Before anyone reads this idea, I'd recommend reading my previous two ideas about Coinbase and Grayscale. Definitely worth the read to get a better grasp of the current situation. The main ideas I will analyze are that the SEC suing Coinbase and Binance are the final things that had to happen before a Bitcoin ETF would be approved and that the SEC could lose some of its court battles against crypto companies. Then I will close with some solid technical and fundamental analysis of the current price action.
Wall Street Interests and the SEC's Anti-Crypto Native Firms Stance
The SEC seems to be trapped, as it has too many court cases open and won't be able to win all of them. It's currently struggling against Coinbase and its demands for clear regulations and, in its case against Grayscale too, which seems to be doing well in court. Against Grayscale and Coinbase, the SEC's cases are very weak. It's clear that the SEC was just stalling everything and damaging the US industry in the short to medium term so that the TradFi guys could take control. Now they've reached their limit, as the industry is coming together and attacking it en mass. The political pressure against the SEC has been mounting, which is why Blackrock has filed for its Bitcoin ETF. It's no coincidence that TradFi firms are coming out after the recent lawsuits and talking about how they want to get involved. The CFTC approved futures related products for Coinbase and the Cboe, confirming that other major players might want to be engaged at a higher level. Essentially it's not the SEC being anti-crypto; it's just the SEC being anti-crypto native firms and wanting to pave the way for Wall Street.
Securities, Market Manipulation, and the Complexities of SEC Approval
What's been super clear is that BTC isn't a commodity; however, for an ETF to be approved, the SEC had to deal with all shady exchanges and practices in the US. It would be impossible for them not to have dealt with Binance before approving an ETF. To me, it's clear that many of the services Coinbase and Binance are offering are securities, and it's also been clear that Binance has done many shady things in the past. The main issues for the SEC to approve an ETF would be that these exchanges would be trading securities along with Bitcoin, and market manipulation or an FTX-like collapse would create many issues. What is positive for Coinbase and Binance, though, despite my opinion about what is a security and what is not, is that the SEC approved of Coinbase's business model before it went public and that to this day, it still doesn't offer clear guidance for crypto firms.
Anticipated SEC Lawsuits and the Impact on Coinbase and Binance
Something significant to note is that nothing that has happened with Coinbase and Binance wasn't expected. We've had so much news about the SEC potentially suing both that it was almost priced in. Alts clearly got shocked, and they might feel even more pain if the SEC wins against Ripple, as some will probably be deemed securities. Yet beyond that, I don't think the SEC will get everything it wants. It has failed so spectacularly that the US judges won't be able to give it all it wants. It might have some wins, but overall, there is no way that it can damage the US industry too much. Of course, it can deal substantial damage; however, even if the SEC itself can't, the big players behind Blackrocks ETF might find other ways to shake out the weak hands before taking the market higher.
The Dawn of a New Era: A Turning Point in Crypto Regulations
It appears that we've reached a turning point in crypto regulations. It's unlikely that regulations could get any worse from here, which is a positive sign for the market. We're currently facing an environment with almost no significant regulatory risks, only potential regulatory upsides. The crypto market has demonstrated incredible resilience, adapting and evolving in ways that make it less susceptible to regulatory hindrances. The SEC is under increasing pressure to clarify its stance on crypto regulations, while other countries are stepping up and providing more precise guidelines, attracting a growing number of crypto businesses. This trend fosters the expansion of exchanges outside the US and the development of more favorable regulations for the crypto space. In my opinion, we will have regulatory clarity in the US by the end of the year.
An Outlook on the Crypto Market: Positive and Negative Factors
Some positives are 1. China is pumping liquidity into its economy, and as Hong Kong has just opened its doors to crypto, some of that liquidity will flow into crypto, 2. Celsius might convert alts into BTC and ETH (directing liquidity to these two), 3. Voyager distributing cash to creditors (some will go back into crypto), 4. FTX 2.0 is in the cards, which means that 2B USD could come back to the market, along with several altcoins that could be converted into BTC & ETH (FTX & Alameda don't have much BTC or ETH).
