Benzinga - Bitcoin's (CRYPTO: BTC) price has consistently risen for five consecutive days, positioning the premier cryptocurrency for its most significant monthly increase since October 2021.
Bitcoin's value climbed by up to 4.1% early Wednesday, reaching $59,053.
In recent days, Bitcoin has reached all-time high values when measured against several currencies, including the Japanese yen, Malaysian ringgit, Indian rupee, Taiwan dollar, South Korean won, Chilean peso, Australian dollar, Chinese yuan, South African rand, Norwegian krone, and Turkish lira.
It has enjoyed gains on nearly every trading day throughout February, accumulating a 39% increase for the month. This surge is attributed to the excitement surrounding the introduction of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States at the beginning of January, alongside growing optimism for the cryptocurrency's next "halving" event in April.
According to SoSoValue, on Feb. 27, the total net inflows for Bitcoin spot ETFs reached $576 million.
The Grayscale ETF GBTC (OTC: GBTC) experienced a net outflow of $125 million in a single day; the Bitcoin spot ETF with the highest net inflow for the day was BlackRock's ETF IBIT (NASDAQ: IBIT), with a net inflow of approximately $520 million, setting a new record for IBIT's single-day net inflow.
Currently, IBIT's total historical net inflow has reached $6.54 billion
What Happened: A Catalyst For Growth
The recent launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. has sparked a buying spree, overshadowing concerns about the Federal Reserve's potential interest rate hikes. This enthusiasm is bolstered by the anticipation of Bitcoin's forthcoming "halving" in April, fueling speculation that the cryptocurrency might soon surpass its November 2021 peak of nearly $69,000.
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In the broader crypto market, leading tokens such as Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), and Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP) have also experienced up to a 3% increase in value since the start of the day in Asia, according to CoinGecko data.
Why It Matters: The Stakes And Sentiment
The market's sentiment, as measured by the fear and greed index, hit a score of 82 on Wednesday, indicating extreme greed and marking the highest level of such sentiment in over a year.
This intense optimism and substantial inflows into U.S.-based ETFs suggests a supply-demand imbalance that could propel the market even higher.
However, some traders are bracing for a potential downturn.
The accumulation of Bitcoin put options—contracts that allow investors to sell at predetermined prices—signals a growing concern over an overheated market poised for correction.
These options reflect a bearish outlook or a strategy to hedge against a possible decline in spot or futures positions.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $59,250, up 5.1% over the past 24 hours, according to Benzinga Pro.
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