Skip to main content

Bitcoin rises above $9,000, but can the market endure, or is it just a fad?

bitcoin stock
Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS/Getty Images
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies had a rough start in 2017, as values plummeted. Things may be looking up for the cryptocurrency industry, however, as Bitcoin has once again increased in value to more than $9,000. While that is still much lower than the lofty heights of last year’s Bitcoin boom, the fact that currency seems to be regaining some of its value will likely be seen as welcome news by those who invested in the coins.

In fact, some analysts believe that rather than being a passing fad, cryptocurrencies are just getting started. Ran Neu-Ner, who hosts CNBC Africa’s Crypto Trader, told CNBC on Friday that he believes that “we haven’t even got to the start line of cryptocurrencies.”

Recommended Videos

Neu-Ner,  whose own portfolio includes more than 40 different types of cryptocurrency, says that the technology isn’t truly ready for the mainstream just yet. He argued that the unscalable markets and difficulty in opening new crypto accounts can make it difficult for the general public to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

He also added that he felt that many companies got in over their heads by investing in new cryptocurrencies without really understanding the underlying technology behind Bitcoin and others.

“Yes, there is a new digital gold, a new digital store of value,” Neu-Ner said. “I think bitcoin is the store of value. But the game hasn’t even started yet.”

Neu-Ner says that he believes we will soon see a mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies which will lead to a universal store of value. He admits that the market is rather volatile right now, but expects things to start trending upward later this year.

“I’m expecting the market to hover here for a little bit, a little bit nervous,” he told CNBC. “And then I’m expecting some kind of something to bring up a green candle, and that will start the momentum back up again.”

Despite Neu-Ner’s confidence in Bitcoin, no one can deny that general instability of cryptocurrencies make a lot of people nervous. Over the course of the past week, Bitcoin lost $125 billion in value thanks to a panic set off by fears surrounding stricter regulations on cryptocurrencies. For now, the future of Bitcoin and similar currencies remains up in the air.

Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Range Rover’s electric SUV gets tested in extreme heat
range rover electric suv heat testing rr bev td 28112024 01 1

A big part of the reason it’s taken so long for Range Rover to develop its first-ever electric SUV is that the automaker wants the next-gen EV to remain, first and foremost, true to its roots.

“The electric Range Rover has to be a Range Rover first,” Lennard Hoonik, COO at parent company JLR, told Motortrend last summer.

Read more
Kia’s futuristic, affordable EV4 sedan will launch in 2025
kias futuristic affordable ev4 sedan will launch in 2025 653867 v2 1

Kia certainly sparked interest when it unveiled the concept model of the EV4 in 2023. The sedan’s futuristic design and electric range capacity, combined with the promise of affordability, showed that Kia was ready to make bold moves to diversify its EV lineup.

But two big questions came up: When would the EV4 actually launch, and would the smaller sedan/hatchback ever launch stateside, given American's preference for larger vehicles.

Read more
Hyundai believes CarPlay, Android Auto should remain as options
The 6.9-inch Sony digital media receiver installed in the dashboard of a vehicle.

Hyundai must feel good about the U.S. market right now: It just posted "record-breaking" November sales, led by its electric and hybrid vehicles.

It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch for the South Korean automaker to believe it must be doing something right about answering the demands of the market. And at least one recurring feature at Hyundai has been a willingness to keep offering a flexible range of options for drivers.

Read more