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Navigating the Volatility: What Influences the Bitcoin Price?

Technology
05 May 2016

Cryptocurrencies and their revolving price points reflect the complex, interconnected forces that influence them. These forces, which often converge in unexpected ways, include macroeconomic shifts, public opinion, and even market sentiment.

Due to these fluctuating price points, it is essential for investors to understand how global trends and sentiments impact cryptocurrency prices. This is especially true for investors seeking to understand Bitcoin price points.

Investors looking to dive into the world of crypto, and Bitcoin in particular, should be well aware of the various factors that influence the currency.

Macroeconomic Factors Drive Bitcoin Price

Like many parts of the financial world, Bitcoin price points are influenced by a variety of macroeconomic factors. Some of these factors include:

  • Inflation rates, during which Bitcoin sees buying pressure as investors seek assets that will not diminish through money printing.

  • Interest rate policies, which tend to strengthen fiat currencies, increase the opportunities for assets such as Bitcoin.

  • The strength of the USD, in which Bitcoin is predominantly priced.

  • Global economic instability, which may prompt people to prioritize saving over buying.

Market Sentiment for Bitcoin

Market sentiment significantly influences the perception of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As a result, Bitcoin is vulnerable to sentiment-driven price fluctuations.

Media Coverage

Media coverage in both the mainstream and cryptocurrency worlds can significantly influence how people perceive Bitcoin's price points. Positive coverage, which can include institutional adoption or technological breakthroughs, often rallies people to Bitcoin. Negative headlines, such as those about security breaches or regulatory changes, can trigger sell-offs.

Social Media Influence

The influence of social media is a powerful driver of how people view Bitcoin. Whether it is from influential figures demonstrating the power they have to influence sentiment, or retail communities coordinating shifts through targeted advertising and action, social media, and the way Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are displayed on it, can have a huge impact on the way people view cryptocurrencies.

The Fear and Greed Index

Attempts to gauge the market sentiment of Bitcoin, which ranges from “Extreme Fear” to “Extreme Greed,” illustrate how people react to Bitcoin’s evolving price points. Readings can often precede pricing shifts. Fear often signals buying opportunities, while greed can warn of potential corrections in the market.

Regulatory Landscapes and Policy Shifts

There are fewer factors that can impact Bitcoin prices as quickly as changes in the regulatory environment can.

Regulatory announcements, or even rumors of potential regulation, can send prices spiraling out of control.

Geographic considerations also influence the way how cryptocurrencies are regulated. Bans in other countries, or even the accumulation of crypto in others, can rapidly influence the way Bitcoin is seen around the world.

Tax policies also influence investor behavior. Unfavorable treatments can discourage transactions, while incentives oftentimes stimulate adoption and investment.

Bitcoin as “Digital Gold”

The narrative that surrounds Bitcoin as a value similar to gold has gained traction, especially as periods of economic uncertainty continue to rise. While Bitcoin has experienced significant falls during major economic disruptions, its subsequent rises, in the form of strong recoveries and outperformance, have led to it being branded as “digital gold.”

Some investors might favor Bitcoin over physical assets, especially as wealth transfers between various generations continue to accelerate. Traditional portfolio managers are also incorporating Bitcoin allocations for diversification.

Understanding the way Bitcoin’s price fluctuates requires looking beyond what the media, including social media, is saying about it. While a variety of factors shape the way Bitcoin’s price points soar or decline, it is essential to understand that it operates within a volatile market and can be influenced by events occurring globally, both large and small. It is also important to remain aware of safety concerns, especially as decentralized finance becomes a feast for hackers.