Well, that rally to end 2023 and into early 2024 had to end at some point.
Many of the top cryptocurrencies in the market are reeling today, as risk assets across the board decline on a variety of headwinds. Ethereum (ETH -0.20%), Solana (SOL -5.00%), and XRP (XRP -1.69%) are among the tokens to watch for crypto investors, having declined 6.7%, 9.2%, and 8.4%, respectively, over the past 24 hours at 3 p.m. ET.
A number of macro forces are driving most long-duration assets lower today. A strengthening U.S. dollar, a decline in long bonds (and corresponding surge in yields), and a widespread rotation to more defensive assets has plagued more speculative asset classes such as crypto over the past 24 to 48 hours.
Additionally, these three tokens have their own set of headwinds investors appear to be pricing in today. Let's dive into what's driving this move in these three top-10 digital assets right now.
I thought this was a crypto bull market -- what gives?
A good portion of the recent rise in crypto assets over the past few months can be attributed to expectations about a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval. Expected by Jan. 10, such an ETF could pave the way for similar products for Ethereum (given there are proposals already underway) and potentially other major tokens such as Solana and XRP to follow.
Accordingly, a narrative shift among many in the crypto market over the past day or so is wreaking havoc on investors relying on this catalyst. Some analysts and experts, such as Matrixport's Markus Thielen, believe that an ultimate approval for a spot Bitcoin ETF may still be a "long shot."
This view appears to be spreading, with an increase in bearish bets on top cryptocurrencies driving some of the accelerated downside move today. Additionally, nearly $100 million in bullish perpetual contracts placed on Ethereum have been liquidated over the past 24 hours, as per Coinglass. XRP and Solana are also among the top five crypto tokens in terms of long liquidations today, suggesting leveraged upside bets on these tokens are turning sour.
Fundamentals weakening
In addition to the leveraged derivatives market, another key fundamental factor many investors consider when gauging the health of the crypto market over a specific time frame is total value locked (TVL). TVL generally reflects the amount of capital existing within specific crypto ecosystems. When times are good, capital flows into the crypto sector, and this number rises.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of the year, the total TVL for all crypto projects has dropped 5.8% to $52.49 billion. Ethereum, Solana, and XRP saw similar declines in their TVL values, though these three projects have still seen their cumulative TVL numbers rally nicely off of last year's lows.
While many still expect that a spot Bitcoin ETF could be approved in short order (partly due to various meetings between Wall Street companies and the SEC in recent days), investors and users appear to be taking a cautious approach with their capital right now.
Bottom line
Overall, the crypto sector, and many of its top tokens, appear to be feeling the effects of uncertainty today. At the end of the day, investing is about assessing probabilities. And up until a couple of days ago, the market seemed to be pretty certain that spot ETFs are coming in short order, leading to risk-on trades across this sector in projects that may follow Bitcoin's lead.
The expected decision date is now about a week away. Until then, I expect more volatility on the horizon, as additional leaks filter into the overall narrative for this sector.
