Bitcoin prices retraced from all-time highs in November — an unexpected turn for what has historically been a positive-yielding month. Will the trend persist into 2022 or is there cause for concern?

In their latest report Taking A Break, the Kraken Intelligence team examines the factors that led to a correction across the crypto market. Additionally, the team looks into how the various crypto sectors performed, why ETH demand continues to surge and how the bulls are still in control — for now. 

Safe…For Now

Bitcoin’s retreat from $69K raised concerns of crypto entering a bear market. However, support was found at the key level of $54K, boosting optimism that the bull trend remains intact and the market dodged a large deleveraging event. While December averages a historical return of 13% for BTC, current price action is not trending like any other prior fourth quarter. 

Memecoins Faded, the Metaverse Surged

Interest in memecoins, such as DOGE and SHIB, dropped substantially in November. Where memecoins faded, prices of Metaverse tokens such as MANA and SAND outperformed the greater crypto market, with respective 60% and 330% monthly returns. Not only that, The Sandbox and game studios Faraway and Mythical Games completed successful funding rounds. Solana Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners announced a $100 million GameFi ecosystem fund. 

Whale Watching

The number of Bitcoin whales (wallets holding >₿1,000) grew slightly in November to reach a 2-month high. Yet, the total holdings in those same wallets dropped, an indication that profit-taking may…