Some potential negatives are 1. Mt.Gox, Bitfinex & US Gov distributing/selling their BTC, 2. Bankrupt companies selling their coins/tokens, 3. Gemini/DCG going bankrupt and forced to be liquidated, 4. More lawsuits and losing court battles, 5. Stock market collapse.
Uncertain Stock Market Conditions and Crypto Performance
Number 5 is something I would like to clarify here, as stocks may have topped. Nothing is certain, but we need to be aware of the situation. Yesterday we had a Triple Witching (a term used in the stock market to describe the simultaneous expiration of three different types of derivative contracts, namely stock options, stock index futures, and stock index options, all on the same trading day. This happens four times a year, on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December.), and we will have a three-day weekend.
This is the perfect setting for a top, especially as SPX has hit SPX hit 4450 and my BBs with STD 3 upper band, Nasdaq swept its Q1 2022 highs, and Russell 3000 the breakdown zone, while all are extremely overbought. Yields keep going higher, as Oil, Natural Gas, Wheat, Corn, etc. show strength, which could push rates and the dollar higher, and therefore risk assets could have a dip. Finally, based on some sentiment-related data, we could be close to an extreme point in stock prices. In my opinion, this is not the time to take excessive risks but the time to take profits on stocks.
That doesn't mean crypto will collapse, as crypto has been underperforming for months and usually moves along with stocks. Therefore, if it were to simply catch up with tech stocks, 33k would be an easy target. The best way to express bullishness in the long term is to bet on BTC, ETH, GBTC, and COIN, and I would avoid any other coins for now.
Technical Analysis
GBTC had a massive collapse, its discount was near 50% (relative to BTC), and it rallied to fill a major gap. Filled the gap, had a correction, retested the breakout zone, bottomed there, and is now going up. If someone buys GBTC here, they will make 75% extra on their trade when that discount closes relative to how much they would have made by simply holding BTC.
BITO was down 25%. Partially filled an FVG on a gap down and bottomed there. It has several gaps to fill higher, but only a few lower. The gaps higher are pretty important, as some of them are double/triple gaps (gaps within gaps), making them more critical.
BTC and ETH on CME have some important gaps higher that could be acting like magnets, but both are at resistance now. BTC is at the horizontal and Fibonacci pivot resistance combo, while ETH is testing its critical breakdown zone.
Overall, Bitcoin has some double/triple tops higher or FVGs, which is liquidity ready to be tapped. However, that holds for levels lower too. The most important levels right now are 27500, 30000, 33000, 35300, and 37500 to the upside and 22600, 21000, 18500, 14000, and 12500 to the downside.
Bitcoin seems to have formed the perfect bottom after it formed two double bottoms, one at 25800 and one at 25350, both of which got broken slowly, and the final leg down hit the 25200 breakout zone. It actually fell below 25000, which was a round number, and trapped shorts, which thought the break below 25000 would be very bearish.
Finally, it also seems to be within a massive falling wedge, but it's unclear which direction it will take. There is a potential trap in either direction, so I wouldn't want to read too much into it. My view is that someone should respect all the levels I have mentioned and potentially take profits or place entries for short to medium-term trades on them.
Wall Street Interests and the SEC's Anti-Crypto Native Firms Stance
The SEC seems to be trapped, as it has too many court cases open and won't be able to win all of them. It's currently struggling against Coinbase and its demands for clear regulations and, in its case against Grayscale too, which seems to be doing well in court. Against Grayscale and Coinbase, the SEC's cases are very weak. It's clear that the SEC was just stalling everything and damaging the US industry in the short to medium term so that the TradFi guys could take control. Now they've reached their limit, as the industry is coming together and attacking it en mass. The political pressure against the SEC has been mounting, which is why Blackrock has filed for its Bitcoin ETF. It's no coincidence that TradFi firms are coming out after the recent lawsuits and talking about how they want to get involved. The CFTC approved futures related products for Coinbase and the Cboe, confirming that other major players might want to be engaged at a higher level. Essentially it's not the SEC being anti-crypto; it's just the SEC being anti-crypto native firms and wanting to pave the way for Wall Street.
