On May 17, United States Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told the Wall Street Journal that the 50-basis-point rate hikes would continue until inflation is under control. Powell’s emphasis on a hawkish policy suggests that monetary conditions are likely to remain tight in 2022, which could limit the upside in risky assets.

On-chain market intelligence firm Glassnode said that historically, Bitcoin 

BTC

$17,248

 has bottomed out when the price breaks below the realized price. However, barring the 2019 to 2020 bear market, during previous bear cycles, Bitcoin’s price stayed below the realized price for anywhere between 114 to 299 days. This suggests that if macro situations are not favorable, a quick recovery is unlikely.

While the current decline in U.S. equity markets and Bitcoin has similarities with the crash in March 2020, the recovery may not follow the same trajectory because market conditions are different. In 2020, the Fed supported the markets with an unprecedented stimulus, but in 2022 the focus will remain on reducing inflation and monetary tightening.

Could Bitcoin and altcoins resume their downtrend or will lower levels attract buying? Let’s study the charts of the top-10 cryptocurrencies to find out.