On Thursday, Bitcoin prices experienced a sharp rally, reaching a new 18-month high of around $17,999 before returning to $36,419. BTC/USD continues to trade within the confines of an upward channel on the 60-minute chart.
The price of the leading cryptocurrency is currently trading above several levels of the 100-hour moving average. As a result, Bitcoin has risen into overbought territory on the 14-hour RSI indicator.
From a fundamental perspective, Bitcoin is trading after building positive sentiment in the context of the enthusiasm surrounding the Bitcoin Spot ETF. While approval in the United States is still pending with the SEC, news emerged earlier this week that Hong Kong may consider joining the breakthrough and allowing Bitcoin Spot ETFs as part of their broader strategy for the cryptocurrency economy.
BTC/USD is also influenced by the latest economic data from the United States. On Thursday, initial jobless claims for the week ending November 3 came close to surpassing expectations of 218,000, with the number of claims standing at 217,000.
At the beginning of the week, U.S. consumer credit in September failed to meet the expected $10 billion, recording $9.06 billion instead. Wholesale inventories in the period also did not match the expected 0% change, posting a 0.2% change. In other areas, mortgage applications for the week ending November 3 increased by 2.5% compared to the previous -2.1% change in the prior update.