Many in the cryptocurrency space have been asking when the next wave of retail and institutional investors will come in. By some estimates, it should be soon.
If you were around in 2017, you know that it was a flux of new retail investors that pushed Bitcoin’s price over the edge. It signaled the last phase of the bull market which crashed catastrophically thereafter. Now, there are more mature platforms and institutions in place than ever before. However, we’re still waiting for the influx of new money to come into the market.
Bitcoin has been oscillating around the $10,000 price point as of late as many in the cryptocurrency community watch the Libra drama unfold. Despite the uncertainty, there are many signs that investor interest in Bitcoin is only growing. For example, Grayscale Investments recently discovered that about a third (36%) of all U.S. investors would consider picking up some Bitcoin. That’s a massive pool of potential fresh capital which could pour into the market.
Despite the growth in price and institutional interest, however, retail participation in the market has stayed relatively stagnant. This likely indicates that we are still in the ‘accumulation’ period before the next leg up.
There’s reason to believe, however, that the first wave of fresh blood into the cryptocurrency market may come from gold investors. In fact, according to surveys conducted, many investors who like Bitcoin also like gold. There’s been significant overlap since Bitcoin investors mostly see gold as a low-risk asset.
So, is the next wave of institutional investors coming for Bitcoin? It likely won’t happen in the next few months, but momentum is building. Institutional interest is already here, but are all the cards in place for the massive influx of retail interest? The first thing exchanges need to do is prepare and, by some accounts, they seem to be lagging behind.
Do you think we could see a surge of new investors by year’s end? Let us know your thoughts below.
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