Bitcoin plunges 30% to $30,000 at one point in wild session, recovers somewhat to $38,000
plunged 30% to near $30,000 at one point on Wednesday, continuing a major sell-off in the cryptocurrency markets that began a week ago.
The digital currency hit as low as $30,001.51 as the selling intensified Wednesday before paring some of those losses. The cryptocurrency hasn’t traded at those levels since late January.
Bitcoin rebounded as the day went on, was down 12% to about $38,205.49 shortly after 3 p.m. ET. At its intraday low, the cryptocurrency’s loss for the past week was more than 40%.
The sharp drop means bitcoin had temporarily erased all its gains following Tesla’s announcement that it would purchase $1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency. It was also down more than 50% since hitting a record high of $64,829 in mid-April.
Other cryptocurrencies also plunged on Wednesday. Ether, the digital currency that powers the Ethereum blockchain, was down more than 22% at $2,620.97, according to Coin Metrics. Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that started as a joke and has been talked up by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, fell 25% to less than 36 cents. Both had substantially larger losses earlier in the session.
Additionally, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase was temporarily down for some users as the coins plunged on Monday morning.
Negative news over the past week has dampened sentiment for bitcoin.
On May 12, Musk said the electric carmaker had suspended vehicle purchases using bitcoin, citing environmental concerns over the so-called computational “mining” process. This is where high-powered computers are used to solve complex mathematical puzzles to enable transactions using bitcoin.
Musk’s comments caused over $300 billion to be wiped off the entire cryptocurrency market that day.
Musk did suggest on Wednesday that the automaker was not selling its existing bitcoin, saying with emojis on Twitter that Tesla has “diamond hands.” That tweet was published near bitcoin’s lows for the day.
The announcement to suspend bitcoin payments came just three months after Tesla revealed that it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin, and would start accepting bitcoin in exchange for its products.
Early this week, the Tesla CEO suggested the company may have sold its bitcoin holdings but later clarified that it has “not sold any Bitcoin.”
Then on Tuesday, three Chinese banking and payment industry bodies issued a statement warning financial institutions not to conduct virtual currency related business, including trading or exchanging fiat currency for cryptocurrency.
China’s hard line on digital currencies is not new. In 2017, authorities shut down local cryptocurrency exchanges and banned so-called initial coin offerings (ICOs), a way for companies in the space to raise money through issuing new digital tokens.
Traders in China once accounted for a huge share of the bitcoin market but after the crackdown, their influence was reduced significantly. Chinese cryptocurrency operations have moved abroad.
“The crypto markets are currently processing a cascade of news that fuel the bear case for price development,” said Ulrik Lykke, executive director at crypto hedge fund ARK36.
More than $250 billion evaporated from the bitcoin market alone last week, Lykke said. Though that number seems “astronomical,” such moves aren’t uncommon in the volatile crypto market, he added.
“In terms of Bitcoin’s outlook, things may be looking grim right now, but historically this is just yet another hurdle for Bitcoin to overcome and a small one compared to what it has braved in the past,” said Lykke.
Bitcoin is still up over 30% year-to-date and around 300% in the last 12 months.
Here’s Why You Need to Charge Your Electric Vehicle At Home
It is no wonder BMW is at the forefront in making both stylish and functional vehicles that never compromise safety. Charging your electric vehicle with a home charging station has more benefits compared to public charging stations. With BMW’s electric model ranges, you will experience an entirely new driving experience. No feeling is better than gliding silently through urban and rural traffics. All of this is free of fumes and harmful emissions that impact the planet. Going electric with BMW is one of the best things you can do for you.
While BMW iX3 Charging Station is available in many places and shopping malls in Australia, it is a good idea to invest in home BMW charger as it offers a plethora of benefits. In fact, charging your electric car with a home charging station has benefits compared with public charging stations.
