Bitcoin has witnessed a significant drop of 5.13% in its value over the last 24 hours, falling below the crucial $105,000 mark and fueling market correction fears. This downward movement has redirected investor attention to the vital demand area around $100,000, historically associated with robust buying activity that may signal an impending recovery.

How Is Bitcoin Navigating Continued Market Volatility?

Amid heightened volatility in the cryptocurrency sector, Bitcoin is showing signs of decreasing technical strength. A downtrend in the MACD indicator suggests that selling pressure could persist for the near term. Forecasts predict prices to retreat to a range between $99,000 and $101,000, a key support level known for considerable liquidity buildup. According to market professionals, if investors begin buying at these prices, Bitcoin’s value could bounce back to levels of $107,000 and potentially reach $115,000.

Can Bitcoin Maintain Investor Confidence?

Despite the recent dip, long-term investors continue to hold their positions, indicating ongoing trust in Bitcoin’s future. An accumulation phase above the $100,000 mark might pave the way for a price surge, possibly reaching $125,000. This trend fuels the belief that this recent decline could signify the final phase of Bitcoin’s current correction.

In contrast, gold has crossed $4,300 per ounce, becoming the second-largest global reserve asset and altering capital flows amid uncertain economic times. Investors gravitating towards stable investments due to rising inflation and geopolitical tensions have spurred the crypto market to regard this shift as a temporary search for equilibrium. While gold’s rise has buoyed traditional investors, Bitcoin’s decline highlights its modest recent performance.

Economic commentator Peter Schiff argued that Bitcoin has lost its “digital gold” appeal, given its 32% decline since August. Meanwhile, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao highlighted Bitcoin’s remarkable journey from $0.004 to over $100,000 since its inception.

“Bitcoin has come a long way in these 16 years. Its growth potential remains unparalleled,” stated Zhao.

Historically, when gold enters a bullish trend, Bitcoin consolidates briefly before both assets move in tandem. Experts suggest that, while gold’s ascent might put short-term pressure on Bitcoin, a stronger shift of capital to cryptocurrencies is expected once global economic conditions stabilize.

The current dynamics suggest several conclusions:

• Key support levels for Bitcoin lie between $99,000 and $101,000.
• Long-term confidence is still present among many Bitcoin investors.
• Bitcoin’s historical growth remains a factor of reassurance.
• Economic shifts are affecting capital distributions between gold and cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin’s path forward will largely depend on the market’s response at pivotal price levels, as well as wider economic developments. The cryptocurrency community remains hopeful for a rebound, contingent on market conditions and investor responsiveness. The influence of gold’s rally may be temporary, with a potential reversion to stronger crypto interest anticipated as global economic variables stabilize.

Source: CryptoSlate

Manufacturers in North America and Europe are set to embark on starkly different power-source paths in the decades ahead, which could reshape the future prospects for goods producers on both sides of the Atlantic.In North America, natural gas is primed to remain the main power source for factories and production lines thanks to the massive gas deposits across the region.In Europe, an ongoing push to cut reliance on imported fossil fuels is set to shift most factories to run on electricity by mid-century.

Thomson ReutersNorth America vs Europe manufacturing power sources 2025-2050

These diverging power pathways have their own benefits and risks, and stand to impact the competitiveness of the businesses that run on them.Over time, the very viability of certain manufacturing bases could be at stake as two of the world's largest economies opt to build out very different energy foundations for producers of components and finished goods and the jobs they create.

GEOLOGIC LOGIC

Geology is a major driver of the gas versus electric choice facing power system planners in both regions.Both North America and Europe rely on natural gas for a substantial share of their energy needs, with gas accounting for 36% of North America's and 24% of Europe's total energy supplies in 2024, according to data from the Energy Institute.

Thomson ReutersN. America vs Europe total energy supplies by source in 2024

However, due to its mammoth gas deposits, North America is not only self-sufficient in gas, but is also the world's largest natural gas exporter, mainly in the form of liquefied natural gas.Europe, on the other hand, has to import more than half of its gas, which leaves the region heavily reliant on other nations for supplies.Europe's heavy import dependence was well known for decades, but only became a decisive pain point following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which triggered sharp cuts to gas flows in the following months.

PRICE PAIN

Europe's electricity and natural gas prices both stormed higher following the fallout from Russia'sinvasion of Ukraine, sending ripples throughout its economy.But the prices for electricity and natural gas rose by different degrees, and in turn have helped drive the energy policy decisions seen since.In Germany - Europe's largest economy and previously the top importer of Russian gas - electricity prices in 2025 have averaged around 50% more than the 2010 to 2020 average, according to Open Energy Tracker.

Thomson ReutersUS vs Europe electricity & natural gas price trends

That upsurge in electricity costs has been deeply felt, and has resulted in steep jumps in household and business power bills, cuts to overall power use and nationwide pushes for greater energy efficiency.However, the electricity price climb has been dwarfed by the rise in regional natural gas prices (TRNLTTFMc1), which in 2025 have averaged over 90% more than the 2010 to 2020 average, according to LSEG.This outsized jump in regional gas costs compared to electricity prices has cemented support around Europe's electrification efforts, even though electricity costs remain far above previous averages.

In the United States, average electricity prices have climbed by much more than national natural gas prices in recent years, which has generated growing support for maintaining gas as the main pillar of commercial power networks.So far in 2025, U.S. electricity prices have averaged around 40% more than the 2010 to 2020 average, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows, while U.S. natural gas prices are around 12% more than the 2010 to 2020 average.

