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Bitcoin eyes $100,000: Is this the last chance to buy under six figures?
Market analysts attribute this rally in cryptocurrencies to increased institutional buying, a weakening dollar index, and other favorable macroeconomic conditions.
Bitcoin, the world's most popular and largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, traded higher by nearly 6.41 per cent at $93,697.52 at 10:30 AM on April 23, 2025. The flagship crypto has traded in the range of $87,972.21 to $93,847.25 in the last 24 hours, with a trading volume of $56.02 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin's current market capitalisation stands at $1.85 trillion.
This sharp upward move in Bitcoin, Riya Sehgal, research analyst at Delta Exchange, said, is not just a product of technical momentum—it is driven by stronger macroeconomic signals and renewed institutional interest. "The recent $381 million in net inflows across US spot Bitcoin ETFs, the highest single-day total since late January, speaks volumes about the shift in sentiment among long-term investors. With long-term holders steadily accumulating and technical indicators showing strength above key support levels, the stage may be set for Bitcoin to make a decisive push toward the $100,000 milestone," said Sehgal.
Impact of geopolitical developments
Geopolitical developments are also playing a key role. Remarks from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Trump suggesting a de-escalation in the US-China trade dispute have improved the broader risk environment, lifting both traditional equities and digital assets. Over $581 million in liquidated short positions highlights how swiftly the market is rebalancing in response to this optimism.
This current surge highlights Bitcoin's resilience amid persistent market volatility, said Himanshu Maradiya, founder and chairman of CIFDAQ Group. Supporting this rally, the US dollar index has hit a three-year low at 98.29, creating favorable macroeconomic conditions for crypto assets.
"Adding to the bullish sentiment is the appointment of Paul Atkins as SEC Chairman. His return signals a shift toward a more constructive regulatory approach, with several enforcement actions already rolled back under his leadership," said Maradiya. "With resistance expected around the $90K–$94K range, investors may be looking at the 'last chance' to accumulate Bitcoin below $100K." However, Maradiya advises caution, as volatility may still resurface.
Institutional buying impact
Meanwhile, Alankar Saxena, co-founder and CTO of Mudrex, attributes this rally to increased institutional buying, with Bitcoin spot ETFs seeing net inflows reach a multi-month high of over $700 million, totaling over $1 billion in inflows this week alone. "Additionally, the Fear and Greed Index now stands at 'Neutral', indicating that retail investors are re-entering the markets. Another bullish metric is the decline in exchange inflows, suggesting reduced selling pressure, helping build momentum," said Saxena.
If bulls stay in control, Saxena expects Bitcoin to move toward $100K, with support moving up to $88,000.
That said, altcoins were closely following Bitcoin's lead. Ethereum (ETH) stands out with a 13.27 per cent gain in the past 24 hours, driven by strong network activity and renewed investor interest. Solana (SOL) has also performed well, posting a 6.68 per cent gain. Meanwhile, XRP and several other altcoins have recorded solid upward momentum, further fueling optimism across the market.
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Mint
23 minutes ago
- Mint
Vijay L. Bhambwani's Ticker: Beneath the surface, an undertone of cautious optimism
Dear reader, Last week, I wrote that the bulls had an upper hand. However, markets showed signs of being top-heavy, as higher levels attracted selling. Nervousness over the India-US trade deal and Friday's Sebi ban on Jane Street dampened sentiments. The latter event triggered worries among retail options traders, since options make up the lion's share in the derivatives segment. Traders feared there would be a temporary drought of liquidity as institutional players, especially since algo and AI-capable traders such as Jane Street constitute approximately half of the entire derivatives turnover. My call to deploy tail risk (Hacienda) hedges on all open positions turned out to be a robust strategy, and my readers should continue to maintain this strategy as the period of higher volatility is not over yet. Market internals still indicate that bulls still nurse optimism, though they avoided providing big-ticket support at higher levels. Markets showed resilience by not falling significantly either. Studying the statistical signals below should clarify matters further. Last week, I wrote that industrial metals were likely to witness a routine month-end rally. That occurred, and provided a boost to metal and mining stocks. The month-end is done and dusted, and upsides may run into some profit-taking on these commodities, and by extension, in some of their stock prices too. The long-term bull story in bullion is alive and kicking. Patient delivery-based investors who are willing to overlook short-term volatility with a steely resolve are yet to witness the peak prices of bullion -- just look beyond calendar year 2025. Oil and gas are likely to remain subdued and rallies, if any, are likely to be temporary. I maintain my view that energy markets are well-supplied. This view remains unchanged for months, and should hold for the calendar year, barring sudden unforeseen circumstances. This week will see continued trading action on public sector undertakings, particularly banks. There are some hopes of a divestment