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  • Analysts warn that Iran crisis carries potential nuclear risks

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    In the wake of spiraling tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests, analysts warn that the internal upheaval affecting the Iranian theocracy could carry nuclear proliferation risks.While in recent days U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to have backed away from a military strike on Iran, he called Saturday for an end to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s nearly 40-year reign in Iran. Trump’s comments came in response to Khamenei branding Trump a “criminal” for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths.Meanwhile, a U.S. aircraft carrier, which days earlier had been in the South China Sea, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca — putting it on a route that could bring it to the Middle East.With those dangers, analysts warn Iran’s nuclear material could be at risk as well.Nuclear material could fall into the wrong handsDavid Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, said that in a scenario of internal chaos in Iran, the government could “lose the ability to protect its nuclear assets.”He said that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile “would be the most worrisome,” adding that there is a possibility that someone could steal some of this material.There are historical precedents for such a scenario.Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, highly enriched uranium and plutonium suitable for building nuclear bombs went missing due to eroded security and weakened protection of these assets.So far, Iran has maintained control of its sites, even after the U.S. bombed them in the 12-day war in June that Israel launched against the Islamic Republic.Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog.The agency said in a report last November that it has not been able to verify the status and location of this highly enriched uranium stockpile since the war in June.The agency said in November that therefore it had lost “continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of nuclear material in Iran” at facilities affected by the war.A diplomat close to the IAEA confirmed Monday that the agency had still not received any information from Iran on the status or whereabouts of the highly enriched uranium stockpile. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic protocol.Albright said that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would fit in around 18 to 20 cylinders that are designed for transport, weighing around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) each when full. “Two people can easily carry it,” he said of each container.Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said that there is a risk that the stockpile “could be diverted either to a covert program or stolen by a faction of the government or the military that wanted to retain the option of weaponization.”She said that this risk increases as the Iranian government feels threatened or gets destabilized.Some of the nuclear material could get smuggled out of Iran or sold to non-state actors in the event of internal chaos or potential government collapse, Davenport said.“The risk is real but it is difficult to assess, given the unknowns regarding the status of the materials and the whereabouts,” she stressed.Possibility of Iran building a nuclear bombBoth Davenport and Albright pointed out that there is also a theoretical possibility of making nuclear bombs with Iran’s 60% enriched uranium. Tehran has insisted for years its program is peaceful.However, a weapon made directly from 60% enriched uranium rather than the usual 90% purity requires more nuclear material, which makes it “much bigger and bulkier and probably not well suited to delivery” on a missile, said Eric Brewer, a former U.S. intelligence analyst and now deputy vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.He added that such a device could still be “blown up in the desert,” for example.Brewer said that the possibility that the current government in Iran goes down that road should not be “totally dismissed,” but he underlined that most information suggests that the highly enriched uranium “remains buried in a tunnel as a result of the U.S. strikes and is probably not easily accessible to the regime; at least not with some major risk of detection and another strike by the U.S. or Israel.”He added that recent events “have also shown that the Supreme Leader has a very high bar for any decision to weaponize.”Nuclear power reactor could be a targetIn the case of internal chaos, Iran’s nuclear power reactor in Bushehr — Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant some 465 miles south of Tehran — could also get sabotaged or targeted with the aim of causing havoc or making a political point, Albright said. Bushehr is fueled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran.So far, there has been no sign of Iran losing command and control of its security forces.Albright pointed to the attack by the African National Congress’s armed wing on South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town, as the country went through increased anti-apartheid resistance in 1982. The act of sabotage caused significant damage but resulted in no nuclear fallout.“If the Bushehr reactor has a major accident, the winds would carry the fallout within 12 to 15 hours to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman,” Albright said.

    In the wake of spiraling tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests, analysts warn that the internal upheaval affecting the Iranian theocracy could carry nuclear proliferation risks.

    While in recent days U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to have backed away from a military strike on Iran, he called Saturday for an end to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s nearly 40-year reign in Iran. Trump’s comments came in response to Khamenei branding Trump a “criminal” for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths.

    Meanwhile, a U.S. aircraft carrier, which days earlier had been in the South China Sea, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca — putting it on a route that could bring it to the Middle East.

    With those dangers, analysts warn Iran’s nuclear material could be at risk as well.

    Nuclear material could fall into the wrong hands

    David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, said that in a scenario of internal chaos in Iran, the government could “lose the ability to protect its nuclear assets.”

    He said that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile “would be the most worrisome,” adding that there is a possibility that someone could steal some of this material.

    There are historical precedents for such a scenario.

    Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, highly enriched uranium and plutonium suitable for building nuclear bombs went missing due to eroded security and weakened protection of these assets.

    So far, Iran has maintained control of its sites, even after the U.S. bombed them in the 12-day war in June that Israel launched against the Islamic Republic.

    Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog.

    The agency said in a report last November that it has not been able to verify the status and location of this highly enriched uranium stockpile since the war in June.

    The agency said in November that therefore it had lost “continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of nuclear material in Iran” at facilities affected by the war.

    A diplomat close to the IAEA confirmed Monday that the agency had still not received any information from Iran on the status or whereabouts of the highly enriched uranium stockpile. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic protocol.

    Albright said that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would fit in around 18 to 20 cylinders that are designed for transport, weighing around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) each when full. “Two people can easily carry it,” he said of each container.

    Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said that there is a risk that the stockpile “could be diverted either to a covert program or stolen by a faction of the government or the military that wanted to retain the option of weaponization.”

    She said that this risk increases as the Iranian government feels threatened or gets destabilized.

    Some of the nuclear material could get smuggled out of Iran or sold to non-state actors in the event of internal chaos or potential government collapse, Davenport said.

    “The risk is real but it is difficult to assess, given the unknowns regarding the status of the materials and the whereabouts,” she stressed.

    Possibility of Iran building a nuclear bomb

    Both Davenport and Albright pointed out that there is also a theoretical possibility of making nuclear bombs with Iran’s 60% enriched uranium. Tehran has insisted for years its program is peaceful.

    However, a weapon made directly from 60% enriched uranium rather than the usual 90% purity requires more nuclear material, which makes it “much bigger and bulkier and probably not well suited to delivery” on a missile, said Eric Brewer, a former U.S. intelligence analyst and now deputy vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

    He added that such a device could still be “blown up in the desert,” for example.

    Brewer said that the possibility that the current government in Iran goes down that road should not be “totally dismissed,” but he underlined that most information suggests that the highly enriched uranium “remains buried in a tunnel as a result of the U.S. strikes and is probably not easily accessible to the regime; at least not with some major risk of detection and another strike by the U.S. or Israel.”

    He added that recent events “have also shown that the Supreme Leader has a very high bar for any decision to weaponize.”

    Nuclear power reactor could be a target

    In the case of internal chaos, Iran’s nuclear power reactor in Bushehr — Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant some 465 miles south of Tehran — could also get sabotaged or targeted with the aim of causing havoc or making a political point, Albright said. Bushehr is fueled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran.

    So far, there has been no sign of Iran losing command and control of its security forces.

    Albright pointed to the attack by the African National Congress’s armed wing on South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town, as the country went through increased anti-apartheid resistance in 1982. The act of sabotage caused significant damage but resulted in no nuclear fallout.

    “If the Bushehr reactor has a major accident, the winds would carry the fallout within 12 to 15 hours to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman,” Albright said.

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  • As Elon Musk plans a robot army, China’s humanoid bots are already on the market

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    As Elon Musk touted plans to eventually manufacture an army of Tesla bots in Silicon Valley this month, humanoid robots were already being produced and sold to consumers in China.

    Chinese and U.S. companies have begun a battle to build the world’s best bots. While it’s early days, experts say China is leading in the quantity of robots delivered to consumers, while America is ahead in the quality of robots demonstrated.

    Musk danced with Tesla’s Optimus bots at his company’s shareholder meeting and outlined plans for a factory in Fremont that he said will someday have the capacity to build a million bots a year, which would sell for around $20,000 in today’s dollars. One of China’s leading robotics companies, Unitree Robotics, already has a humanoid robot on the market that can walk, dance and perform basic tasks. Its least expensive version costs around $6,000.

