If it wasn't devastating enough for investors to see cryptocurrencies lose nearly $2 trillion in value since the height of the 2021 rally, analysts have predicted that the most recent plunge isn't a traditional market pullback. Instead of distinguishing between a market pullback and a longer-term decline, the industry has already shown signs of the more dreaded "the crypto winter."
For context, unlike last year's BTC plunge from $64,000 to $30,000, which occured in a matter of weeks, only to be followed by a stunning rebound to a new record of $68,700, the cooling prices evident in 2022 are making for much rougher waters.
To illustrate, consider the context. In 2022, there is broader economic uncertainty owing to the invasion of Ukraine, soaring inflation, and fears of a recession in major countries. Contagion has also spread through the crypto sector, with the collapse of the Terra blockchain creating a domino effect that hit a number of lenders and hedge funds. However, that doesn't mean the market won't ever recover. In fact, analysts raise questions that consider the opposite outcome.
Namely, what does the impact of the crypto winter mean for the mainstream adoption of crypto - and will this push back or accelerate the industry towards making digital assets an everyday method of payment? Already the industry is seeing new ways for consumers to pay in crypto rather than fiat, suggesting that the answer may be the latter.
Moreover, if new solutions are being made available, does this mean the end of the crypto winter? And if so, does that mean a recovery is underway?
At this stage, the only way to make a viable prediction is by drilling down into the performance of payments providers, arguably one of the strong indicators
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