Bitcoin’s price has fallen below $54,000 after Mt. Gox moved $2.7 billion worth of BTC to a new address, leading to fears of increased selling pressure. This decline has resulted in a nearly 12% drop over the past week, with a 7.5% loss in the past 24 hours alone. Bitcoin reached a low of around $53,500 on Friday morning before slightly recovering above $54,000, but market uncertainty remains high.
The general cryptocurrency market has also experienced significant losses. Ethereum has dropped below $3,000, now trading at $2,900, down 10.4% daily. Binance Coin has decreased by 11.8%, currently trading around $470. In total, the cryptocurrency market has lost over $170 billion in combined market capitalisation within the last 24 hours.
The trustee for the Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate, Nobuaki Kobayashi, confirmed that repayments in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash had begun for some creditors through designated crypto exchanges. However, the exact amount transferred was not specified. Kobayashi emphasised that the remaining funds would be returned once certain conditions are met, urging eligible creditors to be patient as the process continues.
Additionally, the German government recently sold approximately 3,000 seized bitcoins worth around $175 million. This added to the market’s volatility. Blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence reported that Germany still holds over 40,000 bitcoins worth over $2 billion. The combination of these large-scale Bitcoin transfers and ongoing sell-offs has contributed to heightened market anxiety and huge losses