    Tesla robot Optimus serves popcorn to guests at the Tesla Diner on the restaurant’s opening day on July 21.

    (Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

    While the inexpensive Unitree bot is far less sophisticated than Optimus, its early entrance into the real-world market at an affordable price demonstrates China’s edge. The country has the parts, the production facilities and the pool of labor required to bring the rapidly evolving robots to market quickly and cheaply, said P.K. Tseng, an analyst at the tech consulting firm TrendForce.

    “The U.S. leads in technological innovation, while China excels in speed of implementation,” he said. “The real turning point will arrive when humanoid robots move beyond R&D prototypes to large-scale deployment.”

    The International Federation of Robotics, IFR, estimates that there are at least 80 humanoid robot companies in China, five times that of the U.S. A Morgan Stanley report on humanoid robots earlier this year estimated that Chinese companies had more than twice the number of robots unveiled than U.S. companies since 2022, while Chinese organizations have applied for more than three times the number of patents using the word “humanoid” in the last five years.

    At the forefront is Unitree, which went viral in January after its humanoid robots performed a Chinese folk dance live, marching rhythmically while tossing and twirling handkerchiefs. That model, which costs about $90,000, won the opening race at the inaugural Beijing Humanoid Robot Games in August, taking 6½ minutes to run about one mile.

    Students interact with a humanoid robot in China.

    Students from the Primary School Affiliated to Hefei Normal School interact with the humanoid robot “Xiao An” after a science class on Oct. 27 in Hefei, Anhui province, in China.

    (China News Service via Getty Images)

    The company has become a Chinese tech darling and is preparing for an initial public offering with a reported valuation as high as $7 billion.

    The ultimate goal of a general-purpose robot, one that can package goods, do household chores and assist in surgical procedures, is still years away. Humanoid robots are not yet fully autonomous and are mostly purchased by hobbyists, research institutions or manufacturers. Hyundai Motor Group is deploying robots made by Boston Dynamics in its car factories. In China, humanoid robots are also bought and rented as entertainment, to dance and perform at events.

    According to TrendForce, the latest generation of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot greatly surpasses the products of China’s top manufacturers, including Unitree, in body and hand versatility, load capacity and battery life. Another advantage U.S. robotics companies have is advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which will be crucial in developing robots that can learn to carry out basic human tasks on their own.

    Musk says Tesla’s edge is that it has the engineering capability to build limbs, AI to run the brains, and the manufacturing know-how to mass-produce the bots. He projects that the movements of the next generation of Optimus will be indistinguishable from those of humans.

    “It will seem as though there’s someone like a person in a robot outfit,” he told shareholders this month. “Really, it’s going to be something special.”

    His prediction recently came true — in China. EV maker XPeng demonstrated its latest bot this month and its casual gait was so human-like that the company had to convince some skeptics it was a robot by bringing heavy scissors on stage to cut away its synthetic skin and reveal its mechanical insides.

    By prioritizing commercialization, Chinese manufacturers are leaning on government support and manufacturing prowess for an upper hand in the latest frontier of a tech rivalry with the U.S., similar to how it came to dominate other industries like solar panels and electric cars.

    “They’re not first mover in anything. But they’re building a lot of robots, selling them really, really cheap, and just trying to get them out in the world,” said Erik Walenza-Slabe, a managing partner of Asia Growth Partners, a Shanghai-based consultancy that helps businesses expand in Asia. “That might be a better strategy in the long term.”

    Morgan Stanley estimates that the humanoid robot market will be worth $5 trillion by 2050, at which point China would probably have nearly four times as many humanoid robots in use as the U.S. Even as U.S. robot makers like Tesla expand production, their efforts could be hampered by a reliance on components that need to be sourced from China, such as screws, motors and batteries, the bank’s analysts said.

    A robot rehearses the 100-meter race before the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing in August.

    A robot rehearses the 100-meter race before the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing in August.

    (Ng Han Guan / Associated Press)

    While China’s mass deployment may help its companies beat the U.S. to real-world training, public mishaps have highlighted the limitations of Chinese technology and the potential risks to human safety.

    During the first robot half marathon in Beijing this year, many mechanical competitors fell down and overheated and only six out of 21 completed the course. Last December, a Unitree bot fell over and started convulsing at a demonstration, drawing online mockery.

    Meanwhile, the trade war between China and the U.S. could impede the development of better bots by both sides.

    Both countries have sought to build and leverage their strengths in high-tech fields. The U.S. has restricted exports of semiconductors to China, in an effort to stymie its rival’s technological development. Meanwhile, China has a near monopoly on rare earth metals, a critical component in batteries and computer chips, and has stepped up export controls to squeeze the U.S. and other nations.

    To achieve self-sufficiency, China has made advanced robotics a key tenet of its national strategy for technological and economic development. Earlier this year, China announced a state-backed venture fund to raise and invest $138 billion in robotics and artificial intelligence.

    “What China has wanted to do ever since they entered the robotics game is to circumvent the dominance of traditional technology by foreign vendors,” said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst for AI and robotics in Asia at Omdia, a research firm. “The only reason why China can do that is because they have policy support.”

    The lack of similar government policies in the U.S. could hamper efforts to compete with China, said Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the IFR, particularly as deployment and data become central to training robots with artificial intelligence.

    “In China, the government is encouraging companies to test out the new technology and that’s a critical advantage. That’s something American startups investing in humanoids will have to work much harder for,” she said.

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    Stephanie Yang

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  • Inside the High-Stakes World of Commodity Trading | Insights | Bloomberg Professional Services

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    Some of the world’s largest companies by revenue – such as Vitol, Trafigura, and Cargill – operate outside the public eye, trading oil, metals and grains at scale. These private firms have quietly become central to global supply chains, recording substantial profits since 2022 as wars and sanctions re-routed flows.

    Giovanni Serio, former global head of research at Vitol, joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to unpack how commodity traders operate, why scale and flexibility matter, and how satellite data and real-time analytics have transformed market transparency. Serio also discusses oil price dynamics, the rise of non-OPEC supply, and why most trading firms remain private despite their size.

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    Bloomberg

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  • Asia Centric: US Market, Economy Hit From Trump Era Still Looms | Insights | Bloomberg Professional Services

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    For all the doom saying about US President Donald Trump’s trade and economic policies, the world’s biggest economy has held up relatively well, at least on the surface. Markets are up, trade demand remains firm and the Federal Reserve is moving toward interest rate cuts, which could spur more activity.

    But Steven Okun, founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, warns that the worst is yet to come. Global exports that surged in the run-up to August’s reciprocal levies are cooling, the US labor market is slowing, and markets will react once the data confirms economists’ warnings, he says. Though the slew of global levies provides some clarity, questions remain over Trump’s motivations on trade policy and his tendency to upend matters with one social media post. Okun speaks with
    John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva from Singapore.

    Join us for Bloomberg’s Investment Management Summit in Singapore on Oct. 7, featuring leading investors, asset managers and experts, to unlock insights and strategies for geopolitical volatility, technology innovation and sustainable growth. Also catch John and Katia for a live episode recording with
    Matthew Michelini, head of Asia-Pacifi c at Apollo Global Management. See you there!

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    Bloomberg

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  • Hyundai ICE raid in Georgia leaves Asian executives shaken by Trump’s mixed signals

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    SEOUL — The immigration raid that snatched up hundreds of South Koreans last week sent a disconcerting message to companies in South Korea and elsewhere: America wants your investment, but don’t expect special treatment.

    Images of employees being shackled and detained like criminals have outraged many South Koreans. The fallout is already being felt in delays to some big investment projects, auto industry executives and analysts said. Some predicted that it could also make some companies think twice about investing in the U.S. at all.

    “Companies cannot afford to not be more cautious about investing in the U.S. in the future,” said Lee Ho-guen, an auto industry expert at Daeduk University, “In the long run, especially if things get worse, this could make car companies turn away from the U.S. market and more toward other places like Latin America, Europe or the Middle East.”

