Bond King "Bitcoin to Drop to $23,000"‥US State Department Classifies Cryptocurrency as Payment Method

'Bond King' Gundlach Emphasizes Bitcoin Speculation... "Buying Opportunity at $23,000"
US State Department Announces Possible Cryptocurrency Rewards for Ransomware Info Reporting
Bitcoin Drops 3% to $31,000 Range

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Cryptocurrency Bitcoin has fallen to the $31,000 range amid predictions that it could drop to $23,000. The U.S. Department of State announced it may pay up to $10 million in cryptocurrency to informants reporting ransomware attacks.

According to CoinMarketCap on the 15th (local time), Bitcoin was trading at $31,619, down 3.67% from 24 hours earlier; Ethereum fell 3.47% to $1,923; and Dogecoin plunged 5.46% to 18.62 cents.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the same day, Jeffrey Gundlach, the "Bond King" and founder of DoubleLine Capital, said in an interview with CNBC, "Bitcoin is a proxy for speculative fever," and predicted that Bitcoin could break below $30,000 and soon fall to $23,000.

Gundlach, who had previously regarded gold and Bitcoin as inflation hedges, said he no longer trusts Bitcoin. He stated that he neither personally buys nor sells Bitcoin. He explained that watching Bitcoin prices, which can fluctuate by 40%, does not suit his temperament.

On the same day, the U.S. Department of State announced it would pay informants up to $10 million for information related to ransomware attacks, with the reward possibly paid in cryptocurrency.

As ransomware attacks have recently continued, demanding cryptocurrency as ransom, the U.S. government has proposed paying informants in cryptocurrency as a reward for information.

Cryptocurrency specialized media CoinDesk reported that among U.S. federal agencies, the Department of State is the first to classify cryptocurrency as a payment method.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.