Bitcoin is surging while stocks slump. Explore what’s driving its rise, from Trump’s crypto policies to institutional adoption and safe-haven appeal.

April 2025 was ghastly for stock market investors. US President Donald Trump's “Liberation Day” tariff announcements on April 2 contributed to existing negative market sentiment, sharply decreasing the major stock indices. From Apr 2–7, the market's two primary performance indicators, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite indices, experienced 13% drops, some of the worst results in decades. However, The April shock wasn't a one-off event: the nervousness and losses in the market started in mid-February, mainly as a response to the new administration's drastic measures that ignited the fear of international tariff wars.

 (BTC) — the flag-bearer of the cryptocurrency market — is doing well. In fact, the world's leading crypto asset is 13.5% up on a monthly basis as of May 6, 2025 and continues to power on. So confident is the performance of the BTC crypto that it’s safely beaten the results posted by gold, the traditional safe-haven asset rising in times of trouble. Moreover, it’s looking like some investors are preferring to park their funds in 

Why is Bitcoin rising? What supports this seemingly unexpected pattern? Will this phenomenon persist over a longer-term window? In this article, we set out to answer these questions. Some of the reasons we’ve identified might be familiar to those closely following financial news, but others may feature less prevalent narratives.

As of our review date on May 6, 2025, the stock market is desperately trying to recover from its 

. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite have lost about 7% and 9% of their value, respectively, over the past three months. Among the most recent shocks to the market in early April were Donald Trump's “Liberation Day” announcement regarding his intent to apply hefty tariffs against most countries' imports to the US. By late April, stocks were attempting to stage a recovery, but the market is still feeling nervous and its major indices are down on a 30-day basis.

In contrast to these developments, Bitcoin has been on a rise since Apr 8, a development that wasn't widely expected — especially given the fact that BTC joined stocks in their earlier tariff-linked nosedive earlier this year.

Analysts have devised a myriad of explanations and reasons for this phenomenon, and there's definitely no shortage of analysis and commentary on this intriguing development. The reasons below, in our view, deserve special attention, as they’ve likely contributed to Bitcoin's recent and ongoing rise.

When Donald Trump regrettably won the US presidential election in November 2024, the crypto community rejoiced. Finally — thought many crypto natives — a friend of cryptocurrency was taking up residence in the Oval Office. The 45th and 47th US president's crypto-friendly stance was and remains no secret. In fact, on the day of Trump’s inauguration, Jan 20, 2025, Bitcoin hit its all-time high of $108,786.

However, there was initially uncertainty as to how much of Trump’s embrace of crypto during the election campaign would translate into real action. Consequently, Bitcoin dropped off its highs weeks after the new administration assumed office. In late February, when the stock market first began to decline in response to tariff threats, Bitcoin also joined in, losing its late 2024/early 2025 gains.

This all changed in early March, when the White House announced the planned establishment of a crypto strategic reserve, a dedicated supply of five cryptocurrencies — Bitcoin, 

 (ADA) — that the US government would stockpile to secure the nation's financial position. Finally, it seemed, the Trump administration was taking tangible action to demonstrate its crypto-friendly nature.

Later the same month, the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs passed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, a piece of legislation designed to bring 

, a major component of the overall crypto market, into the financial mainstream. The act is a fundamental regulatory measure, the first to gain congressional approval of any kind, and, if fully adopted, will bring the US closer to the European Union (EU) in terms of cryptocurrency regulation [the EU already has a comprehensive framework in this area — the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), adopted in 2023].

Both the Committee's approval of the GENIUS Act and, particularly, the planned crypto strategic reserve announcement have been instrumental in creating a crypto-friendly political climate in the US. Partly as a result of these developments, Bitcoin’s price not only didn’t decline in April in unison with the stock market — as happened back in February — but it also rallied strongly in the last three weeks of the month.

Institutional interest in Bitcoin began to rise significantly following a series of approvals by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In October 2021, the first US-based Bitcoin futures ETF — the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) — had its debut on the market.