    The raid last week, in which more than 300 South Korean nationals were detained, targeted a factory site in Ellabell, Ga., owned by HL-GA Battery Co., a joint venture between Hyundai and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solutions to supply batteries for electric vehicles. The Georgia factory also is expected to supply batteries for Kia, which is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Kia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on its factory in West Point, Ga.

    “This situation highlights the competing policy priorities of the Trump administration and has many in Asia scratching their heads, asking, ‘Which is more important to America? Immigration raids or attracting high-quality foreign investment?’” said Tami Overby, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. “Images of hundreds of Korean workers being treated like criminals are playing all over Asia and don’t match President Trump’s vision to bring high-quality, advanced manufacturing back to America.”

    A protester wears a mask of President Trump at a rally Tuesday in Seoul against the detention of South Korean workers in Georgia. The signs call for “immediate releases and Trump apology.”

    (Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press)

    South Korea is one of the U.S.’ biggest trading partners, with the two countries exchanging $242.5 billion in goods and services last year. The U.S. is the leading destination for South Korea’s overseas investments, receiving $26 billion last year, according to South Korea’s Finance Ministry.

    Trump is banking on ambitious projects like the one raided in Georgia to revive American manufacturing.

    Hyundai is one of the South Korean companies with the largest commitments to the U.S. It has invested about $20 billion since entering the market in the 1980s. It sold 836,802 vehicles in the U.S. last year.

    California is one of its largest markets, with more than 70 dealerships.

    Earlier this year, the company announced an additional $26 billion to build a new steel mill in Louisiana and upgrade its existing auto plants.

    Hyundai’s expansion plans were part of the $150-billion pledge that South Korea made last month to help persuade Trump to set tariffs on Korean products at 15% instead of the 25% he had earlier announced.

    Samsung Electronics announced that it would invest $37 billion to construct a semiconductor factory in Texas. Similarly large sums are expected from South Korean shipbuilders.

    Analysts and executives say the recent raid is making companies feel exposed, all the more so because U.S. officials have indicated that more crackdowns are coming.

    “We’re going to do more worksite enforcement operations,” White House border advisor Tom Homan said Sunday. “No one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart. They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less, undercut the competition that hires U.S. citizen employees.”

    Many South Korean companies have banned all work-related travel to the U.S. or are recalling personnel already there, according to local media reports. Construction work on at least 22 U.S. factory sites has reportedly been halted.

    The newspaper Korea Economic Daily reported Monday that 10 out of the 14 companies it contacted said they were considering adjusting their projects in the U.S. due to the Georgia raid.

    It is a significant problem for the big planned projects, analysts say. South Korean companies involved in U.S. manufacturing projects say they need to bring their own engineering teams to get the factories up and running, but obtaining proper work visas for them is difficult and time-consuming. The option often used to get around this problem is an illegal shortcut like using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, a nonwork permit that allows tourists to stay in the country for up to 90 days.

    Unlike countries such as Singapore or Mexico, South Korea doesn’t have a deal with Washington that guarantees work visas for specialized workers.

    “The U.S. keeps calling for more investments into the country. But no matter how many people we end up hiring locally later, there is no way around bringing in South Korean experts to get things off the ground,” said a manager at a subcontractor for LG Energy Solution who asked not to be named. “But now we can no longer use ESTAs like we did in the past.”

    Trump pointed to the problem on his social media platform, posting that he will try to make it easier for South Korean companies to bring in the people they need, but reminding them to “please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws.”

    “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people … and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” the post said.

    Sydney Seiler, senior advisor and Korea chair at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the timing of the raids was an “irritant” but that South Korean companies eventually would adjust.

    “Rectifying that is a challenge for all involved, the companies, the embassies who issue visas, etc.,” Seiler said, adding that the raids will make other companies be more careful in the future.

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    Max Kim, Nilesh Christopher

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  • Inside the windowless shipping container where analysts hunt migrants by drone

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    FT. HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Inside a windowless and dark shipping container turned into a high-tech surveillance command center, two analysts peered at their own set of six screens that showed data coming in from an MQ-9 Predator B drone.

    Both were looking for two adults and a child who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and had fled when a Border Patrol agent approached in a truck.

    Inside the drone hangar on the other side of the Ft. Huachuca base sat another former shipping container, this one occupied by a drone pilot and a camera operator, who pivoted the drone’s camera to scan 9 square miles of shrubs and saguaros for the migrants. Like the command center, the onetime shipping container was lit mostly by the glow of the computer screens.

    The hunt for the three migrants embodied how advanced technology has become a vital part of the Trump administration’s efforts to secure the border.

    The Department of Homeland Security allocated 12,000 hours of MQ-9 drone flight time this year at the Ft. Huachuca base, and says the flights cost $3,800 per hour, though an inspector general report in 2015 said the amount is closer to $13,000 when factoring in personnel salaries and operational costs. Maintenance issues and bad weather often mean the drones fly around half the allotted hours, officials said.

    With the precipitous drop in migrant crossings at the southern U.S. border, the drones are now tasked with fewer missions. That means they have the time to track small groups or even individual border jumpers trekking north through the desert.

    This type of drone, first used in warfare, was operated by the National Air Security Operations division of Customs and Border Protection at the Army base about 70 miles south of Tucson. A reporter was allowed to observe the operation in April on the condition that personnel not be named and that no photographs be taken.

    An air interdiction agent, left, programs an unmanned Predator aircraft from a flight operations center near the Mexican border at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz., in March 2013.

    (John Moore / Getty Images)

    The drone flying this day was mounted with a radar, called Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, or VaDER, that could identify any moving object in the drone’s sight, and pinpoint them with color-coded dots for the two analysts in the first container. The program had already located three Border Patrol agents, one on foot and two on motorcycles, searching for the migrants. The analysts had also identified three cows and two horses, headed toward Mexico.

    Then, one of the analysts spotted something.

    “We got them,” he said to his colleague, who had been scanning the terrain. “Good work.”

    The analyst dropped a pin on the migrants and the VaDER program began tracking their movement in a blue trail. Now, he had to guide agents on the ground to them.

    “We’ve got an adult male and a child, I think, tucked in this bush,” the analyst radioed to his team, as he toggled between the live video to an infrared camera view that showed the heat signature of every living thing in range. The analyst saw his Border Patrol colleagues approaching on motorcycles.

    The roar of the oncoming machines scared up a bird, the tracking program showed. The migrants began running.

    “OK, it looks like they’re starting,” the camera operator said into the radio to the Border Patrol agents. “They’re hearing the bikes. They hear you guys.” The camera operator and the other personnel spoke in the professional, matter-of-fact tone of 911 operators.

    One adult and the child began scrambling up a hill. “They’re moving north and west, mainly,” the camera operator said. “Starting to pick up the pace going uphill.”

    The agents rushed in on the pair and detained them. It was a mother and her child. The drone team turned its attention to the third person, who was stumbling through the brush and making a beeline for the Mexican border.

    “If you cut due south from your current location,” the drone pilot said to the camera operator. “You should pick up some sign.”

    The camera operator, as directed, panned across the desert, scanning farther and farther south.

    “I’ve got them,” he said when he spotted someone running. He radioed the coordinates to the Border Patrol team.

    By now, the man, carrying a backpack, had scaled a hill.

    “He’s on the ridgeline right now, working his way up due south, slowly,” the camera operator radioed.

    Then the man dropped something.

    “Hey, mark that spot,” the camera operator said. “He just threw a pack, right here where my crosshairs are at. ”

    Agents would go back later and see if the backpack contained drugs, an analyst said. “Usually, if it’s food or water, they’re not going to do that,” he said.

    On this spring morning, the drone wasn’t the only airborne asset deployed. A helicopter had joined the chase to catch the southbound man, who stumbled, got up and kept running.

    “He took a pretty good spill there,” an analyst said into the radio.

    “We have a helo inbound, three point five minutes out,” the camera operator said.

