According to CryptoPotato, the cryptocurrency market has not experienced a 25% drawdown in the past 12 months for 234 consecutive days, marking the longest streak since 2011. Despite altcoins surging in various directions, Bitcoin has emerged as one of the top-performing crypto assets. Data also indicates that Bitcoin currently holds the top position among blockchain networks in terms of transaction fees over the past seven days.
Reflexivity's latest report reveals that the persistent increase in Bitcoin transaction fees has been significant, as it has recorded the highest cumulative numbers of any blockchain network during this period, exceeding $100 million. This surge in miner revenue acts as a powerful incentive for more operators to join the network by deploying additional machines, aiming to capture a larger share of the transaction rewards. Bitcoin's hash rate hit an all-time high of 544 exahashes per second (EH/s) on December 25, representing a 130% increase since January, when it was hovering near 253 EH/s. According to Reflexivity, this uptrend not only signifies increased energy consumption for network security but also reflects the integration of more efficient mining rigs.
At the end of 2022, the crypto industry experienced a significant downturn, with Bitcoin's value plummeting to a mere $17,000. Fast forward twelve months, and Bitcoin has undergone a remarkable resurgence, with its price soaring by an astonishing 155% year-to-date. The driving force behind Bitcoin's resurgence lies in persistent speculation surrounding the potential approval of a spot ETF by the SEC. This approval would mark a historic moment, enabling prominent institutional investors to enter the cryptocurrency market for the first time. The open interest in Bitcoin CME futures has once again surpassed the $5 billion mark, which could potentially indicate that the participation of traditional financial entities has put the Bitcoin ETF front running trade on. It is crucial to keep a close eye on this development, particularly considering that the CME presently holds a historically high percentage of Bitcoin's overall futures open interest. The discount on GBTC is narrowing further, currently standing at just 6% below its net asset value, which is indicative of optimistic sentiments regarding the anticipated approval of a Bitcoin ETF in the early days of January.
