NEW YORK: Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies slumped after the Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) conveyed a statement reiterating that digital tokens cant be used as a form of payment.
The largest token fell below US$40,000 (RM165,519) for the first time since early February, dropping as much as 10% to US$38,973 (RM161,270) yesterday and continuing a weeklong slide sparked by Elon Musks back-and-forth comments on Tesla Incs holdings of the coin. Ether, Dogecoin and last weeks sensation, Internet Computer, also retreated.
This is the latest chapter of China tightening the noose around crypto, said Antoni Trenchev, managing partner and co-founder of Nexo in London, a crypto lender.
Virtual currencies should not and cannot be used in the market because theyre not real currencies, according to a notice posted on the PBoCs official WeChat account. Financial and payments institutions are not allowed to price products or services with virtual currency, the notice said.
The statement doesnt have any new regulatory steps, according to Yu Lingqu, a vice-director at the China Development Institute think-tank in Shenzhen. The notice was conveyed by the central bank but compiled by industry associations rather than government officials, making it less powerful, according to Liu Yang, a lawyer at Beijing-based law firm DeHeng Law Offices.
They just want caution, said Bobby Lee, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of crypto storage provider Ballet. They feel the market is over-hyped, theres speculative trading, theyre looking out for the best interests of the people.
Beijing since 2017 has abolished initial coin offerings and clamped down on virtual currency trading within its borders, forcing many exchanges overseas. The country was once home to about 90% of trades but the lions share of mining and major players have since fled abroad.
China has recently taken steps to issue its own digital yuan, seeking to replace cash and maintain control over a payments landscape that has become increasingly dominated by technology companies not regulated like banks.
Its no surprise to me, as Chinese capital controls can be challenged by cryptocurrency purchases in the country and transfers out of the country, said Adam Reynolds, CEO for APAC at Saxo Markets. So avoiding use of them in the country is essential to maintaining capital controls. The only tolerable digital currency to a government with strong capital controls is their own central bank digital currency.
Many chartists and technical analysts are looking at bitcoins 14-day relative strength index, which entered oversold levels Tuesday, as well as the 200-day moving average (DMA)around US$39,800 (RM164,692). Breaching the 200-DMA could mean it drops to US$30,000 (RM124,139), where its previously found support.
For Stephane Ouellette, chief executive and co-founder of FRNT Financial, the moves have more to do with Musks recent tweets about bitcoin. Teslas entrance into the space saw some of the most aggressive bitcoin buying Ive personally ever seen and it has to unwind, Ouellette said.
The electric vehicle-makers retraction that it will accept bitcoin as payment was the catalyst that accelerated the spread consolidation. Then over the weekend, little comments here and there have continued to confuse, he said. Bloomberg