    A helicopter came into the drone’s view. It swooped in, circling the location of the man, who was by now hiding under a bush.

    “You just passed over him,” the camera operator radioed the helicopter pilot. “He’s between you and that saguaro.”

    With a keystroke, he switched to infrared vision to find the man’s heat profile through the brush to make sure he still had him.

    Guided by the camera operator, the pilot landed the helicopter in a cloud of dust near the cowering target. The video feed showed agents jump out of the aircraft, detain the man and load him into the helicopter. The chopper lifted off and tilted back north toward a nearby Border Patrol post. “Thanks, sir, appreciate all the help,” the analyst said to the helicopter pilot.

    Mission accomplished, the drone pilot turned the MQ-9 back along the U.S.-Mexico border, scanning the vast desert in search of more migrants. The military is planning to deliver a third MQ-9 drone to the base this fall after spending a year retrofitting it for civilian authority use.

    Fisher is a special correspondent. This article was co-published with Puente News Collaborative, a bilingual nonprofit newsroom, convener and funder dedicated to high-quality, fact-based news and information from the U.S.-Mexico border.

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    Steve Fisher

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  • Bitcoin Price To Go ‘Vertical’ Towards $200,000 As Crypto Analyst Points Out Massive Cup And Handle Pattern

    Bitcoin Price To Go ‘Vertical’ Towards $200,000 As Crypto Analyst Points Out Massive Cup And Handle Pattern

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    Este artículo también está disponible en español.

    The Bitcoin price could see its price surging dramatically to $200,000, with the formation of a new Cup and Handle pattern. While the pioneer cryptocurrency has been slowly recovering from bearish trends to reach the $70,000 mark, a rally to $200,000 would mark a historical milestone and a new All-Time-High (ATH) for BTC. 

    Technical Pattern Signals $200,000 Rally Ahead

    Popular crypto analyst, Mags has unveiled a new technical pattern in the Bitcoin price chart. According to his post on X (formerly Twitter), Bitcoin is currently forming “a massive cup and handle pattern,” indicating a potential for a major rally. 

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    Mags revealed that the Bitcoin price has just moved past the handle portion in the technical pattern, indicating a positive signal for a breakout that could start a bullish phase. As its name suggests, a Cup and Handle pattern is a key technical chart pattern that resembles a cup and handle. In this chart pattern, the cup is in the shape of a U and is considered a bullish signal, while the handle represents a slight downward drift, which indicates a potential buying opportunity to go long. 

    Source: X

    Mags observed that since Bitcoin has just broken past the handle, the next level is to watch the “neckline” which serves as a resistance point. If Bitcoin can break through the neckline, it’s price could surge dramatically or like the analyst says “go vertical.” This bull rally could see Bitcoin’s price driving towards $200,000, marking a new all time high for the cryptocurrency.

    Currently, the price of Bitcoin is trading at $66,972, reflecting a slight 2.02% decrease in the past seven days, according to CoinMarketCap. While Mags has projected a $200,000 price increase for Bitcoin, the analyst has also forecasted even higher price targets in previous X posts, suggesting that a $200,000 price level may be conservative for the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency. 

    Bitcoin Price Peak Set At $300,000

    In another X post on October 24, Mags disclosed that Bitcoin is about to enter its price discovery, suggesting an imminent breakout to new levels. Price discovery is the process by which an asset’s true market value is determined, and for Bitcoin, it suggests when its price could reach fresh highs.  

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    Sharing a historical Bitcoin price chart, the analyst pinpointed instances where the cryptocurrency entered a price discovery before reaching a peak. In 2014, BTC hit a peak, then bottomed out in 2015 before reaching another price high in 2018. A similar price action occurred between 2019 and 2024, with BTC achieving a bottom in 2019 and peaking in 2021. 

    Bitcoin price 2
    Source: X

    Following this historical price trend, Mags indicated that Bitcoin hit its bottom in 2023 and is now about to enter its price discovery. Once the cryptocurrency does, it could signal a surge to a new all-time high, which Mags has set at an impressive $300,000. 

    Bitcoin price chart from Tradingview.com
    BTC price struggles to hold $67,000 | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

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  • Bitcoin Cup And Handle Cascade: Analyst Says BTC Price Could Reach $230,000 If It Follows This Structural Path

    Bitcoin Cup And Handle Cascade: Analyst Says BTC Price Could Reach $230,000 If It Follows This Structural Path

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    A crypto analyst has projected a significant break to the upside for Bitcoin, drawing parallels to similar breakouts in traditional assets in the tune of the Gold and the S&P500. According to a technical analysis of the current price action, Bitcoin is playing out a cup and handle pattern, which could send it surging to bullish price targets above $230,000. 

    Bitcoin Cup And Handle Cascade

    According to a technical analysis, Bitcoin appears to be forming a textbook cup and handle pattern on the largest timeframe, which is a bullish continuation pattern that often leads to a major price rally. This formation typically indicates a period of consolidation followed by a breakout to the upside, and if the pattern fully plays out, Bitcoin could surge to new heights. 

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    In a recent analysis shared on the social media platform X, technical analyst Gert van Lagen compared Bitcoin’s ongoing cup and handle formation to similar patterns observed in Gold and the S&P 500. Van Lagen pointed out that Gold experienced a comparable setup of the formation of the cup and handle, which ultimately led to a full-scale bull rally in 2023. This breakout pushed Gold to new highs which has continued up until the time of writing, with Gold now trading above $2,730 in its history.

    Similarly, the analyst highlighted a similar cup and handle pattern in the SP500, which eventually led to a rally that kickstarted in late 2023 and culminated in new peaks for the index.

    Van Lagen emphasized that Bitcoin has been tracing out a similar pattern since the 2022 bear market. The “cup” portion of the formation was completed when Bitcoin reached its all-time high back in March. Now, Bitcoin is in the process of forming the “handle” part of the pattern, as the cryptocurrency has yet to revisit its all-time high over the past seven months. 

    Should the handle formation conclude and a breakout occur, Bitcoin could be on the verge of a strong rally, much like Gold and the S&P 500 experienced during their respective runs. 

    BTC To $230,000

    According to van Lagen, Bitcoin is “poised to follow the structural path of SP500 & Gold.” In terms of a price target, he predicted a target of $230,000 for Bitcoin.

    At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $67,350. Reaching the $230,000 price level would necessitate a 197% price increase from the current price.

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    Interestingly, van Lagen’s forecast is just one of several bullish outlooks resurfacing as Bitcoin’s price has shown positive momentum since the second week of October. Bitcoin is up by about 13.5% from $59,500 on October 10, which has prompted a return of bullish sentiment.

    According to a report, this has caused a rise in Bitcoin accumulation by long-term holders, who now hold about 2.9 million BTC. Another analyst noted that Bitcoin is on track to double in value and reach $130,000 by January 2025 

    BTC bears still pushing for control | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

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  • Crypto Capo Returns After 2 Months To Predict Ethereum Decline To $1,800, Is It Time To Go Long?

    Crypto Capo Returns After 2 Months To Predict Ethereum Decline To $1,800, Is It Time To Go Long?

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    Popular crypto analyst Il Capo of Crypto has returned to social media platform X after over two months of hiatus to drop an interesting outlook for Bitcoin and Ethereum in the coming months in light of the recent correction since the beginning of October. The analyst, which has been so big on a looming altseason since the beginning of the year, has revealed a bearish outlook for Bitcoin and even Ethereum (king of altcoins) in the short term.

    Known for his sometimes controversial and often contrarian predictions, Capo returned just as the market experienced a notable correction in October, sharing his bearish outlook for both Bitcoin and Ethereum. His latest prediction is that Ethereum could plummet as low as $1,800 before seeing any substantial recovery.

    ETH’s Predicted Decline

    Ethereum has already dropped by 10% in the past seven days and is currently trading around around $2,330, but according to Capo, this decline could worsen. He predicted that ETH might fall further into the $1,800 to $2,000 range, which is a possible 23% dip from its current price, before eventually rebounding. However, he believes an altcoin season will still materialize. 