While Bitcoin futures ETFs gradually entered the market after BITO's approval, 

 kept hitting a wall as they tried to get a nod from the SEC. After years of struggle and rejection, the regulator finally greenlighted a host of Bitcoin Spot ETFs in January 2024. That month, the SEC opened the gates for 11 Bitcoin Spot ETFs from providers like Fidelity, Bitwise, Grayscale, VanEck, Invesco and others.

The bulk approval in early 2024 marked the beginning of a new era for Bitcoin — finally, the cryptocurrency could be considered a full-fledged member of the financial family, along with stocks, major commodities, bonds and other traditional asset classes.

Institutional investors, many of whom use ETFs as a key product in their portfolios, embraced Bitcoin with enthusiasm, helping drive its price up. Just before the SEC’s January bulk approval, Bitcoin was trading at under $42,000. By late March of the same year, its price shot up to over $70,000, a sharp rise even by the wildly volatile asset’s standards. This tectonic shift contributed to speculation about Bitcoin eventually hitting $100,000 a realistic discussion, rather than a fantastical dream of the crypto-obsessed.

By now, Bitcoin is quickly becoming a popular element of diversified portfolios for institutional investors — especially those focused on digital assets — and the recent uncertainty in the stock market is attracting more attention to the world’s largest cryptocurrency from fund managers.

Amid the market uncertainty, investors are looking for assets that can act as a store of value, rather than a growth source. Bitcoin is increasingly seen as a legitimate store of value, with its decentralized issuance mechanism and universal governmental independence.

In the past, Bitcoin’s reputation was that of a technology-driven gimmick — more akin to points in an online game than a full-fledged financial asset. As the use of blockchain technology and crypto increased steadily since the mid-2010s, Bitcoin’s recognition and brand image improved drastically. By the end of the 2010s, investors were beginning to appreciate Bitcoin as a legitimate financial asset, albeit one that was wildly speculative and 

This association with excessive volatility persisted right into 2025 — and investors interested in a store of value usually don’t fancy volatile assets at all. However, the ensuing events of April 2025 — the stock market’s continual decline, along with Bitcoin’s raging ascent — indicate that a growing segment of risk-averse investors is viewing the world’s top cryptocurrency as an acceptable store of value.

Although still volatile, Bitcoin has managed to post positive long-term growth rates over all the typical time windows considered by investor folk. As of the end of April 2025, it’s up by 15% in the past month, 34% in the past half a year, 47% in the past one year and 970% over five years. For any of these time intervals, Bitcoin has confidently outperformed not only equities but also gold, an asset often regarded as the ultimate store of value.

Bitcoin’s decentralized issuance mechanism, independent from any government or central bank, is now seen as among the best hedges against international trade wars during which governments might limit access to their markets for outside investors using their regulatory muscle. Bitcoin’s independence and spectacular growth rates are increasing analysts’ opinions of it — not merely as a speculative growth asset, but as one of the best store-of-value assets around.

In the past, stock market declines often prompted a flight to safe-haven assets — i.e., gold and US Treasury bonds. However, in the current atmosphere, 

 to many international investors. The current stock market turmoil is largely driven by the actions of the US government as it imposes wide-ranging tariffs on imports. Since America’s trade partners around the globe feel uncertainty about dealing with the world’s largest economy and its government, the formerly ironclad confidence in the US is on the decline. Discourse concerning both the de-dollarization of international trade and the US pulling out of many of its strategic trading partnerships is on the rise. This situation was bound to be reflected in lower confidence in the US government's fixed-income securities.

As for the ultimate safe-haven asset — gold — the precious yellow metal has duly done its job during the most recent turmoil. At the tail end of April, gold's monthly growth rate stood at around 7%, while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite were bouncing around 0% growth, desperately trying to claw back their early April losses.

However, while gold has done its job as a safe-haven asset during the bear market, it simply hasn’t done it as well as Bitcoin has. The same monthly growth figure for Bitcoin stands at 15%. In other words, during this stock market decline, Bitcoin has performed about twice as well as gold. While this is the first time Bitcoin has behaved in such a classic safe-haven style, it might be an early indicator that this unique cryptocurrency is emerging as a new competitor to gold at times of stock market troubles.

