Since the arrival of 2023, the crypto market has experienced a more-than-refreshing and much-needed resurgence in prices. Year to date, the collective market cap of all cryptocurrencies has grown by more than 40% and has once again reclaimed the $1 trillion mark.
But despite this rally, the majority of cryptocurrencies are still significantly down from their previous all-time highs.
With a sense of renewed hope and a feeling that the worst might have passed, here are two cryptocurrencies that I find myself unable to stop buying -- and that I think investors should prioritize should a bull market return.
Image source: Getty Images.
The undisputed champ
We can't talk about crypto without mentioning the world's first and most valuable cryptocurrency: Bitcoin (BTC 0.71%). Despite thousands of cryptocurrencies being created since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin remains at the top of the asset class. As of today, it still makes up more than 40% of all the value in crypto, a sign that Bitcoin is still the crypto of choice for investors.
Due to this overwhelming majority of value, many other cryptocurrencies' prices are correlated to Bitcoin. Typically, as Bitcoin goes, so does the rest of the market.
Fortunately, there is reason to believe that Bitcoin could be ready for another leg up and will likely lead the return of a bull market. When evaluating Bitcoin's price in the past, there seems to be a unique phenomenon that occurs when Bitcoin's next halving is around a year and a half away.
CRYPTO: BTC
Key Data Points
Halvings are a mechanism hardwired into Bitcoin's code that lowers the rate at which new coins enter circulation. Roughly every four years or 210,000 blocks added to the blockchain, the number of Bitcoins awarded to miners is cut in half. In Bitcoin's earliest days, the reward was 50 Bitcoins, but that has dwindled to just 6.25 today, as multiple halvings have since passed.
The next halving is scheduled for sometime in May 2024, meaning that we are a little less than a year and a half away from this highly influential event. Based on past data, it seems that Bitcoin's price bottoms out near this point in the halving cycle. From here, downside risk is typically at its lowest while the potential for profit is at its highest.
Should Bitcoin behave like it has in the past remains to be seen, as only time will tell. But we can project with a high degree of confidence that this cycle is playing just like years past. If that is the case, Bitcoin is in unique territory that only comes once every four years and could be a great time for investors to buy, as the likelihood that the worst might have passed looks to be more true by the day.
The next-best option
The world's second-most valuable cryptocurrency has had its own fair share of success since its creation in 2015. In the last eight years, Ethereum's (ETH 2.27%) rise has paved the way for entire new lucrative and burgeoning sectors of cryptocurrency like decentralized finance (DeFi).
Unlike Bitcoin, which is resistant to major changes, Ethereum has a host of developers working on fine-tuning its code and even implementing new features.
One of these new features came in the form of an upgrade known as the London hard fork. This upgrade introduced a new mechanism that would "burn" or permanently remove ether from circulation, effectively turning Ethereum into a deflationary asset.
CRYPTO: ETH
Key Data Points
Before the London hard fork, Ethereum had an inflation rate of more than 3.5%. But since implementation of the upgrade, the rate at which new ether enters circulation is actually negative. The number fluctuates based on demand, but as of today, Ethereum boasts a -0.074% deflation rate, meaning the total supply of ether is being reduced.
It took awhile to materialize due to the necessary implementation of The Merge (another Ethereum upgrade launched in September 2022), but with added deflationary pressure, Ethereum's price will likely benefit, as it is now truly subject to the dynamics of a limited supply and increased demand. If a bull market does return and demand for Ethereum picks up, those looking to buy will likely drive up its price as the total supply of ether decreases.