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    Capo’s track record of analysis since the beginning of the year shows a consistent belief in the upcoming dominance of altcoins. Throughout 2024, he has repeatedly emphasized the potential for altcoins, particularly Ethereum, to outperform Bitcoin as profits generated from BTC flow into smaller assets. However, the altcoin season has yet to materialize, and Bitcoin has continued to dominate the crypto investment scene.

    Time To Go Long On Ethereum?

    It’s worth noting that Crypto Capo’s predictions often have a certain lore attached to them. There is a running joke among some investors that whenever Capo makes a prediction, the market tends to do the opposite. This goes as far back as his prediction of Bitcoin falling to $12,000 last year, but the crypto eventually broke past resistance levels. Now, with Capo predicting the possibility of continued decline for Ethereum and Bitcoin amid October’s bullish market sentiment (often dubbed “Uptober”), it raises the question from many investors if his bearish call is far-fetched.

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    Only time will tell if the market plays out according to Capo’s analysis. However, given the current inflow of investments and the crypto market, which has mostly rallied in October, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ethereum rebounds rather than experiences the significant drop Capo is forecasting.

    Naturally, many savvy whales and traders have seen the current decline as an opportunity to “go long” and accumulate more Ethereum in expectation of the resumption of inflows. This sentiment is reflected through the US Spot Ethereum ETFs, which witnessed $14.45 million in inflows yesterday despite the price correction.

    Interestingly, it is important to note that Capo’s analysis is only talking about a possible case and remains bullish for Ethereum in the long term. 

    ETH price drops sharply | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Dogecoin Eyes Bullish 50% Rally To $0.16, But Will A Crash Come First?

    Dogecoin Eyes Bullish 50% Rally To $0.16, But Will A Crash Come First?

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    After a long stretch of muted price action, Dogecoin has finally entered a position where it could be gearing up for a surge. With major developments such as an increase in participation from both small and large investors, as well as indicators turning bullish, the DOGE price looks primed for a major recovery. However, there could be a small roadblock for the meme coin when it comes to achieving this uptrend as one analyst has pointed out the possibility of a further crash from here.

    A Crash Or A Surge For DOGE?

    Crypto analyst Ali Martinez has presented a forecast for the Dogecoin price with mixed signals for the future. The analysis focuses on both the bullish and bearish possibilities for the meme coin as it continues to trade in a trading range. Both of these scenarios are possible, with the Stochastic RSI may win out this time.

    According to the analysis, the Stochastic RSI has made a bearish crossover for the Dogecoin price. This bearish crossover suggests that there is a price crash coming for the altcoin. In this case, the DOGE price could be falling below $0.1 again. Not only this, but Dogecoin may lose around 15% of its value if this bearish scenario were to play out. This could see the DOGE price fall as low as $0.087 in the worst case scenario.

    On the flip side, the Dogecoin price is also showing some bullish tendencies, as the crypto analyst points out. The price is apparently “flirting with a bullish breakout,” which could be significant if it plays out. In this case, the bullish breakout could see the meme coin’s price rise as high as $0.16 and that would mean a 45% breakout from the current price.

    Dogecoin Looking For A Breakout

    The crypto analyst has previously presented bullish scenarios for the Dogecoin price but chalked it up to two key signals. The first of which is the RSI actually making a successful break out of the descending trending on the daily chart. Second of these is a break above the $0.11 resistance on the chart.

    One of these signals had been triggered, with the RSI breaking the descending trendline. However, that has since changed as the Stochastic RSI has actually turned bearish in the meantime. The DOGE price is still trending below $0.1, suggesting that bears are still well in control of the price.

    These developments show more potential for the Dogecoin price to actually crash from here before a recovery. But in the event of a market-wide recovery, DOGE could end up following the uptrend regardless.

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  • Ethereum Whales Spend $185 Million To Accumulate 70,000 ETH, Time To Buy?

    Ethereum Whales Spend $185 Million To Accumulate 70,000 ETH, Time To Buy?

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    Ethereum has largely mirrored Bitcoin in terms of price action and has yet to break out on its own accord in the past few months. According to price data, Ethereum is up by 13% in the past seven days, outpacing Bitcoin’s increase of 5.8% in the same time frame. Behind this interesting increase in Ethereum are some large Ethereum holders who seem to be increasing their holdings. 

    Notably, on-chain data from multiple analytics platform points to an uptick in activity from Ethereum whales in the past few days. Particularly, Glassnode data suggests large holders of Ethereum have added at least 70,000 ETH into their wallets since the beginning of last week.

    Ethereum Whales Spend Big On ETH

    The interesting Ethereum whale activity noted above is revealed through on-chain analytics platform Glassnode. As shown in the chart below, the number of Ethereum wallets holding 10,000 ETH or more has experienced a rise in the last 24 hours, increasing to 925 wallets. This marks a gain of about seven new whale wallets that have accumulated a huge number of ETH tokens, up from the 918 wallets recorded on September 18. 

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    Source: Glassnode

    Supporting this trend, additional data from IntoTheBlock (ITB) indicates a surge in activity from addresses holding substantial amounts of Ethereum. ITB tracks these movements through a specific metric that monitors the number and value of transactions exceeding $100,000. According to this metric, Ethereum whale activity has reached over $29 billion in the past seven days. While this figure accounts for both inflows and outflows from whale wallets, the sheer scale of these transactions is notable. Historically, such high levels of activity from large holders tend to be a bullish indicator for cryptocurrencies.

    This heightened activity is further reflected in the inflows of ETH into large holder wallets. On September 23, these inflows soared to 515,520 ETH, representing an impressive 440% spike compared to the 95,820 ETH recorded during the previous 24-hour period. 

    Time To Buy ETH?

    At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $2,626. As noted earlier, this is on the back of a 13% increase in the past seven days, prompting Ethereum’s overperformance over Bitcoin for the first time since the beginning of the year. The leading altcoin has mirrored Bitcoin’s movements so consistently that some analysts have questioned its potential for decoupling anytime soon.

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    Ethereum’s importance in the crypto industry means there’s never a bad time to accumulate more ETH. Ethereum just broke over $2,600 for the first time in September, which is the first step in a sustained move to the upside. The next key target is to break above $2,700 before the end of the month, which could pave the way for a push towards $3,000 in October.

    Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com
    ETH price at $2,600 | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Shiba Inu Symmetrical Triangle Pattern Reappears, Why A 200% Rally Is Possible

    Shiba Inu Symmetrical Triangle Pattern Reappears, Why A 200% Rally Is Possible

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    Shiba Inu (SHIB) may be on its way to reclaim former price highs, as a crypto analyst identified as the ‘Charting Guy’ has confirmed the reappearance of a unique symmetrical triangle pattern on the SHIB price chart. A breakout from this symmetrical triangle could see Shiba Inu potentially rallying above 200% from its current price. 

    Shiba Inu Triangle Pattern Points To Breakout

    On September 23, Charting Guy took to X (formerly Twitter) to unveil a new trend pattern in Shiba Inu’s price chart. The chart highlighted three wave patterns and several Fibonacci retracement levels which acted as resistance and support zones for Shiba Inu’s price.

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    Source: X

    In classic wave 1 and 2, Shiba Inu’s price movements exhibited a series of fluctuations, followed by a brief upward momentum before sliding downwards again. Now in wave 3 which the analyst has predicted would be an explosive one, Shiba Inu has formed a historical symmetrical triangle pattern which could trigger a potential surge to new highs at $0.0.0000493, representing a 244% rally. 

    Currently, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.0000143, with its next key resistance at the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement level, near $0.0000164. If the meme coin fails to surpass this resistance, the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement level at $0.000011 could provide strong support. 

    In contrast, if Shiba Inu exceeds resistance levels at $0.0000164, the cryptocurrency could see its price breakout to $0.0000226. More resistance can also be seen at Fibonacci retracement levels around 0.618 and 0.702, representing the $0.0000312 and $0.0000392 price marks, respectively. 