The current bear market in equities has seriously damaged investors' confidence in several other traditional large asset classes. As we noted above, the US government's aggressive tariff moves have dented investors' faith in Treasury securities in general. Commodities, with the exception of gold, are also known to be strongly affected by international trade wars.

This leaves investors with few large, liquid alternatives outside of gold. In this respect, Bitcoin is emerging as a reasonably large and liquid choice. Naturally, its liquidity levels aren’t comparable to gold’s. For instance, while gold’s market capitalization stands at around $22 trillion, Bitcoin’s market cap is slightly under $2 trillion. Likewise, gold features global daily trading volumes of between $200 and $300 billion, while Bitcoin’s are around a tenth of that.

Evidently, Bitcoin is still not a match for gold when it comes to liquidity. Nevertheless, besides gold and Bitcoin, investors don’t have many choices in the current climate of tariff duels and international trade difficulties.

 elements built into it. This provides certainty to investors and supports the price of the asset in general.

First, the supply of new Bitcoin is subject to a well-defined schedule, with a fixed amount of BTC issued every ten minutes on the network. Known as the mining block reward, it’s currently set at 3.125 BTC. Approximately every four years, the block reward is halved. The 

, when the reward’s rate was cut from 6.25 to the current 3.125 BTC. The next Bitcoin halving will further reduce the rate of the block reward to 1.625 BTC, and is scheduled to occur at some point in April 2028.

Bitcoin also has a hard cap of 21 million on its total supply. Based on the regular release of block rewards every ten minutes (and the roughly quadrennial reward halving mechanism), it’s estimated that BTC 

These supply-limiting, deflationary properties should, in theory, support Bitcoin's price over the long term. The structured release mechanism and halvings also provide certainty and transparency to investors regarding the asset's supply levels. 

For investors who firmly believe that an asset's supply is a major determinant of its value, Bitcoin is definitely an attractive alternative.

Bitcoin’s price predictions currently range from wildly optimistic (and at times, exaggerated) to being more reasonably grounded in the top crypto’s key fundamentals. Some analysts are predicting that, having solidified its position as a highly resilient asset, Bitcoin will experience highly pronounced growth spurts. Among the boldest predictors currently is that of ARK Invest’s CEO and founder, Cathie Wood. The acclaimed investor believes Bitcoin 

However, the majority of other predictions are more moderate, and consider both positive and negative pressure factors.

Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick believes that Bitcoin will trade at around $120,000 in Q2 2025, and will 

. This forecast is quite similar to the estimate by Peter Chung of Presto Research, who 

An optimistic outlook for Bitcoin is also supported by detailed modeling within the academic domain. Murray Rudd and Dennis Porter from Satoshi Action Education — a nonprofit dedicated to peer-reviewed, data-driven research on Bitcoin — published a paper in an early January 2025 edition of the 

 at some point between January 2027 and early autumn 2028.

Two major crypto price prediction portals, PricePrediction and DigitalCoinPrice, take a somewhat more reserved view regarding Bitcoin’s rate in 2027–2028, compared to researchers at Satoshi Action Education. Nevertheless, their estimates are quite optimistic: Price Prediction 

 $273,091 in 2027 and $408,480 in 2028, while DigitalCoinPrice is even more bullish, 

Based on these estimates, we can conclude that some of the highest quality forecasts for Bitcoin predict a rate of around $200,000 by the end of 2025. In two to three years (i.e., in 2027 and 2028), Bitcoin’s price could average as low as $250,000 and as high as $1 million.

Naturally, there's no shortage of extreme estimates on both ends, with some fervent crypto aficionados predicting astounding rates of millions of dollars within a year or two, and ardent crypto haters — loyal to their well-known line — maintaining that Bitcoin will soon be worthless. These extreme views, however, aren't what mainstream price analysts take seriously.

