• The global economy has been weakened due to the U.S. government hitting its debt ceiling and the UK facing a recession.
• Bitcoin (BTC) prices have been surging with BTC reaching $24,000 and the crypto market capitalization rising 32% in January.
• Institutional investors account for 85% of all open interest in Bitcoin futures on major exchanges such as CME, Bakkt, etc.
Global Economic Weakness
The United States government recently hit its “debt ceiling,” meaning it can no longer borrow money to fund its federal operations, leading to fears that more financial pain and economic slowdown could be incoming. Similarly, the United Kingdom is facing an alarming rate of company insolvencies with 22,109 registered in 2022—a 57% increase from the year prior and its highest rate since 2009. The International Monetary Fund also predicts that the UK will be the only G-7 nation to face a recession this year.
Bitcoin Surging
Despite these economic woes, the crypto market has seen growth over the past month with total capitalization rising from $828 billion to approximately $1.1 trillion—a near 32%. Focusing on Bitcoin (BTC), prices have risen from $16,500 to around $24,000 after successfully defending a price target of $22,500 since Jan 20th. This spike in BTC’s value is further reflected by an increased share of market cap as high as 44.82%, its highest level since June last year.
Institutional Investors
Data provided by Matrixport shows that institutional investors make up 85% of all open interest in Bitcoin futures across major exchanges such as CME, Bakkt etc., suggesting a growing appetite for cryptocurrency investments among large investors despite their traditionally conservative approach towards riskier assets such as cryptoassets..
Questions About Sustainability
As Bitcoin moves closer to reaching $25K some analysts are questioning whether this rally can be sustained or if it is just another bubble waiting to burst? Factors such as China easing COVID-19 restrictions and increased investment from institutional investors suggest that there may be some legs to this rally yet but only time will tell how far it can go before it tapers off again..
Conclusion
Overall, while global economies continue struggle due to debt ceilings being reached and recessions occurring across Europe—the crypto market appears resilient with prices continuing to surge higher and institutional investors becoming increasingly interested in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). That said, questions remain regarding whether this ongoing bull run will sustain itself or not?