There is no doubt that Bitcoin is still the big elephant in the room.  We cannot overlook the impact that this token has on the entire space.  While there are times BTC moves up while Alts are left behind, more often than not, things run in tandem.  Also, I do think that a Bitcoin moon job will lift the rest of the spectrum.

That said, we do see great uncertainty with Bitcoin.  There was a bullish move which has gotten a lot of excitement going.  We are seeing calls for all time highs once again.  Max Keiser, who is rather consistent in his outlook, is standing by $28K in the relative near term and $100K a bit further down the road.  

At the same time, we see a few others who are calling for a massive pullback.  Many of these people are looking at it from a technical perspective.  Some feel that $3,000 (if not lower) could be in the cards.  Tone Vays, another long term bull who is also consistent, feels we will see a run down into October, even as low as $1,200.

I am not going to try and predict where this going.  One thing I do want to mention is the fact that Bitcoin does appear to be getting stronger while other factors are most certainly going to help it along.  When I mention strength, I am not so much referring to price as much as the network itself.

One of the biggest barometers to use is hash rate.  Bitcoin is, once again, nearly all time highs in hash rate.

![image.png](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmRsFnuaB1Rx7qr286qXvYQym23xm2XbCo8oeamAK3KWHm)

This is a welcomes sign since the bear knocked the rate down for a while.  Of course, this is not the be all and end all, yet it is positive for the ecosystem.  Another attribute is that it does appear some smaller players are getting into the mining game, furthering the decentralization of the ecosystem.  This, too, is welcomed since Bitcoin did have a problem with only a handful of miners being able to control most of the network.

https://bitcoinist.com/bitcoin-hash-rate-block-size-approach-all-time-high/

I bring this up because I feel that success of any of the bigger (well known) chains is only of benefit for the industry as a whole.  Since Bitcoin garners most of the attention, it stands to reason that a thriving Bitcoin can only help the rest of the industry.

One of the biggest things I took away from a recent interview with Keiser is regarding the banking system and the U.S. Dollar.  Since the end of WWII, the dollar reigned supreme.  We are starting to see a decoupling of that by Russia and China.   This harms the centralized control of the central banks since the reserve currency is threatened.

https://bitcoinist.com/bitcoin-max-keiser-interview-banks-worse-shape/

This means the banks, which are not in the best shape in many countries, are in deeper trouble.  A move away from the USD bodes well for both gold and Bitcoin.  The later, according to many, will end up over taking gold as the store of value.  

What Bitcoin, along with the Alt-Coins, presents is an alternative monetary system.  While countries might make different moves to get away from the USD, individuals have a tremendous opportunity to conduct business in alternate currencies.  As the industry grows, the global reach of these decentralized chains is going to allow for easy commerce across the imaginary lines.

The greatest tailwind for cryptocurrency might well be the downward spiral of the present system.  While the financial media (along with Trump) proclaim things rocking economically, there are a lot of signs that the dam is springing some leaks.  The move away from the dollar is one of them.  

When countries start to assert their independence from Papa Bear, it opens up a large can of worms.

I believe we are looking at a future where the present centralized system is going to come under extreme pressure.  This, in my view, bodes well for those involved in cryptocurrency.  

Bitcoin is the biggest name and will garner the attention.  With the "fundamentals" looking better, we might see something sound being created.  

We can extrapolate this across the entire crypto sphere with the development we are seeing.  Those chains that are expanding and growing should do well..

Thus, even it there is another leg down in the bear, this crypto Winter will end at some point.  The existing system almost promises that.

And Spring will be a glorious time.

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