1. How much will one Bitcoin be worth in 2030?

Discounting headline-grabbing and/or extreme forecasts, it's likely that, by 2030, Bitcoin will reach a value of $1 million or even more. In fact, Rudd and Porter’s model sees this price as a possibility as early as 2027. 

Even if we assume more conservative estimates, such as those posted by the major price prediction portals, Bitcoin may be trading at from $500,000–$1 million in 2030. The average and maximum prices for Bitcoin by the two prediction portals we mentioned above are as follows:

It’s true that price prediction portals base their prognostications largely on aggregating forecasts from many sources, and by definition don’t always get it right. However, their current estimates for Bitcoin in 2030 are a reasonable averaging of the many divergent forecasts posted by analysts. As such, 

Bitcoin trading somewhere between half a million and a million dollars in 2030

Bitcoin as an asset has posted stellar growth rates over every imaginable time interval used by analysts. Its future prospects also look bright, as discussed above. Thus, having $100 in Bitcoin — or whatever amount you can safely afford to invest — might be one of the best available investment choices in 2025.

, as of early May 2025, there were 137,560 blockchain addresses with Bitcoin worth between $1 million and $9.99 million. The number of addresses holding $10 million or more is vastly lower, around 15,410. As such, the number of Bitcoin millionaires at the tail end of April 2025 — as estimated by network statistics — is 15,2970.

4. What if I’d bought $1 worth of Bitcoin 10 years ago?

Exactly ten years ago, on May 6, 2015, Bitcoin's market value was $229.78. Your $1 investment at that time would have yielded you 0.004351 BTC. This amount of Bitcoin is worth $409.74 today (May 6, 2025).

It’s most certainly not too late for you to invest in Bitcoin. As noted above, most estimates for Bitcoin’s future price are highly optimistic. In addition, BTC is emerging as a new hedge against stock market disturbances. While this is the first time Bitcoin has clearly demonstrated such behavior, it’s indicative of its increased standing within the hierarchy of financial assets.

You might not earn the stratospheric returns that early Bitcoin investors enjoyed, but as of 2025, Bitcoin is definitely shaping up as one of the best investments to consider — and not only for lovers of risk and speculation.

Intermediate

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Why is Bitcoin going up — and how high could it go?

Chainlink Rewards, launching on May 8, incentivizes active participation in the Chainlink network.

Daily top performer — ICON Network (ICX)

The S&P 500 fell 0.64% on Monday as market sentiment weakened due to stalled trade talks and new tariff threats, with investors awaiting the Fed’s policy meeting and Powell’s remarks. Gold surged over 2% to $3,321 as a weaker USD and Fed rate hold expectations boosted demand, with traders eyeing resistance at $3,350 ahead of Powell’s upcoming comments. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, down 0.53%, with Bitcoin and Ether down 1.33% and 1.44%, respectively in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is ICX, which surged 21.4% after the announcement of its transformation into SODAX, a unified DeFi platform powered by Sonic and $SODA.

ICON Network (ICX), launched in 2017, connects diverse blockchain communities through smart contracts and Citizen nodes, aiming to improve interoperability across blockchains. It uses decentralized identifier (DID) technology to securely store user data, supporting decentralized finance and digital content distribution. 

, a unified DeFi platform with a new deflationary token ($SODA), optimized liquidity products, and a migration to the faster, low-cost Sonic EVM chain for scalability and sustainability.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

, launching on May 8, incentivizes active participation in the Chainlink network. The first phase, Season Genesis, offers 100M SXT tokens to eligible LINK Stakers. Future seasons will introduce a more advanced claiming system and additional rewards linked to various Chainlink Build projects. Stay cautious of phishing attempts, and only rely on official links provided at launch.

Yesterday, BTC spot ETFs saw total outflows of $105.7M, with $16.4M from GBTC and $89.3M from other ETFs.

, enabling users to verify their reserved Human ID as an on-chain proof of identity linked to their humanity. RWT will convert to Humanity Points (HP), claimable offchain with one click. Palm scanning via mobile will also be introduced to confirm user presence on the network.

