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Bitcoin Rally Stalls as Increasingly Correlated Gold Drops Below $2K

Bitcoin’s recent price rally has shifted to a sideways meander, possibly taking cues from gold’s drop from record highs.

  • The cryptocurrency is trading in the general range of $11,600–$11,900 for the fourth straight day.

  • Meanwhile, the precious metal is trading near $1,988 at press time – down 4.2% from the record high of $2,075 reached on Friday.

  • Both assets have recently developed a relatively strong positive correlation.

  • As such, gold’s decline may have applied the brakes to bitcoin’s rally from lows near $9,000.

  • Gold (above right) rallied from $1,800 to $2,075 in the three weeks to Aug. 7.

  • Over the same period, bitcoin rose from $9,100 to a peak of $12,118.

  • As a result, the one-month correlation between the two assets has strengthened to a record high of 68.9%, as noted by data source Skew.

  • While the growing correlation validates the”store of value” narrative surrounding bitcoin, it also makes the cryptocurrency vulnerable to sell-offs in gold.

  • “Gold is feeling the pull of gravity with U.S. Treasury yields showing signs of life,” Singapore-based QCP Capital said in its Telegram channel.

  • QCP noted that investors should keep a close eye on developments in bond yields and gold because they may have a bearing on bitcoin and ether prices.

  • The U.S. 10-year bond yield is hovering near 0.6% at press time, representing a 10 basis point gain from the recent low of 0.5%.

  • Gold, which does not provide a yield, may suffer deeper pullbacks and potentially push bitcoin lower if bond yields continue to rise.

  • Joel Kruger, a currency strategist at LMAX Digital, believes a potential sell-off in stock markets is a bigger risk to bitcoin’s upward trajectory than pullbacks in gold.

  • “A turnaround in stocks could threaten bitcoin, given risk for extended stocks to reverse and the potential to see what we saw back in March,” Kruger told CoinDesk in a Twitter conversation.

  • Global equities could come under pressure if the U.S. Congress remains deadlocked on additional coronavirus stimulus.

Also read: After Falling 65% This Year in Bitcoin Terms, Do ‘Stablecoins’ Need a Rebranding?

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