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Fintech CEO: Instability in Afghanistan Offers Real-World Test for Bitcoin, Cryptocurrencies

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 As the Taliban seized control of the structures of power throughout Afghanistan, inflation has begun to skyrocket, and there has been a run on the banks, many of which were forced to close when they ran out of cash. The country is without payment processors like Paypal, and Western Union has stopped operating in the country.

“The Afghan economy is still largely a cash economy, and, while its unlikely that many will be able to immediately exchange their cash into cryptocurrency, there are signs that some in the country began to use digital assets before the government fell. Seeing the conditions on the ground, it was easy to see the allure of a decentralized digital currency as a way to protect the value of assets,” said Richard Gardner, CEO of Modulus, a US-based developer of ultra-high-performance trading and surveillance technology that powers global equities, derivatives, and digital asset exchanges.

“Obviously the current geopolitical situation is a mess, but, economically, Afghanistan is an extreme case of inflation and instability. In principle, the same theory of storing value, which applies in places like Nigeria, would apply to Afghanistan. The difference is in the technological infrastructure, which, of course, is more abundant in Nigeria,” said Gardner. “Even still, there are reasons to believe that, for some, it could provide a safe haven.”

Earlier this year, the Fantom Foundation, in conjunction with the Afghanistan Ministry of Health, announced that a trial run of the National Medical Importation Security Initiative was successful. The initiative used blockchain-based technologies to stop the counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals sold throughout the country.

“Not unlike other developing countries, education is the best way to expand access to technology. Of course, those with access to technology are going to be more interested in digital assets. There have been reports of students in universities in Afghanistan who learned about such things as opening a digital wallet,” Gardner explained. Anecdotal surveys also show that interest in Afghanistan has increased significantly over the past year, and, according to CNBC, Google Trends data shows that searches for cryptocurrency-related terms rose significantly in July.

Modulus is known throughout the financial technology segment as a leader in the development of ultra-high frequency trading systems and blockchain technologies. Over the past twenty years, the company has built technology for the world’s most notable exchanges, with a client list which includes NASA, NASDAQ, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Barclays, Siemens, Shell, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Cornell University, and the University of Chicago.

“When you look at what’s happened in Afghanistan, and when you realize that the citizenry of the country is likely to see significantly more financial hardships before the situation normalizes, it is easy to see the allure of cryptocurrencies. It will be interesting to see how the CBDC race bears out. In the future, will citizens of countries like Afghanistan look around to neighboring countries, identify a CBDC which they believe to be stable, and invest their savings there to prevent against inflation? If there aren’t regulations against it, that’s a significant possibility — and another reason why all central banks should want to move to develop their own CBDC with vigor,” said Gardner.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Bitcoin Tests $66,000 Amidst Volatility Forecast

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As Bitcoin surged to a $66,000 price level during Asian trading hours, cryptocurrency markets brace for heightened volatility, with market observers predicting turbulent times ahead.

The cryptocurrency’s price volatility has been a subject of much discussion, particularly in light of recent events.

Semir Gabeljic, Director of Capital Formation at Pythagoras Investments, who highlighted the ongoing volatility cited a recent drawdown of 10% fueled by spot Bitcoin ETF outflows from GBTC, totaling approximately $300 million on March 20.

Gabeljic emphasized that such drawdowns typically occur in the lead-up to Bitcoin halving events, signaling a potential for increased volatility in the near future.

Meanwhile, the CoinDesk 20 (CD20), which tracks the world’s most liquid digital assets, experienced a minor dip of 0.5%.

However, amidst this overall market movement, CoinDesk’s Digitization Index (DTZ) saw a notable uptick, led by protocols like Ethereum Name Service (ENS), which rose by 2.7% during Asia trading hours.

Singapore-based trading firm QCP Capital noted the current consolidation in the market, with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading within a relatively tight range.

They suggested that the market might see a pause in activity over the weekend following the volatility leading up to the previous weekend’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

Also, QCP Capital highlighted the continued outflows from the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), expecting a fourth consecutive day of BTC spot exchange-traded fund net outflows.

The firm also pointed out a widening discount on Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and the market’s diminishing expectations for the approval of a spot Ethereum ETF.

With Bitcoin’s test of $66,000 and ongoing market dynamics, cryptocurrency investors and analysts remain vigilant, anticipating further fluctuations in the days to come.

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Binance CEO Forecasts Bitcoin Surge Beyond $80,000 on Institutional Inflows

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Binance Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng has set his sights on Bitcoin surging beyond the $80,000 price level on the back of rising institutional investments into crypto-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Speaking at an event in Bangkok on Sunday, Teng highlighted the significant impact of the launch of Bitcoin ETFs in the United States earlier this year.

He noted that this development has attracted a considerable influx of institutional investors, propelling fresh funds into the cryptocurrency market.

Teng expressed confidence in Bitcoin’s upward trajectory, emphasizing that “we’re just getting started.”

Initially estimating Bitcoin to reach around $80,000 by the end of the year, Teng now believes that the cryptocurrency’s price will surpass this milestone.

He attributed this bullish outlook to a combination of decreasing supply and sustained demand within the market.

However, he cautioned that the rally wouldn’t be without its fluctuations, suggesting that the market’s ups and downs would ultimately benefit its overall health.

Bitcoin has already surged by an impressive 56% this year, reaching a record high of nearly $73,798 last week.

Despite concerns among some investors about a potential bubble, Teng remains optimistic about Bitcoin’s future trajectory.

Teng’s forecast comes in the wake of his appointment as CEO of Binance, succeeding co-founder Changpeng Zhao in November following the company’s $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities.

With relentless inflows into US spot Bitcoin ETFs since their approval in January, Teng expects further institutional adoption in the near term, with more endowments and family offices anticipated to increase their allocations into Bitcoin ETFs.

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Bitcoin Retreats from Record Highs Amid Debate Over Market Speculation

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The cryptocurrency retreated from its recent record highs, igniting a debate over the speculative fervor gripping global markets.

In Asian trading on Friday, Bitcoin plummeted by as much as 5.6%, shedding its gains from the previous day when it reached a new pinnacle of nearly $73,798.

Despite recovering slightly to trade at $67,300, the retreat has triggered concerns about the sustainability of the crypto bull run.

The moderation in Bitcoin’s surge, alongside a similar trend in other top cryptocurrencies like Ether, BNB, and Solana, reflects a broader shift in investor sentiment.

With both Bitcoin’s ascent and the performance of the top 100 tokens hovering around 60% for the year, market participants are reevaluating their risk appetites amidst a backdrop of escalating inflationary pressures.

In a Bloomberg Television interview, Bank of America Corp.’s Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett sounded alarms, likening the market’s euphoria to the characteristics of a bubble, particularly evident in the technology sector’s “Magnificent Seven” stocks and the soaring highs of cryptocurrencies.

The debate over market speculation is gaining traction on Wall Street, with questions looming about the vulnerability of various asset classes to a potential pullback.

Proponents of Bitcoin point to fundamental supports, such as significant net inflows into US exchange-traded funds and an impending reduction in token supply growth.

However, Bitcoin’s stumble coincided with a surge in US yields and the dollar following a report revealing a spike in producer prices, exacerbating concerns about the Federal Reserve’s ongoing efforts to rein in inflation.

Also, data from Coinglass indicates a rise in caution within the derivatives market, with a notable increase in liquidated bullish crypto wagers and a slump in funding rates for Bitcoin perpetual futures, favored by speculators.

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