JP Morgan says buying frenzy makes crypto markets look 'frothy’

Global investment bank JP Morgan described cryptocurrency markets as “looking frothy” with the stock-buying frenzy spilling over into altcoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and a surge in decentralized finance (defi) activity.

The movement boosted the price of certain cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA) but are more likely to be a reflection of froth and retail investor ‘mania’ rather than a structural uptrend.

Retail investors bought stocks at a record pace with an estimated net flow into the US stock market that reached a record high of almost $16 billion in July and $13 billion in August.

The crypto market surged 83 percent in value over the last three months, led by altcoins. and now has a cap of $2.28 trillion.

Bitcoin slipped from 47 percent on Aug. 1 to 41.39 percent on September 4.

ETH accounts for 20.13 percent of the crypto market, followed by ADA at 4.11 percent, and SOL at 1.80 percent.

SOL, which emerged as one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies this year, is now the seventh-largest crypto by market capitalization. The coin gained 310.8 percent in the last month and 3,277.6 percent year-to-date. SOL coins are priced at $141.04 each.

Altcoin trading now accounts for 33 percent of the crypto market, soaring from its 22 percent reading in early August. But according to JP Morgan, altcoin shares look rather elevated by historical standards.