As we step into 2024, it seems like everyone is long crypto left, right, and center. This environment does not elicit much enthusiasm from us, as it brings back memories of the exact opposite situation just a year ago. We have identified five key factors that we believe will shape 2024. Among them, three are anticipated to pose potential downsides, one holds the potential for an upside surprise, and there is a joker that seems to be completely overlooked.
Crypto Moves
In this biweekly analysis series, Mads Eberhardt, a former Cryptocurrency Analyst at Saxo Bank and trader at Bitcoin Suisse, unveils the complex world of crypto assets. With 8 years of hands-on experience in crypto, Mads delves deep into the heartbeat of the industry, offering a nuanced understanding that goes beyond the surface. We invite you to tap into this extensive knowledge of crypto and fearlessly explore opinions that others might shy away from. While you may not agree with everything, we guarantee that your horizon will broaden.
Besides our crypto portfolio, our offering includes two publications. ‘Crypto Moves’ is our detailed editorial that mostly analyzes a single topic in-depth, published every Thursday. ‘Crypto Crisp,’ on the other hand, is our concise note, published on Mondays, that prepares you for the week ahead in crypto, not least by looking back at the past week.
Crypto Moves #8 – Running Away from the Inevitable
In a few decades, Bitcoin may face challenges in covering its own security and maintaining decentralization if no alterations are made, given the halving events occurring every fourth year. The fundamental question arises: Can Bitcoin truly serve as digital gold if the outlook suggests it struggles to fund its security within the next two decades?
Crypto Moves #7 – The Pet Rock of Crypto: Bitcoin
Bitcoin is a pet rock. It will never achieve a transactional output much greater than its current maximum of 7 transactions per second. This falls short of what Satoshi Nakamoto envisioned for Bitcoin. That being said, Bitcoin has embraced other extremely powerful narratives that set it apart from the rest of the market, which arguably hold greater significance than what Satoshi Nakamoto envisioned 15 years ago.
Crypto Moves #6 – They Are Here
The crypto industry can breathe a sigh of relief as institutions enter the crypto space, even as the industry continues to lick its wounds after last year’s contagion. The industry does not appreciate the European Union’s MiCA framework enough, if at all. Few seem to know what it is, yet it will be vital in shaping tomorrow’s crypto industry.
Crypto Moves #5 – Betting on Macro
A bet on crypto right now is a bet on macroeconomics. For believers in a soft landing and imminent interest rate cuts, accumulating crypto could be advantageous. In this scenario, we believe Ethereum to outperform Bitcoin massively. Alternatively, those anticipating a hard landing may find it wise to stay on the sidelines for now. Delve deeper into our analysis for a comprehensive understanding of our view.
Crypto Moves #4 – One Down, One to Go
The systemic risks of crypto were substantially mitigated last week as Binance settled various charges with multiple US agencies. Despite this clearly positive news, the crypto market did not react, leading us to remain pessimistic in the short term until we observe renewed inflow and interest in crypto. Tether remains the largest risk to crypto.
Crypto Moves #3 – The ETF Opens the Floodgates for the Long Term
We align with the market consensus that the approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF in the US is imminent. Given this widespread belief, we contend that this ETF might already be priced in, particularly considering the risk of Grayscale releasing billions of dollars’ worth of bitcoins into the market. Our assessment leans towards anticipating more downward selling pressure than the opposite, contrasting with the prevailing market sentiment.
Crypto Moves #2 – The Worst in Pricing Supply Shocks
There have been three Bitcoin halvings in total, and each time, Bitcoin has reached a new all-time high within a maximum of 1.5 years. Observing many of the same factors present in the three prior halvings, we argue that history is likely to repeat itself after the fourth halving in April 2024.
Crypto Moves #1 – The Best Time Is Whenever Nobody Cares
We launch our research offering on the crypto market amidst little interest from non-crypto advocates. We argue that this is historically the best time to add exposure to crypto.