    If Shiba Inu can successfully break out of these key levels, the cryptocurrency would experience an explosive surge to $0.0000493, a price level well above its previous March high of around $0.000045. 

    Interestingly, this price level is not the highest Shiba Inu can reach based on its symmetrical triangle pattern. According to the Charting Guy, if SHIB can break above the 0.888 Fibonacci retracement level at $0.0000651, the meme coin could potentially skyrocket to new all-time highs at $0.0000884, corresponding to the 1 Fibonacci retracement level and marking a massive rally of approximately 518%. 

    However, in the event that Shiba Inu fails to surpass this key level, it is likely to find support at the 0.786 Fibonacci retracement level of $0.00004936. 

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    SHIB Price Analysis

    Supporting the optimism surrounding Shiba Inu’s future outlook, the cryptocurrency has been on a steady upward trajectory. In the past week, the price of Shiba Inu increased by an impressive 8.91%. However, it has recently retraced some of those gains, experiencing a 1.52% decline in the last 24 hours. 

    Earlier in March, Shiba Inu witnessed a significant rally, positioning it as one of the top gainers. According to data from CoinMarketCap, the cryptocurrency has seen a staggering 95.65% price increase since the start of 2024. 

    Shiba Inu price chart from Tradingview.com
    SHIB price pushes toward $0.000015 | Source: SHIBUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • XRP Price To Crash To $0.33 Before Surge To $9 Post-SEC Appeal; Analyst Reveals

    XRP Price To Crash To $0.33 Before Surge To $9 Post-SEC Appeal; Analyst Reveals

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    Earlier in August, the XRP community got some positive news when the court ruled that Ripple Labs should pay a $125 million fine to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for selling unregistered securities. However, the regulator has been unhappy with this decision, leading to an appeal of the court’s decision. Naturally, the appeal has pushed back the finish line for the 4-year battle, but the end could still be very bullish for the XRP price.

    The XRP Crash Before The Surge

    While the SEC and Ripple continue to battle it out in court, a pseudonymous crypto analyst on the TradingView website who goes by the name AnalysisParalysis has shared their expectation for the XRP price. In this case, the crypto analyst expects that the altcoin’s price will rally. But not without first suffering a decline due to the SEC appeal.

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    According to the analyst, the SEC appeal is expected to come sometime before October 6, 2024, during which time they expect the XRP price to struggle. “I believe this will be the catalyst this time around that causes XRP to crash just before its going to go on a massive upward movement,” the analyst said.

    The initial crash here is expected to cross 30%, pushing the price as low as $0.33. However, after this, fireworks are expected to follow as the XRP price begins its uptrend. From here, the altcoin is expected to clear the $1 easily, moving toward new all-time highs in the process.

    As for how high the XRP price could go, the crypto analyst believes that it could rise as high as $8.80. If this happens, it would mean a 2,566% increase from the $0.33 lows expected after the price crash. The analyst speculates that the timeframe for the altcoin’s price to touch this new all-time high is sometime in summer 2025. So, somewhere between June and September 2025.

    The State Of The Ripple Vs. SEC Lawsuit

    Currently, the battle between Ripple and the SEC rages on as the regulator has appealed the court’s decision that secondary programmatic sales of XRP tokens do not count as a securities offering. The outcome of the appeal is still heavily debated but securities lawyer Marc Fagel has offered various possibilities.

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    On an X (formerly Twitter) post, Fagel stated;

    “The Court of Appeals could conclude the district court erred in stating that XRP is not itself a security; and if it is, then the holding on programmatic sales gets reversed. But they could also reverse the programmatic sales without addressing the question of XRP being a security per se (as seems more likely).”

    However, way the appeal does play out, the consensus remains that a final end to the battle between the crypto firm and the regulator would be good for the XRP price. Projections following the outcome have ranged from a price tag of $1 to as high as $100.

    Price maintains uptrend despite market decline | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Solana Flashes Buy Signal As Analysts Predict Rally For The Altcoin

    Solana Flashes Buy Signal As Analysts Predict Rally For The Altcoin

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    Solana (SOL)recently flashed a buy signal, suggesting that now might be a great time to accumulate the altcoin. This development comes as crypto analysts, including Ali Martinez, predicted a significant price surge for Solana. 

    Solana Flashes Buy Signal

    Ali Martinez revealed in an X (formerly Twitter) post that the TD sequential has presented a buy signal on Solana’s daily chart, indicating that the altcoin could rebound from the lower boundary of the parallel channel toward the middle or upper boundaries. The crypto analyst mentioned that the altcoin has been consolidating within this channel since April earlier this year. 

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    Martinez also provided insights into how Solana could rise if this rebound happens, revealing that the middle and upper boundaries are positioned at $154 and $187, respectively. Martinez has been bullish on Solana, as he had earlier predicted that Solana would reach $1,000 in this bull run. 

    Meanwhile, Martinez warned that Solana witnessing a sustained close below the channel’s lower boundary at $126 could invalidate this trade setup and trigger a significant price correction for the altcoin, causing it to drop to as low as $110 or even $90. 

    Martinez isn’t the only analyst who has predicted that SOL will enjoy a price recovery and rally soon enough. Crypto analyst The Moon also recently suggested that the altcoin could rally to as high as $155, depending on how things play out. The crypto analyst noted that Solana is trading within a descending triangle, which he highlighted in the accompanying chart. 

    Based on this, he stated that $155 is a possible target for the altcoin. However, Solana could also suffer more downside pressure and drop to as low as $112.5. A drop to this price level, however, provides an opportunity for investors to accumulate more Solana at such lows, especially with the altcoin still likely to reach a new all-time high (ATH) at some point in this market cycle. 

    SOL Could Drop To As Low As $80

    Crypto analyst Crypto Kaleo has provided a much more bearish outlook for Solana, predicting that the altcoin could drop to as low as $80 before it reaches a new ATH. The last time Solana dropped to the $80 range was in January earlier this year, just before it climbed above $100, a support level it has maintained ever since. The accompanying chart, which the crypto analyst shared, shows that Solana could rise to as high as $375 after this corrective move.

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    Crypto analyst Unknown Trader had made a similar prediction to Crypto Kaleo, highlighting between $77 and $83 as ideal areas to place spot bids for Solana. However, while Crypto Kaleo believes that SOL’s drop to the $80 range will happen sometime between now and October, Unknown Trader’s accompanying chart showed that the price correction won’t happen until next year. 

    At the time of writing, Solana is trading at around $127, down almost 1% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

    SOL price fails to reclaim $130 | Source: SOLUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Wondering When To Buy Bitcoin? Here Are The Levels To Watch

    Wondering When To Buy Bitcoin? Here Are The Levels To Watch

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    Due to market volatility and Bitcoin (BTC) price fluctuations, identifying the best times to buy the pioneer cryptocurrency can be challenging. Taking this into consideration, a crypto analyst has pinpointed key price levels for investors to monitor for potential buying opportunities. 

    Buy Levels To Watch For The Bitcoin Price

    A crypto analyst identified as ‘Stockmoney Lizards’ took to X (formerly Twitter) on August 1 to discuss Bitcoin’s recent price movements, highlighting key buy levels and the cryptocurrency’s propensity for a price increase. The analyst notes that Bitcoin’s current price actions indicate a classic 5-wave uptrend followed by an ABC correction with an overarching wave B. 

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    An ABC correction is a continuous pattern that occurs during uptrends or downtrends. It is a pattern within the Elliott Wave Theory that reflects a three wave correction and helps identify a trend continuation. 

    Sharing a Bitcoin price chart illustrating each wave (A, B, and C), the analyst disclosed that Wave B ended at the Value Area High (VAH) around the $69,885 mark. According to the analyst, this price level historically acted as  a resistance. This means that Bitcoin’s price may face difficulty moving above this point.    

    Source: X

    The analyst further revealed that the $66,745 price point also acted as a resistance level for Bitcoin. He highlighted this critical level on the BTC price chart, emphasizing that the red line represents a Point Of Control (POC) for the cryptocurrency. 