Beginner

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Chainlink rewards launches with 100M SXT token giveaway for LINK stakers

May 5, 2025: Our weekly Institutional Insights explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

 explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

Weekly highlight — Robust economic data might support June rate cut

Things are becoming increasingly complicated for the Federal Reserve as it prepares for its upcoming meeting. With inflation in focus, officials are likely to maintain interest rates. Yet, concerns about an economic slowdown are growing, exacerbated by calls from President Trump for a rate cut.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell may find some reassurance in recent labor data, which reported a robust increase of 177,000 jobs in April 2025. This solid job market provides a rationale for the Fed to hold rates steady. Additionally, the Fed's preferred inflation measure indicates a slight easing of price pressures. However, rising tariffs on imports threaten to undermine this progress.

Uncertainty looms globally over major central banks, as the White House seeks trade deals that could significantly alter economic forecasts. Economists suggest Powell will emphasize the importance of price stability, especially as inflation expectations appear to be shifting.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank continues to lower rates in anticipation of disinflation and weaker growth due to US tariffs, and the Bank of Canada has diverged from its usual practice of issuing a standard forecast, opting instead for two contrasting scenarios based on the tariff situation with the US.

Looking ahead, the US economic calendar is sparse, with upcoming data on service sector activity and jobless claims expected to provide insights into labor market trends. Globally, monetary policy decisions are anticipated in several countries, highlighting the widespread impact of trade tensions.

As central banks navigate these turbulent waters, the interplay of tariffs and inflation will be critical in shaping future economic policies.

Weekly crypto highlight — Strategy sees no pause in Bitcoin purchase

Michael Saylor's company, Strategy, has doubled its capital raising plan to $84 billion following a record $4.2 billion first-quarter loss. This loss was attributed to a new accounting rule mandating that the firm value its substantial Bitcoin holdings at market prices. On Thursday, Strategy registered to sell an additional $21 billion in common shares, having exhausted a previously authorized equity program.

Additionally, the company has increased its planned debt purchase program from $21 billion to $42 billion, with $14.6 billion remaining. This shift reflects a growing awareness among corporate Bitcoin buyers of the unrealized earnings fluctuations that can occur, such as in Strategy's dramatic quarterly loss. The company holds approximately $53 billion in Bitcoin.

Prior to this accounting change, Strategy classified its Bitcoin as intangible assets, which limited its ability to recognize gains unless the assets were sold. This resulted in permanent markdowns whenever Bitcoin prices fell.

Over the past five years, Saylor has transformed Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy Inc., into the largest leveraged Bitcoin proxy globally. However, revenue from its software division fell 3.6% to $111.1 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Saylor's advocacy has significantly contributed to Bitcoin’s mainstream acceptance, inspiring numerous companies to follow suit by purchasing Bitcoin for their balance sheets. Analysts suggest that as more firms adopt this strategy, demand for Bitcoin will rise, potentially benefiting Strategy further.

Despite the stock's remarkable 3,000% increase since Saylor began buying Bitcoin in 2020, concerns remain about the sustainability of this approach. New competitors are emerging, including well-funded entities like Twenty One Capital Inc., increasing the pressure on Strategy. Nonetheless, Saylor shows no signs of slowing down, and is continuing to expand Bitcoin acquisitions aggressively.

Advanced

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Weekly Institutional Insights: Robust US economic data sends stocks higher; Strategy sees no pause in Bitcoin purchase

The US dollar is facing its biggest test in years. Since President Trump returned to office, markets have struggled. 

Introduction: The Trump effect and market breakdown

The US dollar is facing its biggest test in years. Since President Trump returned to office, markets have struggled. The S&P 500 recorded its worst start under a new president since 1928. At the same time, the US dollar is falling — not just against one or two currencies, but broadly.

Normally, when stock markets fall, the dollar gains as a “safe-haven” asset. But this time is different, as both stocks and the dollar are dropping, which is rare and worrying. Investors are leaving the dollar and moving into alternatives like the euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), gold and Bitcoin (BTC).

