Over the past month, the price of Litecoin has experienced a steep decline, dropping by more than 20%. In the past week alone, the price has decreased by over 8%. Despite these recent losses, Litecoin is still up by 18.75% since the beginning of the year. The total market capitalization of Litecoin has also seen a significant decrease, falling by nearly 4% in the past 24 hours to $6 billion. This places Litecoin in the 12th position in the cryptocurrency market. The trading volume of LTC has also dipped by 27% over the same period.
The recent decline in Litecoin’s price can be attributed to the highly-anticipated halving event. The halving event, which occurred on August 2, 2023, is a significant milestone for the Litecoin blockchain. It is a process where the block rewards for miners are cut in half, reducing the rate at which new LTC tokens are generated. This is done to limit the total supply of Litecoin in circulation, with the goal of increasing its value as demand for the asset rises.
In the recent halving event, the block rewards for miners were reduced from 12.5 LTC to 6.25 LTC. Historically, these halving events have been seen as catalysts for price increases in the long term. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is expected to undergo a halving event next year in April. The adoption of Litecoin as a payment method on the global payments platform BitPay has also increased significantly in recent months. As of June 2023, Litecoin accounted for 35% of transactions on BitPay, surpassing Bitcoin. This increase in usage could potentially make Litecoin the dominant cryptocurrency on the platform.
From a technical analysis standpoint, Litecoin’s price has been on a bearish trajectory for the past few weeks. It has dropped below the psychological support level of $85.30 and has formed a descending channel on the price chart. The asset remains below the 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages, indicating a bearish trend. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently at 36, slightly above the oversold region.
Based on this analysis, it is likely that Litecoin’s price will continue to decline in the immediate term before a potential upward price correction. If the price manages to move above the 200-day EMA at $87.45, it could indicate a bullish reversal, with a potential target at the bullish support level of $90.40. However, if the price drops below the critical support level of $80.10, this bullish view would be invalidated.
In conclusion, the recent decline in Litecoin’s price can be attributed to the halving event and market dynamics. However, the long-term prospects for Litecoin remain positive, with the potential for increased adoption and a limited supply. Traders and investors should closely monitor the price movement and key support/resistance levels to make informed decisions.