$BTC

Bitcoin remains the dominant cryptocurrency (≈40-45% of total market capitalization). Its price is volatile, influenced by macroeconomics (interest rates, inflation), institutional adoption (ETFs, companies), and regulations.

2. **Key Factors in 2024** :

- **Halving** (April 2024): Reduction of mining rewards, often linked to bullish cycles.

- **Institutional Demand**: Approval of spot ETFs in the United States (BlackRock, Fidelity) since January 2024.

- **Regulatory Risks**: Legal pressures (e.g., SEC vs Binance, Coinbase lawsuits) and tax uncertainties.

3. **Technology** :

- Robust Layer 1, but limits in scalability (7 TPS max).

- Layer 2 solutions (Lightning Network) in development for micro-payments.

4. **Outlook** :

- **Optimistic**: "Digital Gold", hedge against inflation, growing adoption.

- **Critics**: Extreme volatility, energy loss, competition (CBDCs, other cryptos).