Example of negative S&P 500-Dollar correlation. S&P 500 dropped while the Dollar rose — July to October 2023 correction period. 

A perfect storm: Tariffs, isolation and the Federal Reserve

One of the biggest reasons for the dollar's current weakness is fear. Trump’s aggressive trade stance is isolating the US economy, and investors are worried about new tariffs and the long-term damage to global trade relationships.

If Europe decides to deepen trade ties with China instead of the US, the dollar’s position as the global reserve currency could face a real threat. On top of that, Trump has been attacking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, calling him a “loser” and pushing for lower interest rates. These comments hurt confidence in the independence of the Fed — a cornerstone of US financial stability.

, it could signal a more cooperative approach and help stabilize investor confidence, offering much-needed support for the dollar.

China, trade and the mechanism behind the dollar decline

For decades, China and other countries have exported goods to the United States, earning US dollars. These dollars were often reinvested in US assets such as Treasury bonds, helping support the dollar’s strength. But tariffs are upending this entire system.

When Trump’s tariffs were activated, Chinese goods became more expensive in the US This meant that China sells less, earns less profit and has fewer dollars to reinvest. Demand for the dollar falls — and so does its value.

In other words, more tariffs are actually 

 for the dollar. The same goes for other export-heavy countries, such as Japan or Germany. If they see reduced access to US markets, they hold fewer dollars and invest less in US assets.

This shift in global capital flows is a major reason why the dollar is falling, and why it could fall further — unless, of course, a 

, which could help bring global flows back toward the dollar.

Technical environment: Oversold — or more pain to come?

There are two key ways to track the dollar in financial markets:

The DXY is currently down 8.3% in 2025, sitting at around 99.5 — its lowest level since April 2022. Meanwhile, EUR/USD is trading at around 1.134,after hitting 1.157 on April 21 — its highest level since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2022.

Technically, the dollar appears to be oversold. The 

 (RSI) is at 38, which is close to the “oversold” threshold of 30. Earlier in April it hit 25, which often signals a short-term rebound. The 

 indicator also shows early signs of positive momentum, as the 12-day moving average has crossed above the 26-day. If DXY can remain above 100 for a few days, it could help to build a stronger rally.

On the other hand, EUR/USD shows signs of being slightly overbought. The RSI is at around 60 (with 70 being the usual “overbought” threshold), and the MACD suggests downside risk is building. A drop below 1.13 in EUR/USD could push the dollar back up slightly. However, without fundamental support, any rebound may be short-lived.

Key events to watch: Tariff deadline and Fed cuts

Two major forces will shape the dollar in the weeks ahead:

Trump signing a tariff agreement with China

 before the July deadline — could help reverse the current negative trend and provide a short-term boost for the US dollar.

The US dollar is under pressure from all sides: politics, trade, interest rates and technical factors. Meanwhile, the rare combination of falling stocks and a falling dollar signals that global investors are losing confidence in their outlook on the US. The core of the problem is Trump’s aggressive trade policy and its impact on China — a longtime buyer of US assets.

As the 90-day tariff delay nears its end and the Fed prepares to lower interest rates, the dollar could face another sharp leg down. However, 

if a tariff deal is reached between the US and China

, the dollar could regain strength, as investor sentiment improves and capital flows return.

Technical indicators also suggest that the Dollar may be slightly oversold. RSI and MACD readings point to a possible short-term bounce if conditions improve.

In the meantime, traders and investors should watch the 100 level on the DXY and the 1.13 line on EUR/USD. These will be key markers for where the dollar is heading next.

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Bybit x FXStreet Report: USD is oversold as the result of technical indicators and EUR hype

Strategies

Trading

Supply and demand zones are consolidation areas that occur before an explosive upward or downward price movement.

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 and trading that can help traders identify potential areas of market reversals or trend continuations in cryptocurrency markets. Understanding how supply and demand levels work can be an invaluable tool for traders looking to make more informed decisions in the financial markets. 

