This year has been a wild ride for anyone investing in, or even just looking at, the bitcoin market. The world’s most valuable intangible currency in December sold for more than $ 23,000.
When the U.S. was starting to compete with Covid-19 in early March, Bitcoin was under $ 4,000. For owners or sellers, it is a source of profit and loss. For those (like me) on the sidelines, it’s an entertainment market show, with jealous and dizzy spells.
Despite that tremendous bitcoin price fluctuation — in a generally upward direction — 2020 was also a year of relative maturity for a currency that, after all, has only been trading for a decade. From my perch as editor of FIN, a fintech newsletter, here are what I see as the crucial bitcoin trends in 2021:
1. General Acceptance
Bitcoin’s use in everyday life has always had a chicken-egg problem: Very few use or accept it because … for one thing, very few use or accept it.
But 2020 has seen an amazing emergence of bitcoin adaptation. Prominent fintech companies, from Square’s $ 50 million investment in bitcoin to PayPal that allows its users to buy and sell bitcoin, give it a stamp.
In 2021, we will probably see an increase in this common knowledge. Seek out at least one major U.S. or European bank to announce a specific type of system that enables bitcoin purchases or agrees to hold digital assets for their customers.
2. Big Tech Competition
Anything bitcoin that may not have been up to a decade in existence, has forced some of the world’s largest corporations to consider offering global digital currency.
Every company involved in the payment space not only understands that there is a market for digital payments designed to be held, but that payments involving various financial markets have great potential. That’s because such transactions can take days to resolve, and they often cost a lot of money.
Bitcoin has shown, if it is in the state, that global digital currency can slow that process down dramatically. This year, both Facebook and Google – companies with the highest global reach that you can only dream of – have moved forward with major digital currency schemes.
Tech offerings like Facebook’s Diem are not exactly the same as bitcoin, but if it starts catching up in 2021, it could slow down bitcoin growth.
3. Central Bank Dilemma
This year, the Bank for International Settlements released a report and study showing that 80% of inland banks operate in some form of digital currency.
China has taken more digital currency testing than any other nation. Recently, in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, just west of Shanghai, a lottery was held in which 100,000 residents received 200 renminbi (about $ 30) in a digital wallet. They were encouraged to link their digital currency to their bank accounts, and if they did not use their digital currency within a few weeks, it disappeared – both of which are good strategies for further testing.
As China moves towards a global transition to digital yuan, it is likely to reduce the demand for bitcoin and other independent cryptocurrencies. Next year you may see similar tests in other countries.
4. Continuous Volatility
Because the value of bitcoin is not directly tied to any real world event (such as monetary or monetary policy), it can inform or diminish in ways that are difficult to predict or even explain.
As an investment, this makes it difficult to recommend anyone who hopes to avoid major losses. Some say bitcoin could reach $ 50,000 next year, and while that may seem overwhelming, there is no denying it if investors transfer money to other assets into bitcoin.
Of course, it is likely that the price will turn in the opposite direction by 2021. The thing that looks certain is that the 2020 wildlife tour will be repeated – so tie it up.
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