Putting the cryptocurrency bear market into perspective

AS THE saying goes: "What goes up must come down." This idiom rings especially true as the cryptocurrency economy hits a bear market. Following a surge in valuations and market cap growth in 2017, cryptocurrency markets have suffered a steep decline since early this year.

While vertiginous swings are not unfamiliar territory in this emerging financial market, the beginning of 2018 signalled a drastic turn of fortunes as crypto markets fell.

The current total market cap for cryptocurrencies is at about US$115 billion - down from US$400 billion since the market peak almost one year ago.