
Bitcoin’s phenomenal momentum in the first quarter of 2024 has earned a standing ovation from the financial community, as evidenced in a remarkable report by the distinguished analytics powerhouse, Messari. The report sheds light on the wonders of Bitcoin’s formidable rise in valuation, the command it maintains over the global cryptocurrency market, and the innovative trends it has triggered in the dynamic digital asset environment.
Throughout the initial quarter, Bitcoin’s price rode an extraordinary wave of growth, catapulting an eye-popping 68.78% to touch unprecedented heights at $73,100. This meteoric rise boosted Bitcoin’s dominance over the market capitalization to a robust 49.7% as of March 2024. Intriguingly, Messari points out this kind of command is not unusual. In fact, it is a distinctive characteristic noted at the onset of each new halving cycle, with Bitcoin always taking the reins, leading other cryptocurrencies towards financial progress.
An equally notable statistic is the inscription activity from the fourth quarter of 2023, which catapulted fees by a staggering 699.4%. In contrast, the first quarter of 2024 saw a reduction in subscription-related fees by 41.9%. However, even as the total fees descended, the transaction fees related to inscription still represented a sizeable 18.4% of Bitcoin’s total charges, underlining their persistent importance.
The average number of daily transactions, along with the count of daily active addresses, likewise experienced a decline with 15.3% and 4.7% respectively. It has been suggested that the decline in these transactions can be tied to a decrease in activity from either programmed bots or so-called “super users”. It is clearly in tune with the decrease seen in inscription-related activities and charges.
This inscription-related activity had originally seen a dramatic spike in February 2023, resulting in a significant boost in transactions. Despite experiencing a downturn in the first quarter of 2024, the year-over-year figures validate the lasting influence it holds over the network.
Meanwhile, Messari gives a nod to the emergence of innovative layers in the crypto environment, their rise evident in the first quarter of 2024. Established layers such as Rootstock and Stacks led the race in terms of total value locked, with fresh contenders like BOB and Merlin marking their swift ascent.
However, what stood out as a game-changer in Bitcoin’s journey was the approval and inception of nine spot ETFs and one ETF conversion, legitimizing Bitcoin in the eyes of the US government and traditional finance.
These ETFs, with their astonishing inflows of over $12 billion within merely the maiden month of launch, rapidly outpaced silver ETFs in assets managed but still trailed in the wake of gold ETFs.
Yet, it was MicroStrategy, the largest institutional holder of Bitcoin, which made world-shattering news by surpassing institutional BTC holdings with a mammoth collection of 215,000 BTC. With ETFs adding another 212,000 BTC to their coffers during the first quarter, Bitcoin’s influence in the global financial markets has never been more undeniable.
While the anticipation for a supply halving has been a key factor, the successful launches of BTC ETFs and the steady inflows from institutional investors have also been key contributors to Bitcoin’s spectacular growth and unshakeable recognition within the traditional finance industry.
To summarize, Bitcoin’s extraordinary performance in the first quarter of 2024, underscored by a massive surge in price and highly commanding market cap dominance, has only strengthened its position as the undisputed titan of cryptocurrencies.