Bitcoin Trades Sideways at $80,000… What's Next?

It briefly declined due to the employment figures released last Friday but has since shown some recovery.

This week, major inflation figures are scheduled for release, drawing market attention. On Thursday, September 10th (KST), the August Producer Price Index (PPI) will be announced, followed by the August Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Friday, September 11th. If these inflation figures exceed market expectations, they could increase the incentive for interest rate hikes, making them noteworthy.

Following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's mention of an AI productivity revolution, other Fed officials have recently made similar remarks. This situation is interpreted as a signal that the market needs to exercise caution regarding overly optimistic expectations for gains.

With Iran vowing retaliation for the alleged attack on a US oil tanker and adopting a hardline stance, the uncertainty surrounding the war is growing. This situation raises concerns that it could remain a major variable until the US midterm elections in November. Furthermore, despite a special envoy visit between Russia and Ukraine, the possibility of a negotiated settlement remains low.

In the major altcoin market, a surge primarily driven by meme coins was observed. Stoke recorded a 445% increase weekly, while other meme coins also rose by over 300%. This increase in meme coin trading volume led to a co-rise in related platform coins, with exchange and platform coins like Arbitrum and Raydium showing strength.

Stoke, a Solana-based meme coin launchpad platform, is launching new types of meme coins by tokenizing stocks or linking to traditional assets. The surge in trading volume on these platforms is a major factor driving the price increase of their native coins.

In the current digital asset market, there is a strong preference for 'new' coins that reflect the latest trends, rather than older coins. Following the surge in the Robinhood chain, investment demand is shifting to BNB Chain and Solana ecosystem coins, benchmarking similar ecosystems.

Pump.fun, which previously led the meme coin market, has recently fallen by about 18% over the past week. This is analyzed as being due to its simple meme coin issuance method no longer aligning with the latest market trends. In fact, Pump.fun's swap trading volume has plummeted by about 82% in the last month, indicating severe liquidity outflow.

According to analysis by ARK Invest, over 90% of the funds flowing into the Robinhood chain originated from existing investors. This suggests a limit to the market's sustained growth.

This is significantly higher compared to other chains, sparking technical and fee debates with the Solana camp.

According to ARK Invest data, retail investor participation in the current meme coin market is still minimal. While existing investors tend to be less sensitive to fees, if retail investors begin to enter in earnest, the high fees of the Robinhood chain could become a significant barrier to market entry.

Zcash (ZEC) surged by nearly 40% weekly, reaching a market capitalization of 9th place, and other privacy sector coins like Dash and Horizen also saw gains. This aligns with a new trend where meme coin-based trading pairs are being created independently of foundations.

This trend is further strengthened by a narrative structure where meme coin trading leads to direct rewards for investors.