in government banks, and the markets are cheering that expectation. Besides, the weightage of the banking and financial sector in headline indices itself means that a boost for these stocks will lend cheer to the markets. Oil marketing companies may see above-average daily ranges, and should provide high-risk traders with good trading opportunities for two-way trading moves. Option traders should note that the Jane Street episode may impart higher-than average volatility; therefore, they should trade light till clarity emerges. Tail risk hedges are a robust idea. Fixed income investors should still keep the powder dry and await the festive season that starts in September. I expect consumer credit demand to perk up, which may push coupon rates mildly higher too. A tutorial video on tail risk (Hacienda) hedges is here - Rear View Mirror Let us assess what happened last week, so we can guesstimate what to expect in the coming week. The week's fall was led by the banking sector, and the broad-based Nifty-50 brought up the rear. A weak US dollar index (DXY) propped up emerging market indices including India. Bullion gained week-on-week, as defensive buying continued. Energy remained under pressure and cheered inflation-wary bulls. The INR displayed strength, adding to the cheerful sentiments. NSE gained market capitalization despite weak indices, and that tells me the broader market sentiment remains cheerful. Market-wide position limits (MWPL) rose routinely post-expiry. US indices gained, providing tail winds to our markets. Retail Risk Appetite I use a simple yet highly accurate yardstick for measuring the conviction levels of retail traders – where are they deploying money. I measure what percentage of the turnover was contributed by the lower and higher risk instruments. If they trade more of futures which require sizable capital, their risk appetite is higher. Within the futures space, index futures are less volatile compared to stock futures. A higher footprint in stock futures shows higher aggression levels. Ditto for stock and index options. Last week, this is what their footprint looked like (the numbers are average of all trading days of the week) – Turnover contribution in the higher-risk, capital-intensive futures segment eased. That tells me traders were unwilling to go out on a limb to go long. In the relatively lower-risk, lower capital requirement options segment, it was the lowest-risk index options that saw the turnover contribution rise, which means derivatives traders were unwilling to take aggressive bets. Matryoshka Analysis Let us peel layer after layer of statistical data to arrive at the core message of the first chart I share is the NSE advance-decline ratio. After the price itself, this indicator is the fastest (leading) indicator of which way the winds are blowing. This simple yet accurate indicator computes the ratio of the number of rising stocks compared to falling stocks. As long as gainers outnumber the losers, bulls are dominant. This metric is a gauge of the risk appetite of 'one marshmallow" traders. These are pure intraday traders. The Nifty-50 fell on a week-on-week basis, but the advance-decline ratio remained above the 1.0 level. At 1.03 level (prior week 1.61) it indicates there were 103 gaining stocks for every 100 losing stocks. Bulls remained optimistic. Watch this metric keenly this week. As long as the daily and weekly average stays above 1.0, bulls are still in control. A tutorial video on the Marshmallow theory in trading is here - The second chart I share is on market-wide position limits (MWPL). This measures the amount of exposure utilized by traders in the derivatives (F&O) space as a component of the total exposure allowed by the regulator. This metric is a gauge of the risk appetite of 'two marshmallow" traders. These are deep-pocketed, high-conviction traders who roll over their trades to the next session/s. The MWPL reading rose routinely, and that indicates traders were willing to enhance their exposure post-expiry. It was marginally lower than the commensurate week last month. That was due to the nervousness over the trade deal and Jane Street. Overall, risk appetite remained steady among swing traders. A dedicated tutorial video on how to interpret MWPL data in more ways than one is available here - The third chart I share is my in-house indicator 'impetus.' It measures the force in any price move. Last week, both indices fell with lower impetus readings. That means the fall lacked selling momentum and/or panic sales. Ideally, prices and impetus readings should rise in unison to indicate a sustainable uptrend. The final chart I share is my in-house indicator 'LWTD.' It computes lift, weight, thrust and drag encountered by any security. These are four forces that any powered aircraft faces during flight; so, applying LWTD to traded securities helps a trader estimate prevalent sentiments. The Nifty ended last week with small losses. The LWTD reading fell too. At -0.04 (prior week 0.19), it indicates the possibility of weak fresh buying. While short-covering can cushion declines, it takes fresh buying to boost levels to all-time highs. A tutorial video on interpreting the LWTD indicator is here - Nifty's Verdict The weekly candle chart shows a small-bodied bearish candle with the prior week's prominently bullish candle. The last candle size was too small to present a major worry to bulls. The price is comfortably above the 25-week average, which is a proxy for a six-month-long holding cost of a retail investor. That means the medium-term outlook is positive for now. Last week, I advocated watching the 25,250 level as an immediate support, which remains in place. As long as bulls defend this level, they remain in the driver's seat. On the flip side, overcoming the 25,750 on a sustained closing basis can trigger a fresh upthrust. Your Call to Action Watch the 25,250 level as a near-term support. Breaking out above the 25,750 level raises the possibility of testing fresh record highs in the coming weeks. Last week, I estimated ranges between 57,800 – 54,700 and 25,725 – 24,500 on the Bank Nifty and Nifty respectively. Both indices traded within their specified resistance levels. This week, I estimate ranges between 58,450 – 55,625 and 26,075 – 24,825 on the Bank Nifty and Nifty respectively. Trade light with strict stop losses. Avoid trading counters with spreads wider than 8 ticks. Have a profitable week. Vijay L. Bhambwani Vijay is the CEO of a proprietary trading firm. He tweets at @vijaybhambwani