    Moreover, the 1.618 Fibonacci extension level for Bitcoin is identified as a potential support area for a new uptrend. The analyst disclosed that this crucial level coincides with the 0.5 Fibonacci retracement level and the Value Area Low (VAL), which are all important support levels. 

    Concluding his analysis, the crypto analyst suggested that the support area between $61,800 and $62,300 was an important buying level to watch out for. He noted that on the higher timeframe, Bitcoin’s potential uptrend was still intact, adding that if the cryptocurrency’s price breaks below the $61,800 mark, then a further decline to test the 2.618 Fibonacci extension at $56,800 should be expected. 

    Overall, the crypto analyst is leaning towards a bullish outlook for the short term and mid term timeframes in Bitcoin’s price. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $61,594, reflecting a 4.21% decline in the last 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. 

    BTC Poised To Breakout In September

    Other analysts have also remained relatively bullish on Bitcoin’s price, predicting rallies to new all-time highs for the pioneer cryptocurrency. According to a crypto analyst identified as ‘TOBTC’ on X, Bitcoin experienced a significant decline in its price, falling below the $63,000 price mark. 

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    Bitcoin 2
    Source: X

    The analyst revealed that despite Bitcoin getting rejected at the $70,000 resistance, a potential breakout is expected by September. This bullish sentiment is shared by a different crypto analyst, Michael van de Poppe, who predicts that if Bitcoin holds above $60,000 to $61,000, the cryptocurrency could witness an upward movement to new all time highs in September or October 2024. 

    Bitcoin price chart from Tradingview.com
    BTC price drops below $62,000 | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

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  • Crypto Analyst Charts Bitcoin Course To New $77,604 All-Time High

    Crypto Analyst Charts Bitcoin Course To New $77,604 All-Time High

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    After hitting an all-time high of $73,400 in March 2024, the Bitcoin price has since retraced, remaining below its all-time high for the last four months. Nevertheless, expectations remain high that the Bitcoin price will eventually recover and hit a new all-time high, with crypto analyst “Melikatrader94” on TradingView predicting another run to $77,600.

    Bitcoin Turns Bullish On The Charts

    In the analysis that was shared on the TradingView website, crypto analyst Melikeatrader94 revealed her thesis for why the Bitcoin price could be headed to a new all-time high. The major reason behind the prediction is bullish chart patterns.

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    The crypto analyst pointed out that the Bitcoin price had successfully broken out of a descending trend line. This is important because such a break indicates a return of bullish pressure, causing the price to go up. From here, Bitcoin could push toward its current all-time high price.

    Furthermore, there have been multiple confirmations on the chart, suggesting that the resulting rally from this descending trend line break could be incredibly strong. The crypto analyst points out that there will be corrections along the way. But ultimately, the direction for the Bitcoin price from here is up.

    Targets For The BTC Price

    With the Bitcoin breakout from the descending trend line, the crypto analyst believes that the price will rise to a new all-time high of $77,604. However, this is not going to be a completely easy path for Bitcoin as major resistance levels lie ahead.

    For starters, the crypto analyst believes that the BTC price risks a downward correction when it eventually gets to $70,000. This makes it the first major level to clear in the road to a new all-time high before encountering another resistance.

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    If Bitcoin is able to beat $70,000, then it is expected to reclaim its current all-time high above $73,400. However, it faces major resistance just a short distance away. The analyst’s next resistance level lies at $73,612. Due to this, the analyst believes that both $70,000 and $73,612 could serve as possible re-entry points.

    Going by the crypto analyst’s prediction, the Bitcoin price could see a notable 15% jump in price from its current level. Furthermore, the BTC price hitting a new all-time high would be positive for the crypto market given that the pioneer cryptocurrency is the established market mover and altcoins follow its path.

    BTC price recovers from lows | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

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  • Analyst says Ethereum Will Reach $8,000 ATH, But This Needs To Happen First

    Analyst says Ethereum Will Reach $8,000 ATH, But This Needs To Happen First

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    A crypto analyst has predicted that Ethereum (ETH), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency will surge to new all-time highs around the $8,000 price mark. However, for Ethereum to reach this ambitious price target, the analyst emphasized that the cryptocurrency must fulfill certain key conditions. 

    Ethereum Road Map To $8,000 ATH

    A crypto analyst identified as ‘Bluntz’ on X (formerly Twitter) has expressed bullish optimism for Ethereum’s future outlook. The analyst forecasted that ETH could witness a mega rally to an $8,000 all-time high this market cycle.

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    Bluntz shared a video on June 8 via his official X account, highlighting key conditions Ethereum will have to overcome before it can reach a new all-time high around $8,000. The crypto analyst noted that ETH/USD is presently near recent lows, as a result, Ethereum could be getting closer to its lowest point in this current bearish trend. 

    The analyst disclosed that it was highly unlikely that Ethereum would immediately start surging upwards from its current low point. He emphasized that the cryptocurrency will need to undergo additional downward movement before witnessing a surge to the $8,000 price target. 

    For Ethereum to begin its road map to the $8,000 all-time high, Bluntz believes that the cryptocurrency must “sweep $2,800, take out the low and reclaim it.” After this, the analyst revealed that a three-wave corrective pattern, termed an “ABC,” will be completed, potentially signaling the end of Ethereum’s downward trend and the beginning of a substantial upward movement. 

    Bluntz also noted in his video that Ethereum’s ABC wave correction will send the price of the cryptocurrency to $6,000 before pulling back and rallying again to a cyclic top of around $8,000. He expects Ethereum to trade sideways for a while, testing new lows before entering a recovery stage. 

    Analyst Asserts Ethereum’s Biggest Gains Are Yet To Come

    In his post, Bluntz confidently asserted that Ethereum has yet to experience its “big run” in this market cycle. Although the cryptocurrency surged to new highs above $4,000 earlier this year, Bluntz and a few other crypto analysts have predicted more bullish upsides for the cryptocurrency.

    One of the primary reasons behind the market’s optimism concerning Ethereum’s price outlook is the upcoming launch of Spot Ethereum Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Bluntz disclosed in his video that the introduction of Ethereum Spot ETFs will likely trigger a substantial price increase for Ethereum. 

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    The analyst revealed that various crypto community members have engaged in a hot debate about the potential launch of the Ethereum ETF, expecting it to have a positive impact on Ethereum’s value. However, contrary to belief, Bluntz anticipates a major ETH sell-off, emphasizing that the price of the cryptocurrency will likely drop following the launch of its ETF. 

    This initial sell-off phase could indicate the shakeout of weaker hands in the crypto market. Following this, Bluntz expects Ethereum to be “bid up heavily,” potentially driving the price upwards. 

    ETH price drops from local peak | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Bernstein Analysts Revise Bitcoin Target, $200,000 And $1 Million Become Main Focus

    Bernstein Analysts Revise Bitcoin Target, $200,000 And $1 Million Become Main Focus

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    Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani and Mahika Sapra recently revised their price targets for Bitcoin in their latest market report, which also initiated coverage on MicroStrategy. These analysts also outlined factors that they believe could contribute to BTC’s exponential price surge. 

    Bitcoin To Hit $200,000 And Then $1 Million

    Chhugani and Sapra predicted in the report that BTC will rise to a cycle high of $200,000 by 2025 and that the flagship crypto will reach $1 million by 2033. Bernstein had previously predicted that Bitcoin would reach $150,000 by 2025. However, these analysts have now revised their targets and alluded to the institutional demand for BTC as one of the reasons they believe the flagship crypto can reach such heights.

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    The research firm predicts that the Spot Bitcoin ETFs will continue to record impressive demand and that the Bitcoin under management could reach $190 billion by 2025, a significant increase from the $60 billion in BTC that funds issuers already have under management. 

    In other words, these analysts expect BTC’s price to succumb to the supply and demand dynamics, considering that the Bitcoin in circulation is bound to drastically reduce as these Spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to accumulate a significant amount of the crypto token for their respective ETFs. Moreover, two Bitcoin halvings are set to occur before 2033, further reducing miners’ supply and thereby supporting their base case of BTC hitting $1 million. 