MANUFACTURING CHANGE

The diverging gas and electricity price trends are expected to accelerate the electrification drive among manufacturers in Europe while sustaining the gas-heavy dependence for power in North America, according to recent forecasts by consultants DNV.Indeed, while European and North American manufacturers used nearly the same amount of electricity in 2024 - around 3,800 petajoules - by 2050 European manufacturers are seen using nearly 30% more electricity than their North American counterparts.

Thomson ReutersElectric divide: N. America vs Europe manufacturing power generation from electricity

The share of manufacturers powered by electricity is also set to change notably by 2050.In 2025, around 33% of European and 27% of North American manufacturers use electricity as their primary power source.By 2050, 48% of European manufacturers are expected to be electrified, compared to only 34% in North America.The flip-side of higher electricity use by European manufacturers will be a sharp drop in natural gas use by the continent's factories.

Thomson ReutersN. America vs Europe manufacturing power generation from natural gas

Currently, around 28% of European manufacturers are powered by gas, but only 11% are expected to be gas-powered by 2050.In North America, around 46% of current manufacturers are gas-powered, and that share is expected to hold flat through 2050.

FALLOUT

Manufacturers on either side of the Atlantic face risks from the projected shifts in power sources.In North America, the projected continued rise in LNG exports looks set to boost competition for gas supplies with power generators and other industrial users, and could result in steadily climbing gas costs for businesses.At the same time, greater deployment of energy supplies from renewables, nuclear reactors and other power sources could serve to drive down electricity costs, and give electricity-powered manufacturers a competitive edge.

In Europe, increasing reliance on regional electricity markets will expose manufacturers to bouts of price volatility and potential outages, especially in areas with outdated networks.And given the need for extensive grid upgrades to enable further cuts to gas use, years of electricity rate rises likely lie ahead for all European electricity consumers, which will eat into manufacturer margins.Ultimately, it may not be manufacturers but consumers who have the final say over whether Europe's electrification drive or North America's championing of gas will be the better strategy.

Given the low cost of shipments between the two regions, higher-cost producers will end up being undercut by lower-cost overseas rivals making similar products.And most consumers will opt for the lower-priced version of similar items, regardless of what source of power was used to produce it.

Source: TradingView

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Economic headwinds may require the European Central Bank to lower interest rates further in the months ahead, according to Governing Council member Gediminas Simkus.

“The overall story is more to the downside side — both for growth and inflation,” Simkus said. “You have the recent deterioration in German industry and a political situation in France that’s likely to lead to more consolidation, which typically means lower growth. Wages are also decelerating in line with our narrative, which should mean weaker momentum in services.”

All that means another reduction in borrowing costs — following eight already this cycle — could be necessary to ensure inflation doesn’t drop below the 2% target.

“I like the idea of a risk-management cut,” the Lithuanian official said in an interview in Washington. “You manage the risks, and in my view, they’re to the downside.”

The comments feed into a growing debate about how the 20-nation currency bloc is likely to perform in a challenging environment. Most ECB officials say they’re fine with current policy settings, but they’re closely watching issues including the recent trade tensions between the US and China and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF annual meetings, policymakers have offered different views on the risks to the outlook for prices. While inflation is currently hovering around the target, the ECB predicts an undershoot next year, followed by a re-acceleration to just below 2% in 2027.

Simkus — who’s been pushing to keep the door open to further easing — said the prevailing risk is that price growth will turn out lower than that.

“Further euro appreciation remains possible,” he said. “Chinese exports to the euro area have also increased, which is putting downward pressure on prices. On geopolitics, even if uncertainty has reduced it remains elevated. It’s not about a single factor, but a whole list of them.”

Interest rates are widely expected to be left unchanged this month, with December billed as the next opportunity for a more intense discussion. That’s when the ECB will produce new forecasts, offering a first look at 2028.

“For me, the forecast for inflation in 2028 will be an important piece of information for the decision in December,” Simkus said. “If it’s more than marginally below the target, we should act on that.”

Source: Bloomberg Europe

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Oil prices edged lower on Friday, heading for a weekly loss of around 3 per cent after the IEA forecast a growing glut and U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet again to discuss Ukraine.

Brent crude futures were down 65 cents, or 1.1 per cent, at US$60.41 a barrel at 1026 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were 58 cents lower, down 1 per cent, at $56.88.

Trump and Putin agreed on Thursday to another summit on the war in Ukraine, to be held in the next two weeks in Hungary.

The surprise development came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was headed to the White House on Friday to push for more military support, including U.S.-made long-range Tomahawk missiles, while Washington pressured India and China to stop buying Russian oil.

“Now that the two leaders are expected to meet, it could be a sign that the U.S.’s stance on Russia may ease. If so, that should push prices lower,” said Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries and the threat of secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil such as India and China set a floor under the market, but this could now change, Varga said.

This week’s decline was also partly due to rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China, which added to concerns about an economic slowdown and lower energy demand.

“It just demolishes confidence,” said Jorge Montepeque, managing director at Onyx Capital Group. He expects the U.S. economy will quickly be impacted.

Also weighing on prices was the International Energy Agency’s outlook for a growing supply glut in 2026. The Energy Information Administration said on Thursday that U.S. crude inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels to 423.8 million barrels last week, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 288,000-barrel rise.

The bigger-than-expected build in crude inventory was largely due to lower refining utilization as refineries go into autumn turnarounds.

The data also showed a rise in U.S. production to 13.636 million barrels per day, the highest on record.

In the previous session, Brent settled 1.37 per cent lower and U.S. WTI closed down 1.39 per cent, their lowest since May 5.

Reporting by Anna Hirtenstein in London. Additional reporting by Nicole Jao in New York and Colleen Howe in Beijing; Editing by Sonali Paul, Kim Coghill, Elaine Hardcastle, Reuters

Source: BNN BIoomberg