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Business Standard
24 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US tariffs on European goods likely to disrupt world's largest trade ties
America's largest trade partner, the European Union, is among the entities awaiting word Monday on whether US President Donald Trump will impose punishing tariffs on their goods, a move economists have warned would have repercussions for companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. Trump imposed a 20 per cent import tax on all EU-made products in early April as part of a set of tariffs targeting countries with which the United States has a trade imbalance. Hours after the nation-specific duties took effect, he put them on hold until July 9 at a standard rate of 10 per cent to quiet financial markets and allow time for negotiations. Expressing displeasure the EU's stance in trade talks, however, the president said he would jack up the tariff rate for European exports to 50per cent. A rate that high could make everything from French cheese and Italian leather goods to German electronics and Spanish pharmaceuticals much more expensive in the US. The EU, whose 27 member nations operate as a single economic bloc, said its leaders hoped to strike a deal with the Trump administration. Without one, the EU said it was prepared to retaliate with tariffs on hundreds of American products, ranging from beef and auto parts to beer and Boeing airplanes. Here are important things to know about trade between the United States and the European Union. US-EU trade is enormous A lot of money is at stake in the trade talks. The EU's executive commission describes the trade between the US and the EU as "the most important commercial relationship in the world. The value of EU-US trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. The biggest US export to Europe is crude oil, followed by pharmaceuticals, aircraft, automobiles, and medical and diagnostic equipment. Europe's biggest exports to the US are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits. EU sells more to the US than vice versa Trump has complained about the EU's 198 billion-euro ($233 billion) trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more stuff from European businesses than the other way around. However, American companies fill some of the gap by outselling the EU when it comes to services such as cloud computing, travel bookings, and legal and financial services. The US services surplus took the nation's trade deficit with the EU down to 50 billion euros ($59 billion), which represents less than 3per cent of overall US-EU trade. What are the issues dividing the two sides? Before Trump returned to office, the U.S. and the EU maintained a generally cooperative trade relationship and low tariff levels on both sides. The U.S. rate averaged 1.47 per cent for European goods, while the EU's averaged 1.35 per cent for American products. But the White House has taken a much less friendly posture toward the longstanding US ally since February. Along with the fluctuating tariff rate on European goods Trump has floated, the EU has been subject to his administration's 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum and a 25per cent tax on imported automobiles and parts. Trump administration officials have raised a slew of issues they want to see addressed, including agricultural barriers such as EU health regulations that include bans on chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef. Trump has also criticized Europe's value-added taxes, which EU countries levy at the point of sale this year at rates of 17 per cent to 27 per cent. But many economists see VAT as trade-neutral since they apply to domestic goods and services as well as imported ones. Because national governments set the taxes through legislation, the EU has said they aren't on the table during trade negotiations. On the thorny issues of regulations, consumer standards and taxes, the EU and its member states cannot give much ground, Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Germany's Berenberg bank, said. They cannot change the way they run the EU's vast internal market according to U.S. demands, which are often rooted in a faulty understanding of how the EU works. What are potential impacts of higher tariffs? Economists and companies say higher tariffs will mean higher prices for US consumers on imported goods. Importers must decide how much of the extra tax costs to absorb through lower profits and how much to pass on to customers. Mercedes-Benz dealers in the US. have said they are holding the line on 2025 model year prices until further notice. The German automaker has a partial tariff shield because it makes 35 per cent of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the U.S. in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but the company said it expects prices to undergo significant increases