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Bitcoin's Price Edges Back Above $1,800 After Near $100 Gain

The price of bitcoin is once again above $1,800 following a recent uptick that comes amid increasing exchange competition.

Updated Sep 11, 2021, 1:20 p.m. Published May 17, 2017, 3:33 p.m.
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The price of bitcoin is up nearly $100 on the day, rising more than 5% to reach a high of $1,814 on the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (BPI).

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At press time, the average bitcoin price across major exchanges was $1,808, up from an opening average of $1,718.20. The increase follows a correction earlier this week in which bitcoin fell to $1,650, and comes at a time at which the market for blockchain protocols is becoming more competitive.

In particular, protocols like Ripple Consensus Ledger, developed by San Francisco startup Ripple for cross-border transactions, and ethereum, a blockchain for smart contracts, have begun to develop unique value propositions that appear to be winning investment dollars.

Ripple's XRP token, for instance, is up nearly 6,000% on the year, while ethereum's ether token was up nearly 1,000%.

The development has not gone unnoticed by exchange and brokerage operators.

In response to questions about how new customers are behaving, Bram Ceelen, co-founder of cryptocurrency brokerage Anycoin Direct, reported they are "pretty much buying everything", a statement that's consistent with the current speculative appetite.

"Altcoin volume might have even increased more than bitcoin volume [of late]," he said.

Andrea Medri, founder of cryptocurrency exchange The Rock Trading, however, voiced his optimism that bitcoin would continue to establish its own value proposition, even in such an environment.

"[Bitcoin] always retraces itself," said, adding:

"I'm coming from the times when it dropped from 10$ to 1$."

Rock climbing image via Shutterstock

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Here's what Fed's highly anticipated rate decision this week means for bitcoin and the dollar

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell

Powell could signal a "dovish pause," but his comments on other issues may temper the bullish reaction in BTC and other risk assets.

What to know:

  • The Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged this Wednesday.
  • Powell could signal a "dovish pause," powering risk assets, including bitcoin, higher.
  • His explanation of the status quo decision might put a floor under the dollar.
  • Powell may get questions on the impact of Trump's housing affordability measures, perceived threat to Fed's independence and tariffs.