Bitcoin has surged once again over the weekend, taking its price above $51,000 on Monday morning.
The latest gains have been mirrored by other leading cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ether) and Cardano (ada), which are both trading close to record highs.
The overall crypto market is now worth more than $2.35 trillion, marking the highest point since May, and just $150 billion away from the record highs it experienced earlier this year.
Some analysts have forecast a second leg of the bull run that took BTC to an all-time high in mid April of $64,000.
One price prediction from pseudonymous Dutch analyst PlanB puts bitcoin on a trajectory towards $100k+ before the end of 2021, however less positive forecasts claim that the cryptocurrency is in the middle of a so-called “dead cat bounce” that will result in new yearly lows below $20k.
You can follow all the latest news, updates and expert predictions right here.
Bitcoin ‘bypasses oppressive power structures’ in Taliban-run Afghanistan
While a lot of the recent focus on bitcoin has been centred on its price, there have been some positive news stories focussing on the cryptocurrency’s technology and how it can prove life-changing for those cut off by traditional financial services.
A first-hand account by an individual on the ground in Afghanistan has offered a glimpse into how bitcoin can benefit those living under Taliban rule.
“Just like our personal freedom, our economic freedom is quickly disappearing, as many anticipate we’re on the brink of an all-out economic collapse,” the person writes anonymously in the article for The Tokenist.
“Fortunately, developments around technology have provided us with an alternative. Digital assets, while no guarantee of freedom, can assist in obtaining some level of freedom.
“They can be beneficial in bypassing oppressive power structures by offering users 24/7 access to funds in a permissionless manner. With legacy finance in Afghanistan on the brink of collapse, a vacuum for another system is already felt. Surely, crypto can’t fix Afghanistan, but it suggests an alternative financial system for every Afghan man and woman who has been cut off from the world.”
Bitcoin adoption in Afghanistan has sky rocketed in 2021
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Anthony Cuthbertson6 September 2021 12:19
Bitcoin price at highest since May
A fresh bitcoin price rally overnight has taken the cryptocurrency to its highest point since May.
With El Salvador set to officially recognise the crypto as a form of currency tomorrow, there are hopes that a price pump from btc advocates could help it rise even further. Notable figures within the industry have called on people to buy $30 of bitcoin to celebrate the legislation coming into effect on 7 September.
Taking a longer-term view, bitcoin is up by more than five-times since this time last year.
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Anthony Cuthbertson6 September 2021 10:48
Hello and welcome…
To The Independent’s live coverage of the crypto market. We’ll have all the latest news, analysis and expert price predictions for bitcoin, Ethereum (ether) and other leading cryptocurrencies.
Anthony Cuthbertson6 September 2021 10:31