Securities, Market Manipulation, and the Complexities of SEC Approval
What's been super clear is that BTC isn't a commodity; however, for an ETF to be approved, the SEC had to deal with all shady exchanges and practices in the US. It would be impossible for them not to have dealt with Binance before approving an ETF. To me, it's clear that many of the services Coinbase and Binance are offering are securities, and it's also been clear that Binance has done many shady things in the past. The main issues for the SEC to approve an ETF would be that these exchanges would be trading securities along with Bitcoin, and market manipulation or an FTX-like collapse would create many issues. What is positive for Coinbase and Binance, though, despite my opinion about what is a security and what is not, is that the SEC approved of Coinbase's business model before it went public and that to this day, it still doesn't offer clear guidance for crypto firms.
Anticipated SEC Lawsuits and the Impact on Coinbase and Binance
Something significant to note is that nothing that has happened with Coinbase and Binance wasn't expected. We've had so much news about the SEC potentially suing both that it was almost priced in. Alts clearly got shocked, and they might feel even more pain if the SEC wins against Ripple, as some will probably be deemed securities. Yet beyond that, I don't think the SEC will get everything it wants. It has failed so spectacularly that the US judges won't be able to give it all it wants. It might have some wins, but overall, there is no way that it can damage the US industry too much. Of course, it can deal substantial damage; however, even if the SEC itself can't, the big players behind Blackrocks ETF might find other ways to shake out the weak hands before taking the market higher.
The Dawn of a New Era: A Turning Point in Crypto Regulations
It appears that we've reached a turning point in crypto regulations. It's unlikely that regulations could get any worse from here, which is a positive sign for the market. We're currently facing an environment with almost no significant regulatory risks, only potential regulatory upsides. The crypto market has demonstrated incredible resilience, adapting and evolving in ways that make it less susceptible to regulatory hindrances. The SEC is under increasing pressure to clarify its stance on crypto regulations, while other countries are stepping up and providing more precise guidelines, attracting a growing number of crypto businesses. This trend fosters the expansion of exchanges outside the US and the development of more favorable regulations for the crypto space. In my opinion, we will have regulatory clarity in the US by the end of the year.
An Outlook on the Crypto Market: Positive and Negative Factors
Some positives are 1. China is pumping liquidity into its economy, and as Hong Kong has just opened its doors to crypto, some of that liquidity will flow into crypto, 2. Celsius might convert alts into BTC and ETH (directing liquidity to these two), 3. Voyager distributing cash to creditors (some will go back into crypto), 4. FTX 2.0 is in the cards, which means that 2B USD could come back to the market, along with several altcoins that could be converted into BTC & ETH (FTX & Alameda don't have much BTC or ETH).
Some potential negatives are 1. Mt.Gox, Bitfinex & US Gov distributing/selling their BTC, 2. Bankrupt companies selling their coins/tokens, 3. Gemini/DCG going bankrupt and forced to be liquidated, 4. More lawsuits and losing court battles, 5. Stock market collapse.
Uncertain Stock Market Conditions and Crypto Performance
Number 5 is something I would like to clarify here, as stocks may have topped. Nothing is certain, but we need to be aware of the situation. Yesterday we had a Triple Witching (a term used in the stock market to describe the simultaneous expiration of three different types of derivative contracts, namely stock options, stock index futures, and stock index options, all on the same trading day. This happens four times a year, on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December.), and we will have a three-day weekend.
