Is $70,000 the Next Stop?

TLDR

• Bitcoin surpassed $69,000, reaching a new high and sparking a market-wide rally
• Altcoins and ETH layer 2 tokens saw significant gains
• Total crypto market cap increased to $2.5 trillion
• Institutional interest in Bitcoin ETFs and the upcoming US election are seen as bullish catalysts
• Bitcoin is consolidating gains and aiming for the $70,000 level

Bitcoin made headlines on Sunday by breaking past the $69,000 mark, setting a new record high and igniting a rally across the cryptocurrency market.

As of the latest data, Bitcoin is trading around $69,400, representing a nearly 2% increase in the past 24 hours.

The surge in Bitcoin’s price has had a ripple effect on the broader crypto market. Many altcoins, which had already begun to rise, continued their upward trajectory.

ApeCoin (APE) emerged as the top performer, soaring over 60% following the launch of ApeChain, a new layer 3 blockchain developed by the ApeCoin DAO. This surge in price was accompanied by a massive increase in trading volume, which broke the $1 billion mark.

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, also saw significant gains. After conquering the $2,700 mark on Saturday, ETH rose by 4%.

Ethereum layer 2 tokens were not left behind, with Optimism (OP), Arbitrum (ARB), and Starknet (STRK) each rallying by more than 8%. Immutable (IMX) and Polygon also posted notable increases.

Other major cryptocurrencies joined the rally. Binance Coin (BNB) reclaimed the $600 mark, while Solana (SOL) reached $170. Tokens in the artificial intelligence sector, a hot topic in the crypto world, also saw significant gains. Bittensor (TAO) led the AI tokens, rising 7% to $600.

The widespread rally boosted the total cryptocurrency market capitalization to $2.5 trillion, representing a 1% increase in the last 24 hours.

This growth reflects the overall positive sentiment in the market, as indicated by the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remaining in the “greed” zone.

Experts attribute the current rally to several factors. Increased institutional interest, particularly in Bitcoin ETFs, is seen as a major driver.

As of October 20, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded over $21 billion in net inflows, a milestone that took gold ETFs years to achieve.

The upcoming US presidential election is also being watched closely by crypto investors. Standard Chartered Bank suggests that Bitcoin may revisit its previous all-time high of $73,800 before the next US president is selected.

The bank cites growing institutional interest in Bitcoin ETFs and improving odds for Donald Trump’s election as potential catalysts for Bitcoin’s price surge.

Data from Polymarket indicates that traders currently favor Trump over Kamala Harris for the next American president.

Trump leads the poll with over a 60% chance, while Harris’ odds are around 39%. Some analysts believe that a Trump victory could be positive for Bitcoin’s value in the near term, given his increasingly pro-crypto stance.

As Bitcoin consolidates its gains, market participants are closely watching for a potential push towards the $70,000 level.

Technical analysis suggests that Bitcoin is trading above key moving averages, with a contracting triangle pattern forming on the hourly chart. The next key resistance level is seen at $69,500, with a break above this potentially opening the way to $70,000 and beyond.