The cryptocurrency market staged a powerful recovery over the weekend of February 17, 2018, with Bitcoin breaking back above the psychologically important $11,000 level and a broad wave of altcoins posting significant gains. The rally marked a sharp reversal from the brutal sell-off that had gripped the market just weeks earlier, when Bitcoin had plunged below $7,000 amid fears of a regulatory crackdown.
According to Kraken’s daily market report for February 17, a total of $336 million was traded across all crypto markets on the exchange, with Bitcoin leading the charge at $10,835 — an 8.11% increase over the previous 24 hours on $186 million in volume. The broader rally extended well beyond Bitcoin, with altcoins across multiple sectors posting notable gains.
TL;DR
- Bitcoin surged 8.11% to $10,835 on February 17, with $186 million in trading volume on Kraken alone
- Total crypto market volume on Kraken reached $336 million for the day
- Monero (XMR) led the altcoin rally with a 12% gain, reaching $318.89
- Ripple (XRP) gained 5.92% to $1.17, while Litecoin rose nearly 1% to $228.79
- Bitcoin had rallied over 54% from its February 6 lows, reclaiming $11,000 for the first time since late January
Bitcoin Rallies From February Lows
The February 17 rally represented the culmination of a sustained recovery that had begun on February 6, when Bitcoin bounced off a technical support level after weeks of steep declines. Over the following 11 days, the leading cryptocurrency surged more than 54%, according to Bloomberg data, accelerating through the weekend as trading volume picked up significantly.
Bitcoin was last seen trading at $10,985 in London on February 19, according to Bloomberg, having extended its gains into the new week. The rally brought Bitcoin back above $11,000 for the first time since January 29, erasing a significant portion of the losses sustained during the dramatic correction that followed Bitcoin’s all-time high near $20,000 in December 2017.
Altcoins Join the Party
While Bitcoin grabbed the headlines, the altcoin market painted an equally encouraging picture for bulls. Monero (XMR) was the standout performer of the day, surging 12% to $318.89 with $9.58 million in volume on Kraken. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency’s strong performance suggested renewed investor interest in anonymity-focused coins amid growing regulatory scrutiny of more transparent blockchain networks.
Ripple (XRP) gained 5.92% to reach $1.17 on $39.9 million in volume, showing that the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap was also benefiting from the broad market recovery. Litecoin (LTC) posted a more modest gain of 0.98% to $228.79 with $12.2 million in volume, while Bitcoin Cash (BCH) rose 2.76% to $1,526.20.
Other notable movers included Dash, which climbed 6.45% to $730 on $2.75 million in volume, and Stellar (XLM), which gained 5.18% to $0.4688. Even smaller cap coins like Gnosis (GNO) and Iconomi (ICN) posted gains of 6.09% and 7.25% respectively, indicating broad-based buying pressure across the market.
Ethereum Holds Steady Amid Buterin’s Warning
Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, traded at $967.40 on Kraken with a 3.37% gain and $51.4 million in volume. CoinMarketCap recorded ETH at $974 with a total market capitalization of approximately $95.2 billion. Despite the positive price action, ETH underperformed Bitcoin on the day, partly due to a sobering tweet from co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who warned that cryptocurrencies could “drop to near-zero at any time.”
The warning from Ethereum’s own creator created an interesting dynamic: the market rallied even as the founder of its second-largest asset counseled extreme caution. For traders, it was a reminder that the line between genuine adoption-driven price appreciation and speculative momentum remained difficult to discern.
Regulatory Fears Begin to Subside
One of the key drivers of the rally appeared to be a gradual easing of regulatory concerns that had contributed to the earlier sell-off. Throughout January and early February, fears of tighter regulation in multiple jurisdictions — including potential bans on crypto trading in South Korea and increasing scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — had sent shockwaves through the market.
By mid-February, however, the regulatory picture appeared to be stabilizing. While S&P Global Ratings noted in a report published around the same time that “the future success of cryptocurrencies will largely depend on the coordinated approach of global regulators,” the absence of any immediate new regulatory action appeared to embolden buyers.
Why This Matters
The February 17, 2018, rally demonstrated a defining characteristic of cryptocurrency markets: their capacity for dramatic, rapid recoveries that can erase weeks of losses in a matter of days. Bitcoin’s 54% surge from its February 6 low to the $11,000 level showed that despite the painful correction from December 2017’s all-time highs near $20,000, significant buying interest remained beneath the surface. The broad participation of altcoins in the rally — from privacy coins like Monero to payment networks like Ripple and Stellar — suggested that the recovery was not limited to Bitcoin alone but reflected a wider renewal of confidence in the digital asset ecosystem. For market observers, the episode reinforced the cyclical nature of crypto markets, where extreme fear and extreme greed can alternate with remarkable speed.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry significant risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
reclaiming 1K in feb 2018 felt like a relief after the january crash – turned out to be a dead cat bounce though
altcoins rallying alongside BTC was short lived – most kept bleeding for months after this
four digit BTC felt like a milestone but it would drop below 6K before the real bottom