• The price of ETH is $1,513, down by 10% in a sudden market downturn.
  • ETH's dip coincides with an overall market slide. Bitcoin has fallen by 7% in the past 24 hours to $37,547 and XRP is down by 10% to $0.39.
  • The Chicago Mercantile Exchange launches ETH futures tomorrow.

The price of ETH has crashed by 10% in a sudden market downturn. As of this writing, the price of ETH is $1,513. The downward trend started at 1:14 PM, when Ethereum was worth $1,626. Then the market began to tank; it hasn’t yet recovered.

Ethereum’s crash comes a day before the Chicago Mercantile Exchange launches ETH futures. The CME’s futures are thought to bring a bucket-load of money to Ethereum since it comprises a regulated, efficient way for institutional investors to speculate on the future price of the coin. 

It could also be the case that traders are exiting their positions ahead of the listing; CME's ETH futures contracts make it a lot easier for institutional investors to short ETH—in other words, bet against it.

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CME launched Bitcoin futures on December 17, 2017, the day after Bitcoin hit its highest price for that bull run, $19,015. Thereafter, Bitcoin's price trundled downhill, marking the end of the bull run. That said, 2021's crypto market doesn't look a lot like 2017—gone are the days of scammy ICOs (we hope).

“A retest of $1,550 was always going to happen, with or without CME,” one trader told Decrypt.

Ethereum’s crash coincides with an overall market slide. Bitcoin has fallen by 7% in the past 24 hours to $37,547; XRP is down by 10% to $0.39 and Polkadot is down by 8% to $18.7. 

Other cryptocurrencies have stayed strong. Cardano (ADA) is worth $0.58, an 8% increase in the past day. And Dogecoin, the meme-coin pumped by Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg and Gene Simmons is up 35% in the past day and 116% in the past week. 

Of course, the crash could be as simple as a market correction. Ethereum’s price hit an all-time high of $1,756 on February 5, two days ago, and hit similar prices yesterday.

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When cryptocurrencies hit a new peak, they often retrace their steps in the following days. Bitcoin, which hit $42,000 last month, retreated to lows of $31,500 later in the month. Such dips could occur because a certain price triggers a lot of traders to sell their positions in the market; the dump causes a price crash. 

Some traders see opportunity in the dip, hoping that the market will bounce back. "Feel like I need to take the plunge," another trader told Decrypt. "I've been delaying this decision 'for a better time.'"

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.

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