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Bitcoin, Ripple, Ether, Litecoin - News and Talking Points
- A mid-week sell-off rattled the market but most tokens are positive on the week.
- Ethereum's 'tea-cup' formation.
To see how retail traders are currently positioned in cryp tocurrencies and what it means for the market looking forward, download the IG Client Sentiment page.
Bitcoin Holds on to Recent Gains
The largest crypto-token by market capitalization ($157 billion) is holding onto its recent gains despite Wednesday's sell-off but is struggling to make further headway and a period of consolidation looks likely. Bitcoin is supported by the 200-day moving average, currently around $9,030 and the uptrend line from the February 6 low that kicks in around $8,900. A break and close below these levels could see further falls back down to around $7,300. On the upside the 61.8% retracement level at $9,397 has been broken twice and should not offer too much resistance and is followed by a gap created by the March 7 candle between $10,100 and $10,550.
Bitcoin (BTC) Daily Price Chart in US Dollars (August 24, 2017 - April 27, 2018)
Ripple's Mid-Week Slump Re-Ignites Fears
After outperforming the other crypto - market heavyweights over the last couple of weeks, XRP fell by 20% in 24-hours mid-week on fears that the token may come closely scrutiny over whe ther it could be classified as a security. Although fears were quickly quelled, the speed of the drop reminded traders of the overbought nature of XRP - see the IG Client Sentiment Indicator - and the lack of bids/liquidity when troubles hit. The chart shows XRP making higher lows over the past two days from the $0.75 swing low, boosting confidence but the potential 20-day and 50-day moving average crossover could stall any upside move. On the upside, resistance is seen at $0.96 ahead of $1.00 while support is pegged at $0.75 followed by $0.71 and $0.61.
Ripple (XRP) Four Hour Price Chart in US Dollars (March 27 - April 27, 2018)
Ethereum's Potentially Bullish Set-Up
Ethereum is setting up a potentially bullish 'Tea-Cup' chart pattern that may suggest the market trading back up to the $1,000 level. The handle of the cup has been formed this week and resistance at $764 and $810 may be reached shortly. On the downside, 200-day moving average at $588 followed by two swing lows at $566 and $497. Ethereum was also mentioned by former CFTC regulator Gary Genser when he discussed the possibility of Ripple being classified as a security. Web-based wallet provider MyEtherWallet was in the news this week after it was hit with a DNS spoofing attack this week which contributed to the mid-week fall.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Chart in US Dollars (August 24, 2017 - April 27, 2018)
Litecoin's Potential to Move Higher
Another token with the potential to rally past this week's high and back towards levels last seen one month ago. Currently trading around $150, the upside targets include $166 followed by $175 before $200 comes into the equation. However before LTC pushes for new highs, the uptrend on the four hour chart needs to fully re-established otherwise a pull-back to $137 may occur.
Litecoin (LTC) Four Hour Price Chart in US Dollars (March 5 - April 27, 2018)
Essential Cryptocurrency Trader Resources
If you are interested in trading Bitcoin, Ripple, Ether or Litecoin we can offer you a wide range of free resources to help you. We have an Introduction to Bitcoin Trading Guide along with a Free Practice Account . In addition we run a Weekly Bitcoin Webinar and have an IG Bitcoin Sentiment Indicator to help you gauge the market and make more informed trading decisions.
What's your view of the cryptocurrency market - oversold or overbought? You can leave your comments in the section below or you can contact the author by email at nicholas.cawley@ig.com or via Twitter @nickcawley1.
--- Written by Nick Cawley , Analyst .
DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
