What happened
Beaten-down crypto investors finally have something to smile about. Today, top cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC 0.11%), Ethereum (ETH 0.39%) and Solana (SOL 1.30%) each soared more than 10% over the past 24 hours, as of 9:20 a.m. ET. These top cryptocurrencies appreciated 10%, 12.1%, and 12.4%, respectively, as crypto investors appear to be betting on a bottom forming.
Specifically, bets that this upcoming Federal Reserve meeting could include a 50 basis point hike have been reduced in recent days. This has led to U.S. Treasury yields dropping over the past two trading sessions, a risk-on sign for investors. Given the (surprising) correlation we've seen between interest rates and the crypto sector, this macro driver has been a bullish catalyst for the sector.
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For Bitcoin, expectations are that rate hikes could actually boost the value of lower-correlation cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. This is bullish for Bitcoin, and has been a key reason many investors choose to hold this token as a core part of their portfolios amid uncertainty.
Ethereum investors appear to continue to be forward-looking, focusing on this network's continued progress toward its Ethereum 2.0 updates. These updates are expected to be finalized mid-year, and could boost the speed and efficiency of the network dramatically.
For Solana, the platform many refer to as the "Visa of the crypto world" due to its ability to handle an incredible number of transactions per second, this market-based bullish sentiment gives investors something else to talk about. Solana's network has been plagued by congestion in recent weeks, sending this token approximately 65% below its peak seen a few months ago.
So what
There's a lot to unpack with today's moves across these major cryptocurrencies. From a macro angle, it appears unclear whether the near-term outlook really is that bullish or not. Interest rate hikes are likely on the horizon, and there is still an outside chance of an ultra-hawkish hike. However, investors seem to be putting these concerns aside, with the market's rebound yesterday signaling there's still an appetite for speculative, risk-on plays.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana are each top-10 cryptocurrency networks with vast ecosystems. These tokens represent the networks that have spurred much of the progress we've seen to date in the crypto universe. Accordingly, these three tokens tend to move in line with the market, but are actually outpacing many of the smaller altcoins today, as investors appear to be focusing on quality more than ever.
Now what
As with any short-term rally, investors would be wise to consider the possibility that this is just a small spike on a longer-term downward trend. That's certainly possible, and investors in the crypto space or any other volatile asset class ought to consider the risks volatility brings.
However, this double-digit move higher across these mega-cap tokens is a strong signal that sentiment is back. Following the rally we saw yesterday afternoon, this could be an interesting week for these cryptocurrencies. I'm strapped in, and excited to see what this space has in store moving forward.
