Bitcoin is the world's biggest cryptocurrency
Is Bitcoin headed for the moon in October? AFP

KEY POINTS

  • The three-week surge was partly supported by strong spot $BTC ETF demand: CryptoQuant
  • In this cycle, there are huge traditional institutions that now understand Bitcoin, said one advocate
  • Bitcoin has silently but significantly evolved in the first half of 2024: HashKey Capital

Bitcoin users are pumped and excited about the upcoming month, as historical charts show that the world's largest cryptocurrency by market value performs relatively well during the third quarter of the year.

Many BTC enthusiasts and analysts are already making bold predictions, especially after the digital currency logged a three-week surge ahead of "Uptober," a term the crypto community uses to describe the historic increases in the crypto market during October.

'Uptober' Incoming Following Strong 3-Week Performance

Leading on-chain data and analytics provider CryptoQuant noted how BTC logged a 23% increase in the past three weeks, climbing from $52,500 to over $65,000.

The analytics platform further noted that Bitcoin's solid performance was partly driven by an apparent spike in demand for spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Farside Investors data shows that U.S. Bitcoin ETFs recorded a seven-day positive flows streak, with Friday alone hauling in nearly $495 million.

BlackRock's IBIT was still the leader among U.S.-listed BTC ETFs, recording nearly $500 million in inflows last week.

Institutional Interest to Drive Further Uptick?

The Bitcoin Therapist, a well-followed Bitcoiner on X, said that while BTC has a track record of performing well at the start of the fourth quarter, "the main difference between this cycle and the last one is that now we have trillion dollar institutions that understand it." He went on to predict that the BTC community may not be prepared for the upcoming bull run.

There has been a significant increase in traditional financial institutions getting into the Bitcoin game in recent months, especially after the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Crypto infrastructure provider Fireblocks recently revealed that activity among institutional investors surged over the past year, growing by 85% in July compared to the same month in 2023.

Bitcoin's Silent Evolution

Crypto investment firm HashKey Capital noted in a new report that BTC has been evolving "quietly but significantly" in the first half of the year amid the rise of technological innovations around the digital coin.

Innovations focused on cross-chain interoperability and the emergence of yield-focused strategies such as BTC staking could open new investment paths, which could then help drive more engagement and interest in the Bitcoin network.

Bitcoin has retreated below $64,000 after breaking above $65,000 late last week. On the other hand, zooming out will show that last week was relatively good for the digital asset, as it even hit $66,000 at one point on Saturday.

Also, considering the time it took for the token to climb above $65,000, BTC has still outperformed many other cryptocurrencies in the market today. It remains to be seen whether Bitcoin will follow its historical "Uptober" pattern, but so far, charts suggest it is on the right track.

Read more