This is the perfect setting for a top, especially as SPX has hit SPX hit 4450 and my BBs with STD 3 upper band, Nasdaq swept its Q1 2022 highs, and Russell 3000 the breakdown zone, while all are extremely overbought. Yields keep going higher, as Oil, Natural Gas, Wheat, Corn, etc. show strength, which could push rates and the dollar higher, and therefore risk assets could have a dip. Finally, based on some sentiment-related data, we could be close to an extreme point in stock prices. In my opinion, this is not the time to take excessive risks but the time to take profits on stocks.
That doesn't mean crypto will collapse, as crypto has been underperforming for months and usually moves along with stocks. Therefore, if it were to simply catch up with tech stocks, 33k would be an easy target. The best way to express bullishness in the long term is to bet on BTC, ETH, GBTC, and COIN, and I would avoid any other coins for now.
Technical Analysis
GBTC had a massive collapse, its discount was near 50% (relative to BTC), and it rallied to fill a major gap. Filled the gap, had a correction, retested the breakout zone, bottomed there, and is now going up. If someone buys GBTC here, they will make 75% extra on their trade when that discount closes relative to how much they would have made by simply holding BTC.
BITO was down 25%. Partially filled an FVG on a gap down and bottomed there. It has several gaps to fill higher, but only a few lower. The gaps higher are pretty important, as some of them are double/triple gaps (gaps within gaps), making them more critical.
BTC and ETH on CME have some important gaps higher that could be acting like magnets, but both are at resistance now. BTC is at the horizontal and Fibonacci pivot resistance combo, while ETH is testing its critical breakdown zone.
Overall, Bitcoin has some double/triple tops higher or FVGs, which is liquidity ready to be tapped. However, that holds for levels lower too. The most important levels right now are 27500, 30000, 33000, 35300, and 37500 to the upside and 22600, 21000, 18500, 14000, and 12500 to the downside.
Bitcoin seems to have formed the perfect bottom after it formed two double bottoms, one at 25800 and one at 25350, both of which got broken slowly, and the final leg down hit the 25200 breakout zone. It actually fell below 25000, which was a round number, and trapped shorts, which thought the break below 25000 would be very bearish.
Finally, it also seems to be within a massive falling wedge, but it's unclear which direction it will take. There is a potential trap in either direction, so I wouldn't want to read too much into it. My view is that someone should respect all the levels I have mentioned and potentially take profits or place entries for short to medium-term trades on them.
Comment:
My related ideas can be found below, but I want to add them here too:
1. Coinbase vs SEC
2. Grayscale case - One of my best calls for a long time. Have been bullish GBTC for a while.
3. How to position for BTC rally
1. Coinbase vs SEC
2. Grayscale case - One of my best calls for a long time. Have been bullish GBTC for a while.
3. How to position for BTC rally
Comment:
Just a quick update: GBTC, Coinbase, and many other recommendations I've made have seen strong rallies lately. Bitcoin hasn't fully broken out yet, but I believe it eventually will. The environment remains tricky - there are positive developments happening alongside ongoing macro and crypto uncertainties. For now, I see the market continuing to rally, though I don't think we're completely out of the woods. An ETF may still come, but that alone likely won't easily resolve the pending issues like bankruptcies, lawsuits, and regulations without some further downward price impact. I tried to maintain the overall meaning while smoothing out the wording a bit. Let me know if you would like me to modify or clarify anything further.
Related Ideas
Coinbase vs SEC
BitcoinMacro
Plus
about COIN
The trend looks super clean, and funding is negative. The market going up and the funding turning negative is very bullish.
BITO has filled several major gaps but has several ones higher. The fact that the market didn't leave a big gap behind, as, despite the 3-day weekend, it started trading almost from where it closed on Friday, is very healthy and important to note.
GBTC is already up 30%, while the market is up only 13%. GBTC is up 125% from its bottom, while the market is up 80%. Yet GBTC could rally another 43% just to fill the gap that's similar to the one that BTC filled at 28-30k. Overall GBTC has about 65% more upside than BTC from here, despite it having already rallied more than 30-40% relative to BTC from its bottom.