According to new research from OKEx Insights and Catallact, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, retail and institutional investors adopted very different BTC buying strategies.

The study looked at on-chain BTC transaction data from January to the beginning of August 2020 and found that retail investors decided to hang back and take a ‘wait and see’ approach. By contrast, the larger investors, who are largely institutional, started accumulating BTC.

The report noted that retail transactions, which are mostly for less than one-tenth of a Bitcoin, made up the majority of transactions, and that these buyers track the price fluctuations closely. However, as the report says, “these investors tend to be more easily “‘shaken out’ of the market in times of high volatility and dramatic price declines.”
Cointelegraph says, “Based on the data, retail transactions “decreased and deviated away from the price’s trend — suggesting that retail investors took a wait-and-see approach as BTC a season-long, post-crash accumulation period” around May. “

Interestingly, medium-sized transactions, usually attributed to miners and larger retail investors were cautious at the beginning of the pandemic, but this behavior ended in June, and they started buying more aggressively again.

The big transactions of over 1,000 BTC tell an even more interesting story: “As BTC approach $10,000, the number of transactions between 1,000 and 5,000 BTC continued to go up since the end of June even as the price began to consolidate. “

The report commented on this saying: “This upward trend suggests the possibility that institutions and/or large players got busy accumulating BTC as economic stimulus measures from central banks spurred on the purchase of hard assets. However, because we cannot cleanly differentiate what actual activity took place from the number of transactions alone, this only remains a speculative possibility.”

Basically, the report shows that the first few months of the pandemic impacted how people moved within the market, particularly as retail investors pulled back to await prices going back to normal again. Large investors, on the other hand, “bought the dip” and began accumulating BTC.

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https://medium.com/@lendoplatformltd/bitcoin-buying-strategies-during-covid-19-e2cc013e508e

Ripple (XRP) is the fourth most valuable cryptocurrency by market size, and it is showing some advantages over the crypto leader Bitcoin (BTC).

According to one crypto analyst going by the name Crypto Whale, there are four clear advantages:

XRP is x1000 faster than $BTC (3–4 seconds)
XRP is x1000 cheaper than $BTC (more than $0.01)
XRP is better for the environment (no mining)
XRP is more scalable.

At the time this report was written, XRP traded at $0.249510 with a daily trading volume of $1,859,495,081. Furthermore, the XRP price has gone up 2.4% in the last 24 hours.

Of course XRP is a curious thing: it has dual roles as a payment platform and a currency, plus it is an open-source platform that was created to allow quick and cheap transactions.

Banks using XRP

It has certainly gained some traction with banks. In 2018, Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, with assets of more than USD 2.8 trillion, announced that, in cooperation with Ripple, it would provide an international money transfer service on the payment corridor from Japan to Brazil. In Europe, HSBC Holdings Plc, with assets of about $2.5 trillion, disclosed in 2019 that it would use the XRP payment solution. Others having a relationship with Ripple include Banco Santander, Barclays PLC, Royal Bank of Canada, and Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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https://medium.com/@lendoplatformltd/why-xrp-may-be-a-better-buy-than-bitcoin-ba2b59aa3e0e

On 2nd October, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it is seriously considering the idea of a digital Euro and that its study of the idea should start by mid-2021.

The ECB report looks at how that might affect payments to retailers now and in the future, as well as look at the ways in which virtual currencies would fit into the whole Euro system. However, the report does not suggest what digital currency model the ECB might use.

The report also suggests that the ECB may start a virtual currency programme in the middle of 2021 “to ensure meaningful answers are obtained to the open questions raised.” It is likely to begin with an investigative phase where numerous experiments are conducted, and there will also need to be a stage in which the ECB consults with all the stakeholders in the Eurozone.

