So, full disclosure, I've only been actively involved in the market for a couple of months now. As such, anything I say or do in regards to said market should be taken with a https://oneragamuffin.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/salt.jpg

Recently, the ongoing and never ending battle between the bulls and the bears has thrown some of us (and plenty of more casual investors) for a loop there has certainly been some promising recent news as well. https://steemitimages.com/DQmSw5kN2zcMe2X3RofbVd9ki4kE7BK9JvBNN5EcUL6GrG1/image.png *Artist rendering

I think the one most people will focus on is this http://fortune.com/2018/02/06/bitcoin-price-cftc-sec-cryptocurrency-hearing/ This hearing was a nervous moment for investors and the positive testimony by the CFTC chair in front of the Senate Banking Committee was welcome news. Of particular cause for optimism was his stance that cryptocurrency was similar to the Internet in its infancy and that a "hands off" approach is appropriate. Uplifting at a time when the market needed a few rays of sunshine. The second bit of information that I think is getting a little less coverage is that Bittrex is going to start allowing purchases via USD.https://cointelegraph.com/news/major-cryptocurrency-exchange-bittrex-to-add-usd-trading-reopen-new-user-sign-ups It seems likely that this major change may be at least partly responsible for Bittrex putting a hold on new user signups. The immediate impact of this move is, of course, that it's bad for exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini as it's more competition for their business model. My question for those with more knowledge is this; What are the chances that Bittrex (now or in the future) will allow direct USD/Alt coin purchases? To my mind, a development like that is a potential game changer. One of Bitcoins big advantages is that it's the most convenient way to purchase Alt coins. If we remove that advantage (at least for US consumers) it seems that we could see an influx of investment into alternative coins and that would be very good for the more speculative investors among us.

So, those are my summation of my thoughts on this wintry Michigan morning. Anyone with any questions or comments feel free to leave them below. I'm always willing to discuss and learn more! I'll end with this photograph of a typical Crypto investor... https://steemitimages.com/DQmPa9VZcyiZdz2pZXhzdgPNddnme3Cm4cmXBmo3nVHq27g/image.png

-Dan