Bitcoin holds $20K as ECB warns inflation may never return to pre-COVID lows

cointelegraph.com:

Bitcoin (BTC) held steady at just above $20,000 after the June 29 Wall Street open as Europe's chief banker admitted the world would "never" return to low inflation.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD looking nonvolatile but precarious as it stuck in a narrow range on the day.

United States equities markets were likewise calm after Asian trading had seen fresh losses. In Europe, meanwhile, comments from central bankers set the macro tone.

In particular, Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), appeared to state that inflation would remain high indefinitely.

"I don't think we're going back to that period of low inflation," she said during a press conference at the ongoing ECB Forum event in Sintra, Portugal.

Joining her was Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, who sounded similarly downbeat on the prognosis while promising to not rest until inflation matched the bank's 2% target.

"That is our aim, that is our intention; we think there are various pathways to achieve that, to achieve the path back to 2% inflation while sustaining a strong labor market. We believe we can do that, that's our aim; there's no guarantee that we can do that," he said.

Bitcoin was unresponsive to the comments, which preceded fresh U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data by around two weeks.

For Bitcoin analysts, meanwhile, the focus was on the June monthly close.

On-chain analytics resource Material Indicators eyed a breakout now due "very soon" as the monthly candle was all but doomed to disappoint.

"Bulls are defending the 2017 Top, but with one day to go, it's going to be almost impossible to print a green Monthly candle," it told Twitter followers.

An accompanying chart showing the order book of major exchange