The ECB report also pointed to the idea that digital currencies promote better financial inclusivity, stating: “The possible advantages of a digital euro and the rapid changes in the retail payment landscape imply that the Eurosystem needs to be equipped to issue it in the future. A digital euro could support the Eurosystem’s objectives by providing citizens with access to a safe form of money in the fast-changing digital world. This would support Europe’s drive towards continued innovation. It would also contribute to its strategic autonomy by providing an alternative to foreign payment providers for fast and efficient payments in Europe and beyond.”

There will be several hurdles to jump before a digital euro is created. It must “keep pace with technology” and be available “through standard interoperable front-end solutions throughout the entire euro area and be interoperable with private payment solutions.” It must also match the features of cash in that it must be “easy for everyone to use, be free of charge, and protect privacy.”

The ECB said the digital euro must also be available outside the Eurozone, save costs and be environmentally friendly, signaling that it should be based on technology that minimizes ecological footprints.

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https://medium.com/@lendoplatformltd/prepare-for-a-digital-euro-aa2e3b4e26f6

According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin (BTC) volatility is at a 16-month low. The BTC options aggregate has increased to $2 billion, which is 13% below it’s all-time high, plus the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has also reached $300 million.

These option derivatives contracts offer buyers protection from both the upside and downside, and the fact that liquid options currently exist in the market is a positive trend.

They allow miners to stabilize their income, while market-makers are able to use them to hedge their trades. In short, “deeply liquid markets attract larger participants and increase their efficiency.” An implied volatility can be useful. When traders believe there is a larger risk of volatility in the price, this indicator shifts to a higher position, but the opposite happens when there is an expectation of less dramatic price movement.

For Bitcoin owners, a lower perceived volatility is good news, as it is often a signal of a significant price movement, and that market makers are willing to sell protection on lower premiums. Investors then need to shift their focus to futures markets and analyse whether or not there may be a dramatic price shift. It often leads to more investors joining the market, or that existing ones increase their positions.

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https://medium.com/@lendoplatformltd/is-a-dramatic-bitcoin-price-change-coming-fadf802d8bc9

This could be a momentous week of change and chaos for the United States as the election polls close on 3rd November. What might happen to Bitcoin? It has started this week at $13,500: will it hold its strong position, or will we see some volatility?
Cointelegraph has identified five things that might influence the crypto markets, including the latest lock-downs in Europe.

Presidential elections are the kind of event that has a huge impact on all markets. The market makers will be considering what the new president’s policies will be at a time of global instability due to the pandemic. It is believed that whatever the result, there will be a rush towards safe haven assets, such as gold and Bitcoin.

In Europe, the outlook for the markets is bleak due to the various lock-downs. Cointelegraph says, “Amid fresh warnings of contractions in economic activity due to the measures, markets began shrugging off even bullish signs in favor of reducing potential election fallout.”
Furthermore, the European Central Bank (ECB) is printing more money. One trader called MMCrypto, told people on Twitter to reduce their investment in fiat currencies: “The crazy news is that the businesses which have to close will get up to 75% of their revenue in freshly printed money.”

Other things to keep an eye on include “yet another so-called “gap” to open up in futures markets.” Zack Voell said, “CME Bitcoin futures opening with a gap up for the fourth consecutive week. That’s pretty bullish.”

Also, analysts remain bullish over Bitcoin’s monthly close, with institutions seeing the monthly close figure as an essential tool for reinforcing bullish sentiment. Let’s not forget that Bitcoin began October trading at around $10,750.

Lastly, there is a shake up happening in mining. Cointelegraph says, “Difficulty, a measure of the competition and economic health of miners and an essential part of Bitcoin’s self-maintaining ecosystem, is set to drop by the most since March on Tuesday.”

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https://lendoplatformltd.medium.com/watching-bitcoin-in-the-week-of-the-us-elections-cc1559a96e41

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This time the banks are joining in. Still in the plans since they haven't set a date yet.

https://cryptobriefing.com/coinbases-30-billion-ipo-to-be-led-by-goldman-sachs/