Crypto Market: Cooling Demand and a Niche Party, Not a Full-Blown Alt-Season 🚨

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What to know:

  • Bitcoin, that old reliable, decided to play it safe and floated up by a whopping 1.4% to $114,610. Ether, meanwhile, shot ahead by 5.8%, because apparently everyone’s a bit more optimistic when they’re not trying to pick between a Lambo and a house.
  • The CoinDesk 20 index trudged up 3.5%, with analysts sighing and whispering about a “selective” move into ether-probably due to macroeconomic circus acts like Jackson Hole and inflation fireworks.
  • CryptoQuant reports that Bitcoin demand has dropped faster than a hot cake-down from 174,000 BTC in July to just 59,000 today. ETF inflows? Slower than a snail on a downhill slope. The market is in what they call a “bullish cooldown”-which sounds like a fancy way of saying it’s catching its breath before the next big move.

Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s brewing in the crypto teapot:

The CoinDesk 20, the ruler of crypto kings, is up 3.5%, floating comfortably above 4,078-probably sipping tea and pondering whether to surge higher or take a nap.

OKX Singapore’s boss lady, Gracie Lin, told CoinDesk that the ETH/BTC ratio is climbing, signaling chivalrous knights are riding into ether’s camp while Bitcoin naps.

“Crypto capital is getting more selective,” said Ms. Lin, as if crypto were a fancy cocktail party and everyone’s choosing their drinks carefully.

She’s quick to clarify-it’s *not* an altcoin frenzy (yet), but more like a tactical move, as macro events like Jackson Hole and inflation data keep everyone on their toes.

CryptoQuant’s latest peek under the market hood reveals demand for Bitcoin has nosedived-implying that traders are less frothy and more cautious. Meanwhile, whales (those big fish) made a $2 billion profit on August 16, adding to a total of $74 billion since July. Talk about a whale-sized barbecue!

Market analysts at Enflux warn that retail hype for altcoins has evaporated faster than ice cream in a heatwave. But some coins like BNB hit all-time highs and Hyperliquid continues to show muscle. The implication? This isn’t a broad party, but more like a fancy dinner where only the chosen get in-the market is more precise, selective, and institutional, like a VIP club.

All in all, these days, the crypto scene isn’t about wild rallies; it’s about the sharp shooters, with ETH wearing the crown, proving that in crypto, focus beats frenzy every time.

Market Movers

BTC: Bitcoin tiptoed up 1.4% past $114,000, while stocks in the U.S. took a little nap, and altcoins kept their resilience-like that one friend who refuses to go down.

ETH: Ether zoomed 5.8%, showing traders are doing the ‘rotation dance’ into bigger, shinier stars despite Bitcoin’s quiet snooze.

Gold: UBS decided gold is still king, raising its price target to a shiny $3,600 per ounce by 2026. Why? Because U.S. macro risks, de-dollarization, and an obsessive ETF-buying spree make gold look like the safest bet for people who want shiny without tension.

S&P 500: The Nasdaq dipped 0.68% and the S&P slipped 0.26%, as investors swapped their tech toys for energy, health, and consumer goods-probably plotting how to survive the Fed’s Jackson Hole mystery tour.

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2025-08-21 03:56