Crypto losses deepen with Bitcoin tumbling below US$34,000

[LONDON] The selloff in cryptocurrencies gained momentum on Monday (Jan 24), with Bitcoin tumbling to a 6-month low and other digital tokens seeing even bigger losses.

Bitcoin sank as much as 6.6 per cent and fell below the US$34,000 mark, continuing a 6-day downturn. Ether retreated 7.6 per cent and touched US$2,201, also the lowest since July.

Across the crypto spectrum, markets were in a sea of red with Solana's SOL and Cardano's ADA plummeting 19 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, according to data compiled by CoinGecko.

Crypto has come under widespread selling pressure in recent days, with traders pointing to hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve and a selloff in technology shares as reasons for traders to withdraw from risky assets.

Since its all-time high in November, Bitcoin has tumbled more than 50 per cent.

"We don't think it is a bad thing if market volatility takes some of the air out of the more speculative corners of the market," said strategists led by Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management.

The 40-day correlation coefficient for the digital token and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 has reached almost 0.66, the most in data compiled by Bloomberg since 2010. A similar correlation with the S&P 500 is at a record too.

Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks tumbled in premarket trading. MicroStrategy slumped about 12 per cent, while Bitcoin miners Marathon Digital and Riot Blockchain dropped similar amounts.

Chris Weston, head of research with Pepperstone Financial, said the sector is "grossly oversold but momentum is to the downside and rallies are likely to be sold."

Peter Berezin, chief global strategist at BCA Research, is sceptical about Bitcoin overall even as he sees the possibility of a short-term boost should stocks recover. His long-term target for it is just US$5,000.

Investors seeking to hedge risk should consider going long on Cardano, Solana and Polkadot versus Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, he said.

BLOOMBERG