The world of cryptocurrency has been experiencing a period of stagnation, with Bitcoin and other digital currencies recording little movement in recent months. As of Tuesday, trading volumes on centralized exchanges such as Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Binance have dropped to around $30 billion a day, marking a significant decrease from their peak levels in 2021, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Bitcoin, which accounts for the majority of trading, has remained within a narrow band from $25,000 to $30,000 since mid-March. “When prices are not moving, a lot of people lose interest,” said Tal Cohen, U.S. managing director of crypto exchange Kraken. This lack of volatility has led many traders to shift their focus elsewhere.
This decline in activity has also affected market makers like Jane Street and Jump Capital, which have reportedly scaled back their operations in the U.S. GSR Markets, another significant player in crypto market making, has also reduced its presence in the U.S., focusing more on foreign exchanges.
The reduction in trading volumes could potentially impact investors by increasing price discrepancies on trades. Evgeny Gaevoy, CEO of market maker Wintermute, noted that large buy or sell orders could significantly impact prices due to less depth in exchanges’ order books.
Meanwhile, venture capital funding for crypto companies fell 71% to $2.3 billion from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023 according to PitchBook data. This is in stark contrast to the funding for AI and machine learning startups which stood at $19.4 billion.
In terms of specific companies, Coinbase saw its trading volume fall 37% between the first and second quarters. At Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:NASDAQ:HOOD), crypto trading volume in August was down 58% compared to the same period a year ago.
Despite these challenges, there are potential catalysts on the horizon that could revive the crypto market. One of these is the potential approval of a spot-based Bitcoin ETF. Another anticipated event is Bitcoin’s “halving event” next April, which could stimulate demand and push up prices. However, hurdles such as regulatory issues and ongoing legal cases in the crypto industry could pose significant challenges.
This report comes amid a broader shift in interest from cryptocurrencies to AI technologies, with companies like BlackRock (NYSE:NYSE:BLK), Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), and Fidelity Investments leading the way. Despite this, many in the industry remain optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies. “The market needs the retail side of crypto to come back,” said Doug Schwenk, CEO of Digital Asset Research.