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the successful use of supply and demand zones in cryptocurrency trading, including identifying these zones on price charts and implementing them in a trading strategy, and their pros and cons. Whether you’re a new or experienced trader, mastering the art of supply and demand zones can give you an edge in trading.

Supply and demand zones are price areas where larger market participants, such as 

 or institutional asset managers, are presumed to be accumulating (buying) or distributing (selling) cryptocurrency. 

Relatively sideways consolidations characterize these zones before an explosive move. Supply and demand zones can indicate a possible reversal or continuation of an existing trend.

 or move must be present to use supply and demand zones effectively. This move is a quick and pronounced shift in price direction populated by large red (downswing) or green (upswing) candles. A consolidation zone would be considered normal price consolidation without this impulse move.

In technical analysis, cryptocurrency prices are solely determined by the interaction between supply and demand. When demand exceeds supply, prices rise, and when supply surpasses demand, prices fall. This dynamic is roughly balanced at times, resulting in price consolidations within a range.

Therefore, supply and demand zones are a form of 

, or relatively sideways price action, that occurs before an explosive move.

 The impulse wave indicates that the market is leaving a supply or demand zone, and traders can use it to identify an imbalance between buy and sell orders. This imbalance marks the start of a trend. Traders use supply and demand zones to determine price ranges where demand decreases and supply increases during downtrends, and where demand increases and supply decreases during uptrends.

The following Bitcoin chart depicts some of the supply and demand zones over a 2-year period.

A supply zone is a price area that marks the beginning of a sharp, fast downtrend move, either as a bearish reversal or downtrend continuation. Typically, selling or distribution takes place within the supply zone. Eventually, a significant imbalance will result in a rapid decline in prices. You’ll profit from 

A demand zone denotes a price range that signals the start of a sharp uptrend, either as a bullish reversal or uptrend continuation. Within the demand zone, accumulation or buying is occurring. At some point, an imbalance between supply and demand occurs, leading to a swift rise in price. You can take a 

To identify supply and demand zones, we want to look for impulse moves. An impulse move shows a clear imbalance between the two forces of supply and demand, culminating in a sharp move either up or down. When scanning charts, look for large red or green candles within a sharp trend to quickly find supply and demand zones. 

Furthermore, for trend continuation setups, look for short bases following an impulse wave in anticipation of a continuation. Sharp swings frequently consolidate for a short time before price continues to trend again. This is especially true with impulse waves.

This next daily chart of XRP/USD showcases some examples.

Supply and demand zones are found at the beginning of an impulse move. Therefore, first find the impulse moves to determine the supply and demand zones.

First, find a declining impulse move and look at the beginning of the move. Start drawing the top horizontal line from the highest candle wicks of the zone, then extend the rectangular box to the lower line where downside momentum is triggered, that is, at the beginning of a long red candle, as shown below.

When looking to draw a demand zone, you first want to find a sharp rally or an ascending impulse move. Then, find the consolidation zone near the beginning of the move. Start drawing the rectangle at the lower wicks of the demand zone, and end where the large green candle begins to show upward momentum improving. The beginning of the green candle’s breakout area is where momentum has taken off.

The stronger the price move after the zone, the greater the credibility of the zone. What is the strength (up or down) of the movement following a supply or demand zone? This analysis is largely a judgment call, but there are a few things to look for to increase accuracy. First, are there relatively larger green (uptrend) or red (downtrend) candles? Is the move faster and more significant than has been seen recently? Did the breakout take off immediately — or hesitate?

Time refers to the amount of time that a supply or demand zone takes to form — in other words, how long it takes for the consolidation period to develop. A zone that has been in place for an extended period is likely to be stronger and more reliable, because the longer the basing period, the greater the potential for a sharper and longer move once a breakout or breakdown occurs.

One of the most important things to consider when identifying a supply and demand zone is how fresh it is. Freshness relates to whether the zone has been tested yet, or how many times it’s been tested. The fewer tests, the fresher it is. A fresh zone is more likely to function as a supply and demand zone once again during a pullback, presenting a second opportunity to enter. However, the more frequently a zone has been tested, the more likely it will be busted. 

