As proven in 2017, Bitcoin markets are overly sensitive in their reactions. In 2017, Bitcoin price soared by 1,800% to peak at over $19,000 and generated a market capitalization of over $250 billion. In contrast to 2017’s movement, the turmoil during 2018 led cryptocurrencies into a great crash. Bitcoin had a total market capitalization of around $65 billion by the end of 2018, reversing 70% of its 2017 market value in a year marked by volatility and higher volumes.
Bitcoin markets started the year on a smooth downwards swing. The hacking of the Japanese exchange Coincheck at the end of January, China’s talks regarding cryptocurrency banning and Facebook’s ban on cryptocurrency and ICO advertisements were some of the factors that added pressure on Bitcoin’s price. Certainly, it has not been a good period for the most famous cryptocurrency and the sector in general.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also had a negative effect on Bitcoin markets after rejecting BTC ETFs. A further drop was seen in September, which is believed to have been caused by a single wallet discharging nearly $1 billion of BTC into the market.