The XMR/USD closed at $234.200, after reaching a high of $248.100, and a low of $233.700. The XMR/USD remained flat throughout the day, opening and closing the trading session on Tuesday at the same price level, hence null movement.
Just like all other cryptocurrencies, Monero started to plunge on Tuesday, following the recent negative market sentiment. China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies extended even further, with the government issuing another warning to stop trading in cryptocurrency derivatives. The Dragon Nation has the intention of getting rid of all cryptocurrency mining in the country, and now the ban on cryptocurrency has generally added to the clampdown, which is weighing on the whole cryptocurrency market.
The leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was the first to reduce in value following the latest warning from China, and after that, all other cryptocurrencies started following the trend. The cryptocurrency, Monero, was no exception also following the trend set by Bitcoin, resulting in a decrease in value on Tuesday.Another reason behind the negative momentum in XMR/USD was the rising strength of the US dollar, as the two are negatively correlated. The greenback was strong across the board, amid the recent comments by various officials at the Federal Reserve, acknowledging the statement made by Jerome Powell last week. The Fed stated that inflation and employment goals were moving in the right direction and that conditions for scaling back asset purchases would be met soon.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the XMR/USD prices remained under pressure, amid the rising number of complaints about botnets mining Monero. The practice of Monero mining by hackers through botnets has been increasing day by day. Monero is a preferred currency for these botnets, as the mining algorithm only gives weak advantages to graphic cards, making it relatively profitable for CPU miners. Furthermore, Monero is particularly anonymous, and this high level of privacy provides security for the illegally mined coins. This news has also added to the losses in XMR/USD.
Trading in Monero is choppy, at the 237 level; however, recently, it has been heading north. The XMR/USD has crossed above the 50 SMA resistance level of 237, and now it is working as a support for the XMR. Further to the upside, the XMR/USD may find resistance at the 239 level.