Going ‘To Zero’—Panic Is Sweeping Crypto Markets, Hitting The Price Of Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, XRP, Cardano, Solana, Terra’s Luna And Avalanche

Bitcoin
BTC
and cryptocurrency markets have fallen sharply after the controversial algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) dropped further from its dollar peg (following a serious “ripple” warning this week).

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The bitcoin price has dipped back toward $30,000 per bitcoin after plunging under the closely-watched level earlier this week. Ethereum and its major rivals BNB
BNB
, solana, cardano and avalanche have also crashed. Solana
SOL
and avalanche are leading the major market lower with a 10% and 20% decline respectively.

Terra’s luna, a cryptocurrency designed to support the UST one-to-one peg with the U.S. dollar, has lost almost 90% of its value over the last week as traders offload the cryptocurrency.

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“Crypto markets have been under pressure given macro events (tighter monetary policy, surging inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine) and the correlation between bitcoin and global equities is high,” Jaime Baeza, the chief executive of Miami-based crypto hedge fund ANB Investments, said in emailed comments. “However, the most recent fall in crypto prices is more due to the de-peg of the UST.”

UST, which was the biggest algorithmic stablecoin by market value, had a market capitalization of around $18 billion last week. It started to lose its peg to the dollar on Saturday, and on Monday traded as low as 60 cents. This morning it has dipped to around 30 cents.

The Luna Foundation Guard, a group created to support the UST dollar peg, has said it will defend its price by selling its $3 billion bitcoin reserves.

“This accelerated the selloff of the broader crypto market as panic spread, and a more black swan systemic-risk event loomed closer,” Baeza said.

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Do Kown, the creator of Terra Labs, UST and luna’s developer, has promised another bailout is imminent. On Tuesday, Kwon said he was “getting close” to “announcing a recovery plan for UST,” helping the price to rally but it has since fallen back.

“With the [UST] peg gone, luna will go to zero by design (as arbitrageurs buy UST and sell luna) unless parity and trust are restored, which can only be done by means of a significant cash infusion and changes in the protocol,” trader Alex Krüger posted to Twitter.