Here’s why you need to install BMW home charging station:-
Save money
Instead of buying battery power from a third-party source every time you need to charge your BMW, it is a good idea to pay a flat fee for a residential BMW charging station and have unlimited energy from the same source that keeps your house warm and other electric appliances running. Of course, you would see a spike in electricity bill. But, you’ll save money by saving yourself from frequent trips to the public station and paying for recharging your car. Home charging stations pay for themselves in the long run.
Finding your home charger is affordable too. There are many electric vehicles charging station providers in Australia from whom you can buy and rely on them for support. There are three different types of home chargers, including level 1, level 2, and level 3. Based on the type of charger you buy, the cost will be anywhere between $300 and $2000.
Convenient
On average, it takes anywhere from four to six hours to fully charge your BMW with a level 2 charger. Let’s imagine that you need to drive 50miles to attend a meeting and your EV is running low on battery. If you have to wait the whole night, take your vehicle to the nearby charging station, recharge, and then drive. Wouldn’t that consume your productive hours? The same scenario is much more manageable if you have the home charger installed. All you need to do is, plug the car in and go to sleep. By the time you wake up, you’ll have a fully charged BMW ready for the drive.
Safe
Charging at home is much safer than public charging stations for a range of reasons, including the safety of you and your vehicle. You’ll have to wait for a long time in the public charging stations to charge your EV, and there’s no safety, especially if you are in the middle of high way.
As you see, they’re less expensive, more convenient and completely safe as long as it is installed properly.
The Financial Benefits of Owning an Electric Vehicle
Although electric vehicles are expensive, the long-term price of owning one is lower than compared to gasoline cars. Yes, trading in your existing diesel or petrol car for the long-term benefits of an electric car is a good idea. Not only are electric vehicles the future of road travel, but the government is considering a decent incentive who upgrade to electric. Both hybrid plug-in and fully electric vehicles can help improve fuel economy, lower fuel costs, and reduce emissions.
However, the cost is typically one of the major considerations for drivers deciding on what kind of vehicle to purchase. In fact, one of the top reasons that people hesitate to switch to an electric vehicle is the relative price compared to gas-powered cars. But, you must understand the fact that owning an electric vehicle offers more monetary benefits than gasoline vehicles. Take a look at some of the financial benefits you’ll reap by owning an electric vehicle:-
EV Owners Are Eligible For Tax Deductions
Yes! Going electric despite the higher upfront cost is considered as an act of being socially responsible. The more drivers switch to an electric vehicle, the less greenhouse gas will be emitted into the atmosphere and reduce its impacts on the environment. This, in turn, brings the global temperature down and contributing to make the world a better place to live in for us and our future generations. For these reasons, electric car owners are eligible for a tax deduction of up to $7,500.
However, the deduction amount varies from one state to another and based on the capacity of the battery used to power the vehicle. On the other hand, there are no tax deductions for gasoline cars, and from a tax perspective, going electric with Nissan is a financially smart option. All you need is electricity and Nissan leaf charging stations to recharge your vehicle.
Low-Cost Maintenance
Gas-powered vehicles consist of lots of complex moving parts and generally require more maintenance than electric vehicles. Petrol and diesel cars need frequent oil and transmission fluid changes, whereas, EVs don’t require it. Fixing gas-powered vehicles can take time and drives up labour costs from the mechanic. On the other hand, EVs come with regenerative brakes. Yes, they use the kinetic energy of the vehicle to decelerate. This, in turn, causes less wear and tear on the brakes, which result in reduced need for brake maintenance as well. Overall, the maintenance cost of EVs is less than petrol and diesel cars.
Costs Less To Power
Petrol and diesel rates are increasing day by day. One of the major benefits of owning an EV is that you don’t have to refuel it. All you need is Nissan leaf charger or Nissan leaf home charger to charge the car. You can charge your Nissan EV anywhere from the comfort of your house, office, or anywhere. It is as simple as that.
EV is the future of the automobile industry. Embrace it and reap the many benefits of being a proud owner of an electric vehicle.