Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin

The market impact of the possible hacking, which could be the largest-ever crypto heist according to analytics firm Chainalysis, was felt immediately in early Asian trading on Friday

Despite differences in trading behaviour and portfolio construction, Bitcoin and Dogecoin emerged as the most popular crypto pairing across every age group in Q2-CY26 on the CoinSwitch platform.

The recent pullback comes after a sharp reversal in US spot Bitcoin ETF flows and growing concerns around inflation and geopolitical tensions

Strength spilled into the altcoin complex, where Cardano, Solana, BNB, XRP, and Hyperliquid advanced as much as 8 per cent

Crypto markets have remained under pressure since October last year, after Bitcoin scaled its peak and has since been on a declining trajectory

Until macro stability returns and ETF inflows resume, crypto markets, analysts believe, are likely to remain defensive

Macro conditions also weighed on sentiment. Analysts noted that risk appetite softened across global markets as investors reassessed the outlook for monetary easing

Overall, muted capital inflows, analysts said, are likely to keep ETH range-bound, while Bitcoin's relative strength continues to support broader sentiment, though there is no clear breakout signal

The broader market reflected the digestion of the Bank of Japan's 25-basis-point rate hike, a move that, analysts said, had been anticipated

Bitcoin News: While the market appears oversold on short-term indicators, analysts said that has not been enough to establish a durable floor

Younger investors continued to dominate activity in the final quarter of the year. On an annual basis, however, the 26-35 age group led, accounting for 45 per cent of all crypto investors

If Bitcoin remains range-bound post-FOMC, rotational flows, analysts believe, may continue to support altcoins at the margins

The overall market sentiment remains dominated by fear, with the CoinMarketCap Crypto Fear and Greed Index registering at 27, firmly in the "fear" zone

Despite the intense volatility, market participants remained resilient, with total crypto market capitalisation rebounding above $4 trillion

The surge comes amid sustained institutional inflows, as investors grow increasingly optimistic about potentially supportive signals from the US Federal Reserve

The crypto market rally aligns with historical trends. October, often called 'Uptober' in the crypto space, has traditionally been bullish, with Q4 typically delivering strong gains

The rebound in the crypto markets, analysts said, suggests cautious institutional re-entry, but also underlines that macroeconomic signals and ETF flows will remain pivotal

The broader altcoin market mirrored the weak sentiment, with Story (IP) continuing its sell-off to emerge as the day's biggest laggard, plunging 28 per cent

The market's flagship assets - Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) - remain largely range-bound, which in turn has capped momentum across other altcoins

On the macro front, comments from the US Federal Reserve Chair have shifted the narrative, signaling a greater emphasis on labor market stability over aggressive inflation control