in coming years. Simon Hunt, CEO of Italian wine and spirits producer Campari Group, told investment analysts that prices could increase for some products or stay the same depending what rival companies do. If competitors raise prices, the company might decide to hold its prices on Skyy vodka or Aperol aperitif to gain market share, Hunt said. Trump has argued that making it more difficult for foreign companies to sell in the US is a way to stimulate a revival of American manufacturing. Many companies have dismissed the idea or said it would take years to yield positive economic benefits. However, some corporations have proved willing to shift some production stateside. France-based luxury group LVMH, whose brands include Tiffany &Co, Luis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Moet & Chandon, could move some production to the United States, billionaire CEO Bernaud Arnault said at the company's annual meeting in April. Arnault, who attended Trump's inauguration, has urged Europe to reach a deal based on reciprocal concessions. If we end up with high tariffs, ... we will be forced to increase our US-based production to avoid tariffs, Arnault said. And if Europe fails to negotiate intelligently, that will be the consequence for many companies. ... It will be the fault of Brussels, if it comes to that. Many expect Trump to drop his most drastic demands Some forecasts indicate the US economy would be more at risk if the negotiations fail. Without a deal, the EU would lose 0.3per cent of its gross domestic product and US GDP would fall 0.7per cent, if Trump slaps imported goods from Europe with tariffs of 10per cent to 25per cent, according to a research review by Bruegel, a think tank in Brussels. Given the complexity of some of the issues, the two sides may arrive only at a framework deal before Wednesday's deadline. That would likely leave a 10per cent base tariff, as well as the auto, steel and aluminum tariffs in place until details of a formal trade agreement are ironed out. The most likely outcome of the trade talks is that the US will agree to deals in which it takes back its worst threats of retaliatory' tariffs well beyond 10per cent, Schmieding said. However, the road to get there could be rocky. The US offering exemptions for some goods might smooth the path to a deal. The EU could offer to ease some regulations that the White House views as trade barriers. While Trump might be able to sell such an outcome as a win' for him, the ultimate victims of his protectionism would, of course, be mostly the US consumers, Schmieding said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
OPEC+ oil output: Group to raise supply by 548,000 bpd in August; cites strong demand, low inventories
The OPEC+ alliance of oil-producing nations , including Saudi Arabia and Russia, decided on Saturday to increase crude output by 548,000 barrels per day in August, accelerating the unwinding of voluntary production cuts amid signs of a stabilising global economy and firm market fundamentals. At a virtual meeting, eight members of the 22-nation group, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, agreed to raise supply levels, citing low oil inventories and a steady global economic outlook as key factors for the decision, as per news agency AP. The production hike marks a faster pace than previous months, when the group approved increases of 411,000 bpd for May, June, and July, and just 138,000 bpd in April. With the August addition, the bloc will have restored nearly 1.92 million bpd of the 2.2 million barrels they initially cut in April under a phased 18-month schedule set to run through late 2026. According to news agency Reuters, the move comes amid mounting pressure from global consumers and the United States, which has urged producers to increase supply to ease fuel prices. The alliance, which controls about half of the world's oil output, began cutting production in 2022 to stabilise the market, but has shifted course in 2025 to reclaim market share and respond to rising demand. The price of Brent crude futures settled at $68.30 per barrel for September delivery, while US West Texas Intermediate crude closed at $66.50 for August contracts. Oil prices had briefly spiked following the recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran but have since dropped back, partly due to a US-brokered peace deal that followed American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The OPEC Secretariat, in a statement, reiterated that the August increase was in line with an earlier agreement made in December 2023 to gradually restore the 2.2 million bpd cut. That delay had originally been attributed to weak global demand and rising competition from non-OPEC producers. According to CNBC, the eight producers involved in Saturday's meeting are implementing two sets of voluntary cuts alongside the coalition's broader policy. One, totalling 1.66 million bpd, remains in effect until end-2026, while the second, which initially curbed an additional 2.2 million bpd until March, is now being rolled back in monthly increments. As per Reuters, tensions within the group have risen recently, as some members such as Kazakhstan and Iraq, exceeded their targets in recent months, prompting internal disagreements. Kazakh output, in particular, rebounded strongly in June, reaching historic highs. The UAE, which received approval for an additional 300,000 bpd increase outside the main quota, has also been pushing for a larger share of future production, signalling internal recalibrations as the alliance adjusts to a changing market. The next meeting of the eight-member sub-group is scheduled for August 3, where further steps in the production schedule may be finalised.