Bitcoin's back at $12,000 plus, but only for 30 minutes
Digital currency has been on a firming up trend since May, and $13,800 is doable
New York: Bitcoin reminded investors of both its promise and peril in trading this weekend.
The world's largest cryptocurrency rose to $12,112 in trading just after midnight New York time Sunday - its first foray above $12,000 since August 2019. But it plunged shortly thereafter - 30 minutes after the high, it had dropped to $10,638.
"In the short-term Bitcoin's daily momentum indicators are overbought (as they are for gold), but beyond some very near-term choppy trading, Bitcoin is likely to continue to trend to its next resistance level at $13,800," according to Rob Sluymer, technical strategist at Fundstrat Global Advisors LLC.
Bitcoin has rallied strongly in recent days after rising above $10,000. It had fallen as low as $4,904 in mid-March around the height of coronavirus-fueled market uncertainty, but by mid-May was back around $9,000.
Staying in contention
While cryptocurrencies' volatility continues to attract skeptics, JPMorgan Chase & Co. in June noted that Bitcoin's rally back from the March depths suggests it has staying power.
The cryptocurrency's notable moves both last weekend and this one recall a similar phenomenon in 2019, when outsized gains took place numerous times during Saturday and Sunday trading as the price rose from a few thousand dollars into five-digit range.