CME’s Group FedWatch is currently assessing the probability of a 0.25% rate hike in the federal funds rate to be 82.7%. In the most recent FOMC minutes, the group indicated “Almost all participants expressed the view that another increase in the target range for the federal funds rate was likely to be warranted fairly soon.” Compounded with the accelerating hacker problem faced by the exchanges, the long popping of the crypto bubble, and an SEC tightening their grips on registration requirements, exchanges are looking at material headwinds to attract capital.
Major Cryptocurrency Exchange / Platform Hacks
Why do Interest Rates Matter?
The response of cryptocurrency asset performance after last 5 or 6 rate hikes (represented by the dotted black lines below) has had a negative impact on crypto price performance. The chart below demonstrates that the collapse of the crypto bubble during Q1 2018 coincides almost perfectly with the December 2017 rate hike decision. All subsequent rate hikes had a negative impact on crypto asset performance.
Cryptos Versus Rate Hikes
The interest hikes hurt the exchanges in two ways. First, the exchanges are primarily comprised of non-interest bearing deposit accounts. As interest rates rise, traditional deposit accounts will become more attractive. Second, the lack of a futures / forward market for cryptos means the exchanges are forced to be long commodity / crypto volatility with limited choices for risk management. Another item that compounds the issue is that these exchanges lack cash flow diversification such as fee-based services offered by traditional banks.
One area still unexplored is the impact of an inverted yield curve on the price performance of cryptos. Will they become more popular for individuals given the signal of a future recession? Will retail investors try to avoid Federal Reserve exposure by shifting to more digital asset classes? Per the chart above, the 10-2 spread is now sitting at 0.11%. In the past two decades, the 10-2 spread has never reached this level without the yield curve becoming inverted in the near future. The answers to these questions are certainly not going to be answered in the near future; however, observance of these trends may signal future retail investor behavior – especially as regulatory, security, and customer service standards begin to mature.
Change May be Coming
The innovative spirit of the blockchain community has not turned a blind eye to the problem. Coinbase recently invested in Compound, a platform that enables cryptocurrency holders to earn ‘interest’ on their holdings. The goal of Compound is to created tokenized versions of fiat currencies (like the US dollar). Other players such as the Winklevoss brothers’ Gemini Coin, MakerDao, Tether, and other ‘Stablecoin’ projects recognize the importance of creating a digital asset replicating fiat currency. Key features of a winning technology will likely include a secure platform, low volatility, and corporate governance transparency.
