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Bitcoin hits a first: $40K

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Bitcoin reached $40,000 on Thursday, doubling the elusive $20,000 all-time high first set in late 2017.

Why it matters: Deep-pocketed institutional investors have driven the bull run this time, with everyone from Anthony Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital to MassMutual fueling the original cryptocurrency's recent price surge.

  • BTC doubled in less than 30 days - after taking three years to hit the prior high on Dec. 16, 2020 - even as political chaos climaxed in Washington, D.C., this week.

Yes, but: The run-up has people wondering if a crash is imminent. Commodity trader Peter Brandt tweeted Thursday that bitcoin's price action has started going parabolic.

  • Even if technical indicators show the market is “overbought,” historically bitcoin can continue in this phase longer than most traders expect, making it anyone’s guess when the top will come.

What to watch: Of course, we live in unprecedented times of political uncertainty in the U.S. Bitcoin is viewed by some as chaos insurance. If there were a clock that counted down the time remaining for the dollar to serve as the world’s reserve currency, Wednesday on Capitol Hill may have taken several minutes off it.

If you're interested in more news about cryptocurrencies, click here to get notified when Axios expands its coverage.

Go deeper

Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
Jan 12, 2021 - Economy & Business

The big hedge

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Warnings that the U.S. equity market looks to be in a bubble are coming from a slew of Wall Street asset managers and strategists as stocks continue to reach new record highs and markets display abnormal behavior. But data show that while investors are hedging their bets, there is hardly a mad dash to sell out of equity positions.

What's happening: As the 10-year Treasury yield rises solidly above 1% — its highest level in nearly a year — a growing contingent of investors fear that a crash is imminent without the ballast of rock-bottom interest rates.

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Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata
14 mins ago - Economy & Business

Scoop: Red Sox strike out on deal to go public

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The parent company of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C. has ended talks to sell a minority ownership stake to RedBall Acquisition, a SPAC formed by longtime baseball executive Billy Beane and investor Gerry Cardinale, Axios has learned from multiple sources. An alternative investment, structured more like private equity, remains possible.

Why it matters: Red Sox fans won't be able to buy stock in the team any time soon.

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Health: Pandemic fatigue quantified — The pandemic could be worsening childhood obesity.
  2. Vaccine: Moderna says vaccine appears to protect against new COVID-19 variants — Cities launch efforts to vaccinate the homeless.
  3. Politics: Deborah Birx went "on the road" for local COVID efforts to avoid White House censorship — Sanders says Democrats will push coronavirus relief package through with simple majority.
  4. Business: Budweiser skips Super Bowl ads in favor of vaccine education campaign.
  5. World: Mexican President López Obrador tests positive for coronavirus.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Google's chief health officer Karen DeSalvo on vaccinating America.
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