The bitcoin price changed slightly over Wednesday and is moving Thursday morning without a clear direction, around $57.3K. In the past 24 hours, the rate has added 1.6%, slightly better than the dynamics of the entire crypto market, whose capitalisation is up 1%.
The observed strengthening of bitcoin right now is nothing more than a sign of the pull into a more liquid instrument from several other major altcoins. Cardano, for example, came under pressure yesterday, losing more than 10% intraday, but managed to bounce back somewhat by the close of the session. Solana is digging 4.5% in 24 hours, and Polkadot is under pressure.
Due to pressure on top altcoins, the cryptocurrency Fear and Greed Index remains in the fear territory, at 32, where it was last in early October.
BTCUSD, remaining below its 50-day moving average, is in the clutches of the bears, threatening to ramp up its fall. Many bulls seem to have moved into Ether, which, time after time, manages to fend off sellers, staying above its 50-day moving average and building up positions above $4000.
The upcoming US holiday season promises to be an important test of crypto-enthusiasts strength. Four years ago, Bitcoin collapsed sharply around Christmas: probably due to the eagerness of investors at the time to lock in multiple price increases for that year. Advances in cryptocurrencies not only make them easier to buy but also easier to sell. The top coins are easy to pay for, and many can be easily, cheaply, and quickly exchanged for fiat currencies.
As the crypto market stalls and inflation eats away at physical commodity prices, conditions begin to form where retail and casual investors who are not long-term crypto-enthusiasts may want to lock in profits and exit the market for the coming months ushering in a sell-off season for altcoins.