company mined 844 BTC, representing a decline of over 50% from Q2 2023, citing the halving event and increasing network difficulty as major factors behind the decline. Riot Platforms reported a net loss of $84.4 million, or $0.32 per share, missing Zacks Research forecast a loss of $0.16 per share.

Halving increases competitive pressure

The Colorado-based firm said the average cost of mining one BTC in the second quarter, including energy credits, rose to $25,327, a remarkable 341% increase from $5,734 per BTC in the same quarter of 2023. Despite this significant increase in production costs, the firm remains optimistic about maintaining competitiveness through recent deals.

For example, following the Recent acquisition Cryptocurrency firm Block Mining, Riot has increased its distributed hash rate forecast from 31 EH/s to 36 EH/s by the end of 2024, while also increasing its 2025 forecast from 40 EH/s to 56 EH/s.

Riot Platforms Hashrate Growth Projections by 2027 | Source: Riot Platforms

Commenting on the company’s financials, Riot CEO Jason Les said that despite the halving, the mining company still managed to achieve “significant operational growth and execution of our long-term strategy.”

“Despite this reduction in production available to all Bitcoin miners, Riot reported $70 million in revenue for the quarter and maintained strong gross margins in our core Bitcoin mining business.”

Jason Les

Following its Q2 financial report, Riot Platforms shares fell 1.74% to $10.19, according to Google Finance data. Meanwhile, the American miner continues to chase Canadian rival Bitfarms, recently acquiring an additional 10.2 million BITF shares, increasing its stake in Bitfarms to 15.9%.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Riot was the first announced a $950 million takeover bid for Bitfarms in late May, arguing that Bitfarms’ founders were not acting in the best interests of all shareholders. They said their proposal was rejected by Bitfarms’ board without substantive engagement.

In response, Bitfarms She said that Riot’s offer “significantly understates” its growth prospects. Bitfarms subsequently implemented a shareholder rights plan, also known as a “poison pill,” to protect its strategic review process from hostile takeover attempts.

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Aave Price Increases Following Whales Accumulation and V3.1 Launch

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Aave price surges amid whale accumulation and V3.1 launch

Decentralized finance protocol Aave is seeing a significant spike in whale activity as the market looks to recover from the recent crash that pushed most altcoins into key support areas earlier this week.

July 31, Lookonchain shared details indicating that the whales had aggressively accumulated Aave (AAVE) over the past two days. According to the data, whales have withdrawn over 58,848 AAVE worth $6.47 million from exchanges during this period.

In one instance, whale address 0x9af4 withdrew 11,185 AAVE worth $1.23 million from Binance. Meanwhile, another address moved 21,619 AAVE worth over $2.38 million from the exchange and deposited the tokens into Aave.

These withdrawals follow a previous transfer of 26,044 AAVE from whale address 0xd7c5, amounting to over $2.83 million withdrawn from Binance.

AAVE price has surged over 7% in the past 24 hours amid buy-side pressure from these whales. The DeFi token is currently trading around $111 after jumping over 18% in the past week.

Recently, the price of AAVE increased by over 8% after Aave founder Marc Zeller announced a proposed fee change aimed at adopting a buyback program for AAVE tokens.

Aave v3.1 is available

The total value locked in the Aave protocol currently stands at around $22 billion. According to DeFiLlamaApproximately $19.9 billion is on Aave V3, while the V2 chain still holds approximately $1.9 billion in TVL and V1 approximately $14.6 million.

Aave Labs announced Previously, Aave V3.1 was made available on all networks with active Aave V3 instances.

V3.1 features improvements that are intended to improve the overall security of the DeFi protocol. The Aave DAO governance has approved the v3.1 improvements, which also include operational efficiency and usability for the network.

Meanwhile, Aave Labs recently outlined a ambitious roadmap for the projectwith a 2030 vision for Aave V4, among other developments.

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