    MicroStrategy To Benefit From BTC’s Growth

    These Berstein analysts also initiated coverage on MicroStrategy with an outperform rating. They predict that the software company’s stock can rise to $2,890 thanks to its BTC exposure. A rise to $2,890 represents about a 95% increase for MicroStrategy’s stock, which is currently valued at around $1,500. 

    The research firm noted that MicroStrategy has committed itself to “building the world’s largest Bitcoin company.” This has already paid off so far, with Chhugani and Sapra stating that the software company has transformed from a “small software company to the largest BTC holding company” since August 2020 (when it started accumulating BTC). 

    MicroStrategy already owns 1.1% of Bitcoin’s total supply, with holdings worth around $14.5 billion. The company’s BTC holdings are expected to increase soon enough, as they recently announced plans to offer $500 million of Convertible Senior Notes. Some of the proceeds from the proposed sale will be used to buy additional BTC. 

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    Berstein highlighted how the company’s co-founder Michael Saylor has become synonymous with the Bitcoin brand and that the company’s position as the leading Bitcoin company has helped attract “at scale capital (both debt and equity) for an active Bitcoin acquisition strategy.” In dollar terms, Bernstein noted that MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin net asset value (NAV) per share “has grown nearly fourfold, surpassing the 2.4x growth in Bitcoin’s spot price.”

    “We believe MSTR’s long term convertible debt strategy allows it enough time to gain from Bitcoin upside, with limited liquidation risk to its Bitcoin on balance sheet.” Chhugani and Sapra added. 

    BTC price falls to $66,000 | Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview.com

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  • Expert Charts 1,400% Course To $7.5 For XRP Price As RSI Falls To All-Time Low

    Expert Charts 1,400% Course To $7.5 For XRP Price As RSI Falls To All-Time Low

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    Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has provided another bullish narrative for the XRP price. This time, he outlined two scenarios that could occur and cause the crypto token to experience a breakout, potentially sending it as high as $7.5. This comes with the recent revelation that XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) has reached its lowest ever. 

    Time For An XRP Price Breakout

    Egrag Crypto shared a chart in an X (formerly Twitter) post that showed that the crypto token could rise to $7.5 when it accomplishes the breakout, which the crypto analyst claimed is imminent. Egrag highlighted a “White Triangle” breakout on the chart, which he stated is “aligning perfectly” with the previous charts and the Fib 0.702 to 0.786 levels. 

    Source: X

    He added that the measured move is projected to be between $1.2 and $1.5 before XRP could take off and climb to $7.5. Egrag further remarked that the “critical breakout point” for XRP is around $0.70 and $0.7’5 and that the crypto token is “poised” to achieve this breakout in the “next couple of weeks.

    Egrag warned that XRP could still experience significant declines before then, stating that a retest of the breakout might be on the cards. However, he is convinced that a “MEGA RUN for XRP is on the horizon.”

    Meanwhile, for the second scenario of how XRP could achieve its impending breakout, Egrag Crypto highlighted an ‘Atlas Line’ on the XRP chart and claimed that the breakout point for XRP is at $0.6799. He noted that XRP is still holding strong “like a boss” on the atlas line, suggesting it shouldn’t be long before it breaks above $0.6799. 

    In the meantime, $0.5777 and $0.5000 are key price levels that XRP holders should monitor. Egrag labels them resistance and support levels for XRP’s upward trend along this atlas line. 

    XRP price 2
    Source: X

    XRP Hits Its Lowest RSI In History

    Egrag revealed in a more recent X post that XRP’s RSI is at its lowest ever. He noted that this assertion was based on the monthly time frame and shared a chart to prove his claim. Following his revelation, Egrag highlighted how bullish this was for XRP, stating, “If this isn’t a positive signal, I don’t know what is.”

    XRP price 3
    Source: X

    The chart he shared showed that XRP’s Relative Strength Index is at 38, which is indeed bullish for the crypto token. Low RSI levels are considered a buy signal since they suggest that the coin is oversold and undervalued. Therefore, crypto investors might be looking to accumulate XRP, with these buy orders expected to trigger a move to the upside for the crypto token. 

    At the time of writing, XRP is trading at around $0.52, up almost 1% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. 

    XRP price chart from Tradingview.com
    XRP price suffers drawdown | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com

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  • Analyst Says Ethereum Spot ETFs Approval Will See “Animal Spirits” Reignite Crypto – What This Means

    Analyst Says Ethereum Spot ETFs Approval Will See “Animal Spirits” Reignite Crypto – What This Means

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    A crypto analyst has made a rather cryptic prediction, suggesting that the approval of Ethereum Spot ETFs by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could unleash a new wave of “animal spirits.” This term in crypto is often used to describe an irrational exuberance and optimism that fuels financial markets. 

    Ethereum Spot ETF To Reignite Animal Spirits

    In an X (formerly Twitter) post on May 22, a crypto analyst identified as “the DeFi Villain,” made a bold forecast, anticipating the resurgence of the bull run altcoin season following the SEC’s approval of Ethereum Spot ETF. The analyst revealed that the approval could let loose “animal spirits,” driving renewed demand and positive sentiment in the market and possibly resulting in a bull market. 

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    The analyst outlined a long list of altcoins that outperformed and experienced remarkable rallies in 2021. These rallies propelled each of their market capitalizations from mere hundreds of millions to billions in the span of a few days and months. 

    Among the cryptocurrencies highlighted by DeFi Villain, some notable altcoins recorded a massive rise in market capitalization, including Dogecoin (DOGE), THORChain (RUNE), Filecoin (FIL), Binance Coin (BNB), Axie Infinity (AXS), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and others.

    According to the crypto analyst, Dogecoin witnessed a 10x increase in one day, in January 2021. While RUNE market capitalization surged from $200 million to $5 billion in just five months. 

    One of the most remarkable increases was seen in Filecoin which almost reached the current market capitalization of Ethereum. The cryptocurrency had jumped close to a whopping $400 billion during the altcoin bull run in 2021. 

    Other cryptocurrencies like AXS surged from a market capitalization of $200 million to $10 billion, with its Fully Diluted Value (FDV) topping $43 billion at some point. Additionally, Binance Coin, which was already worth $6 billion in early 2021 and among the top 20 cryptocurrencies, had witnessed a mega 8x pump in 20 days, reaching a staggering $50 billion in February 2021. 

    Even popular meme coins like Shiba Inu (SHIB) had rallied hard, jumping from $4 billion to $40 billion in less than a month. Ethereum Cash (ETC) also saw its market capitalization rise from $600 million to $17 billion in five months.

    These massive surges during the 2021 bull run underscore the potential altcoins have on the crypto market and how insane they can surge once the altcoin season hits and the dominance for Bitcoin shifts to lesser cryptocurrencies. 

    DeFi Villain has predicted that the final leg for meme coins is likely going to be “Vertical and Brutal,” suggesting that these volatile cryptocurrencies could have another powerful rally to new highs this market cycle. 

    ETF Approval Nullifies SEC’s Previous Security Claims?

    Over the past few months, the US SEC has made claims implying that Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency, was considered a security. However following the authorization of Ethereum Spot ETFs, the SEC has finally recognized Ethereum as a non-security. 

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    Calling the regulator out on this contradiction, Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) of Coinbase disclosed that if Ethereum which lacks “contractual agreement or undertaking,” is no longer considered a security by the SEC, then Bitcoin (BTC), which operates similarly without the above agreements, should also be a non-security.

    Grewal posed a compelling question regarding the classification of 12 other cryptocurrencies, which can be compared to Ethereum and Bitcoin in terms of their non-security treatment by the SEC. The Coinbase CLO disclosed that the implications that these 12 other cryptocurrencies are considered securities despite also lacking contractual agreement or undertaking raises the question about the SEC’s possible lack of regulatory clarity and inconsistent regulatory approach to different crypto assets. 

    ETH price moves toward $4,000 | Source: ETHUSD on Tradingview.com

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    Scott Matherson

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