The first thing we want to do when analyzing any asset, crypto or otherwise, is identify the direction of the primary trend. In the case of Bitcoin, the trend for the lifetime of this asset is clearly: Up.

Look at this pattern of Uptrend, Consolidation, Breakout, Uptrend, Consolidation, Breakout, Uptrend, Consolidation, Breakout, Uptrend, Consolidation.....

The next step in this pattern is Breakout right?

In this special episode of The Money Game, Phil asks me about any new trends I’m seeing for 2020. I give him both the sexy answer, that everyone seems to want to hear, and the real answer. I think this was a quick but valuable conversation about US and foreign markets, US Sectors like Technology and Financials and even what we see coming for Bitcoin. We had good timing on this conversation as we’re just getting starting the new year.

Remember Crypto Currencies? The conversations over Thanksgiving dinners in 2017 were really something. It feels like just yesterday we were still feeling the euphoria of the Crypto Craze.

So now what? What's happened since the epic 80%+ crash that destroyed the hopes and dreams of the greedy fools that fell for the 'get rich quick' appeal of the "new currency" (that wasn't really new at all)? Where is Bitcoin today?

Think about how well everything is going this year! The S&P500 is up almost 20%. Bonds are up 22% and even Gold is up 17%! Heck Bitcoin has more than doubled! Can things get any better than this???

From the desk of Tom Bruni @BruniCharting

As part of our Institutional Top 10 Charts report on February 21st, we wrote about why Litecoin was leading the Cryptocurrency regime change.

Several weeks later on April 3rd, we followed-up on that call by noting the improving price action of Bitcoin and Ethereum and suggesting a long-term bottom was likely in for the Crypto space.

Several months later, let's see where we are now.

When I go through all of the crypto currencies, the healthiest one and the only one already pressing up against key resistance is Ethereum. You guys know I look for relative strength and positive momentum. Ethereum is showing characteristics of both right now.

Today I want to take a look at what we're seeing in Ether, as the great Nasir Jones would refer to it. He's one of our generations greatest poets and I think what we're seeing in the Ether right now is pure poetry.

When I go through charts of the most popular crypto currencies, it's hard to ignore the fact that we're seeing prices breaking out above downtrend lines from their respective highs. Go one by one, we're seeing it all over.

So what does that mean? Should we be buying all the crypto currencies right now?

This week I was in New York City working on some really cool things that I'll be announcing next quarter. It has been an incredible year and I think 2018 is going to somehow be even better!  While I was in town, I swung by the Nasdaq Marketsite to chat with my friends over at BNN in Canada. They wanted me to talk about my thoughts on Bitcoin (of course), precious metals and U.S. equities.

It was a quick hit but I think I laid out some really interesting opportunities with very well defined risk parameters. As long as the potential reward is exponentially greater than the risk and the trend is on our side, I see little reason not to be all over these. There have been some very powerful trends in these markets over the past few years that I think continue into 2018.

Here is the video in full:

It was Thanksgiving last week and the hot topic all over dinner tables throughout the world was about Bitcoin. Older relatives asking younger nieces and nephews to explain crypto-currencies was probably something pretty hilarious to watch by being a fly on the wall of many households.

In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I would post a couple of charts that I think are worth sharing with those family members and friends who are coming out of the woodwork asking about the not so new asset class. While I don't particularly care about the actual technology behind blockchain, I do think it's important to focus on the behavior of these markets. This is how we can responsibly calculate risk vs reward propositions. That's what this is about at the end of the day right? We're here to make money.