The notion of freshness in supply and demand zones is unlike that of support and resistance, where price levels gain strength from being retested multiple times by the market.

Supply and demand zone trading strategies include setups for trend reversals and continuations. However, this is one tool for market analysis, and the quality of the analysis can be enhanced by using other market analysis or technical indicators along with supply and demand analysis.

 strategy, a trader is looking to enter the market following the first test to the zone. When a sudden move or impulse wave occurs, a certain degree of pullback typically follows. You can enter on that pullback if it returns to the zone, as it usually provides a safer entry with a tighter protective stop.

When an uptrend breaks out from a demand zone, the trader waits for the price to “pull back” to the zone's support level in anticipation of a continued upward movement. In the case of a breakdown from a supply zone, the trader is looking for a pullback into the resistance of the zone in anticipation of a bearish continuation.

When defining the entry, traders will look at other technical indicators for 

 to confirm the setup. For example, see if you can spot the signs for confirmation in the chart below. A 

 confirm the reversals in the chart below.

In the case of the breakout strategy, traders are seeking a relatively short area of consolidation for a trend continuation following an initial impulse move. This first chart shows a bullish breakout strategy.

 involves trading within a specific price range that’s defined by a supply zone and a demand zone. Traders aim to buy near the lows of the range and sell near the highs, or vice versa. They then exit the trade when the price reaches the opposite side of the range.

A momentum oscillator can be helpful in timing the trades for this strategy. The example below uses the 14-day 

 (RSI) indicator. Generally, an intraday time frame is going to be more useful in trading cryptocurrency with this strategy, though it also depends on the volatility of the cryptocurrency traded. 

While analyzing candle setups alone may not always provide clear insights, the RSI indicator can confirm the observations in price behavior. The vertical lines illustrated below identify when the RSI turns up for buying opportunities, and down for selling opportunities.

Many traders consider supply and demand zones as resistance or support, respectively. But while both supply and demand zones and 

 are used to identify key price areas with buying or selling pressure, there are some crucial differences.

Supply and demand zones point to specific price levels with a concentration of either buyers or sellers, resulting in an imbalance between supply and demand. In supply and demand zone trading, traders are looking to identify fresh or recent price action.

Conversely, support and resistance levels are price levels where buyers and sellers have historically entered or exited the market, respectively. In other words, supply and demand zones are fresh or more recent price areas, whereas support and resistance price levels may be recent or current price areas, but are also identified historically.

Supply and demand zones are more useful in trading, given their more recent price action. In contrast, using support and resistance levels can be useful in a broader context for trade or market analysis, but it’s not as helpful for establishing specific trade strategies.

: Supply and demand trading is based on objective data, such as price, volume and investor sentiment. This helps reduce the impact of emotions and biases on trading decisions.

: Supply and demand trading provides a versatile approach to trading, as it can be applied to any market, asset class or time frame.

:There are times that the signals may be very accurate for entering and exiting trades. This is because supply and demand trading’s focus is on key price levels where significant buying or selling pressure is likely to occur.

: By identifying key resistance and support areas, supply and demand trading can help traders manage risk by using it to place appropriate 

: If executed correctly, supply and demand trading can generate high returns due to the favorable 

:Using supply and demand strategies in trading can be a complex process, and traders should have a solid understanding of technical analysis, market dynamics and 

: While the data may be objective, the interpretation of that data can be subjective, differing from one trader to another.

:Supply and demand trading requires significant time and effort to identify key price levels, keep levels up to date, find setups and execute trades.

:False signals are possible, and can lead to losses or missed opportunities.

Understanding supply and demand zones is crucial for successful trading. Some tips for successful trading with supply and demand zones include differentiating between support and resistance on one hand and supply and demand on the other, recognizing impulse waves emerging from zones, and considering the pros and cons of this methodology. Combining these strategies with other tools and indicators can increase your likelihood of success when trading with supply and demand zones.

Supply and Demand Zones: Tips For Successful Trading

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