Cryptocurrencies don’t take any days off.
Digital currencies aren’t tied to any regulatory authority, and they freely trades outside standard hours for equity exchanges—giving investors the prerogative to buy or sell it whenever they please.
A potential drawback: Crypto can experience enormous market swings on the weekends, or even holidays. In mid-April, 10% of Bitcoin’s value was razed over one weekend.
What happened?
The crypto market had been especially shaky for about a week before the crash on Wednesday.
On May 12, bitcoin fell 12% after Elon Musk walked back Tesla's commitment to accept bitcoin as payment, citing concerns over the crytocurrency's massive carbon footprint. Musk added to investor anxiety last weekend with a pair of seemingly contradictory tweets about bitcoin that left investors scratching their heads.
Then the big crash came Wednesday, after Chinese officials signaled a crackdown on crypto use in the country. The central bank issued a warning to Chinese financial institutions and businesses not to accept digital currencies as payment or offer services using them.
The threat of increased regulation triggered a panic, and bitcoin plunged before rebounding slightly and leveling off. Other cryptocurrencies also tanked: Ethereum fell more than 40%, while dogecoin and binance lost around 30%.
By Thursday, bitcoin had recouped some losses and was back above $41,000. But a Friday statement from Chinese officials reiterating the need to crack down on cryptos beat bitcoin back down. It was trading around $37,000 on Friday afternoon. Other cryptos were also in the red.
Regulatory concerns
China has long had limits around crypto trading within its borders. Officials declared in 2013 that bitcoin was not a real currency and banned financial and payment institutions from using it. Individuals can hold or trade cryptocurrencies, but major exchanges in mainland China have been shut down.
On the surface, this week's statements simply underscored China's suspicion of cryptocurrencies generally. But they sent a clear signal that Beijing is not loosening its grip on the market anytime soon. Authorities are also launching a state-backed digital yuan that would keep money flows under strict oversight.
And it's not just China. On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned about potential risks cryptocurrencies pose to the financial system. Powell also said the central bank would publish a paper this summer that will explore the implications of the US government developing a digital currency of its own.