Why is Bitcoin price up today?

Bitcoin price is up today, briefly trading above $30,000 for the first time in months.

Bitcoin (BTC) price is up today, rising to an intra-day high above $30,200 and a new 2-month high. The Bitcoin price increase today comes after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it would drop all charges against Ripple’s leadership, including CEO Brad Garlinghouse. The crypto community gleefully celebrated Ripple’s victory. 

Although Bitcoin price could struggle to hold the $30,000 level, a certain degree of the bullish momentum is likely driven by institutional investors recent amendments to multiple spot Bitcoin ETF applications and retail investors’ hope in the upcoming Bitcoin supply halving.

Let’s look into the reasons why Bitcoin price is up today.

Institutional interest in Bitcoin boosts market sentiment

Despite a bevy of macro headwinds, a rush of spot Bitcoin ETF amendments in mid-October helped BTC price reach above $30,000 for the first time in 2-months, boosting market sentiment.

After U.S. Court of Appeals Circuit Judge Neomi Rao sided with Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) in its case against the SEC on Aug. 29, many large institutions filed for ETFs. On Oct. 14, Grayscale secured another victory after the SEC announced that it would not appeal this decision. The decision not to appeal may have led to Grayscale filing for a new spot Bitcoin ETF on Oct. 19.

To date, the SEC has refused to approve a spot Bitcoin ETF despite numerous applicants including BlackRock, Fidelity, ARK Invest and 21Shares which has filed for approval three times.

Related: The Truth Behind Cuba’s Bitcoin Revolution: An on-the-ground report

The Bitcoin halving narrative is back

The next Bitcoin halving is projected to take place in April 2024 and analysts continue to debate whether or not the event will produce bullish outcomes for BTC price this time.

According to Capriole Investments,

“Through Bitcoin’s 14 years of cyclical history, all of its returns and more were accounted for in the 12-18 month period following each Halving. Investing in the 4-6 months prior to each Halving saw even greater 12 month performance in 2020.”

A Bitcoin ETF approval could help solve the liquidity issue, generating $600 billion in new demand according to reports. A recent report from Capriole Investments suggested that gold instantly sprung out of a bear market to generate a 350% return after a Gold ETF was approved.

CryptoQuant believes ETF approval will lead to a $1 trillion increase in market capitalization.

The Next Wave of #Bitcoin Institutional Adoption:
The Launch of Spot ETFs

– SPOT ETFS AS THE NEW WAY OF INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION.
– IMPLICATIONS OF ETF APPROVALS FOR BITCOIN MARKET CAPITALIZATION.

Prepared by Our Head of Research, @jjcmoreno.

Linkhttps://t.co/dKyd5GJJdT pic.twitter.com/ECEWMpkf0g

— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) October 16, 2023

Bitcoin on exchanges continues to drop

Coinciding with Bitcoin price gains, the BTC supply on exchanges continues to remain below the Sept. 4 monthly peak. Exchanges have shed over 70,000 Bitcoin since that 2-month peak.

The market perceives coins leaving crypto exchanges as a bullish signal, given traders withdraw their BTC typically when they want to hold it in self-custody long-term. On Oct. 19, long-term Bitcoin holders hit 76% of all BTC ownership for the first time in history.

Related: BTC price hits 2-month high amid bet Bitcoin will break $32K ‘soon’

With Bitcoin continuing to leave exchanges, liquidations tend to have a strong impact on price. In the past 24-hours alone, over $30.1 million BTC shorts have been liquidated with over $18.2 million in shorts being liquidated in a 12-hour timeframe.

Bitcoin price showing some bullish momentum is helping boost market sentiment. The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index shows the market has shifted from fearful to neutral, gaining 9-points in a week.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

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