Global financial markets have been through many severe crises but the unforeseeable challenges brought forth by the coronavirus pandemic are unprecedented . One of the major differences between the past crises, be it 2008 financial crises or 1930’s great depression, is that unlike COVID-19 pandemic they did not put immediate brakes on the wheels of the economy.

Despite all the mayhem, the continuity cycle of the global economy remained largely undisturbed in the aftermath of 2008 global financial crises and great depression. This somewhere allowed the global economy and the financial markets to navigate through the crises and eventually overcome challenges. However, with coronavirus completely choking the economic activity, the global financial market has lost its past resilience and found itself in a great tailspin. Probably never in modern history, have the global financial markets faced such a liquidity crisis and confronted such an uncertain future.

Cryptocurrency market could not have remained immune to the enormous economic challenges confronting the world today. The vulnerability of the cryptocurrency industry is even more palpable considering that the industry is still in its infancy.If we take a look at the Bitcoin’s price fluctuation before and after the coronavirus crises, the impact of the pandemic on the world’s most popular cryptocurrency is quite visible. Before the virus took over the world, Bitcoin’s price was hovering well over $9200, in January this year. A healthy rise of almost $2000 from the $7000 level, where it was trading in December 2019. . However, Bitcoin saw a huge correction soon after COVID-19 was officially declared as pandemic and lost over 40% in a single day.

Bitcoin price dipped below $3900 in March as panic-ridden investors liquidated any inventory that they had. The entire cryptocurrency market was bullish into the halving and there was considerable leverage in the system. A tonne of levered longs were liquidated as Bitcoin prices reduced and that put further pressure on the market. This however did not last for long and prices bounced sharply from the March lows. Bitcoin recovered all its losses and neared 10,000 in the first week of May.

Thus the impact of COVID-19 on Bitcoin was nowhere as traumatic as on the global stock markets. In other words, global investors were reposing their confidence in digital currencies whilst other asset classes lagged behind.

Future of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Futures in post Pandemic Era

While there is no doubt that Bitcoin and Bitcoin Futures have managed to salvage themselves amid the coronavirus onslaught, the question over their long term future in the post-pandemic era still remains a cause of concern for the crypto enthusiasts. According to business media giant Bloomberg, the world’s most beloved crypto will script a shocking comeback to reclaim the peak of 2017 by reclaiming the $20,000 mark till the end of 2021. Bloomberg claims that “something needs to go really wrong for Bitcoin not to appreciate.” Even most industry experts agree with this prediction; arguing that the fundamentals are heavily tilted towards the cryptocurrency market as the global financial market is all set to enter alien territory in the post-pandemic era.

Below are few features that make Bitcoin a unique investment and a candidate for becoming an asset class of choice for investors:

• Bitcoin’s steady maturation over the years and its growing acceptance coupled with the option of investing in Bitcoin futures.
• The fiscal uncertainty during the post pandemic era will accelerate the shift from fiat currencies (paper currencies) to digital currencies
• Unlike gold (considered as favourable investment during tough times), Bitcoin is not hindered by any supply, logistic or physical border issues.
• The transparency offered by Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies make them an exciting investment proposition. The growing digitization across the world can also lay a strong foundation for the future growth of Bitcoin and Bitcoin futures.

Conclusion

If the 21st century were supposed to belong to digital currencies then the catastrophic year of 2020 may prove to be a defining moment for Bitcoin. They say great things and great people find opportunity in adversity and, it’s quite likely that the post pandemic era may prove to be the apt opportunity for Bitcoin to usher a new era of virtual currencies.