The cryptocurrency market ushered in a strong rally Wednesday, following lower-than-expected retail inflation data.

What Happened: Bitcoin soared past $66,000 for the first time in three weeks, lifting more than 7% in the last 24 hours. The second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, followed suit, breaking $3,000 following gains of nearly 5%.

The rally brought commotion to the market, triggering liquidations worth more than $150 million in the last 24 hours. Short liquidations surged past $110 million.

The surge boosted speculative interest, with Open Interest for Bitcoin Futures reaching a one-month high of $32 billion, an 8.64% gain in the last 24 hours.

The market rallied as monthly inflation in the U.S. grew 0.3% from March, below analysts' estimates of 0.4%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The softer-than-expected numbers raised expectations of easing monetary policy, resulting in increased capital inflows in the risk-on markets.

Top Gainer (24 Hour)

The global cryptocurrency market cap stands at $2.39 trillion, expanding 6.56% in the past 24 hours.

The stock market reacted with the same fervor, reaching record highs on Wednesday. The S&P 500 breached 5,300 for the first time, ending at 5,308.15 following a 1.17% uptick. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 349.89 points, or 0.88%, to close at 39,908.00, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also ended at a record high of 16,742.39, gaining 1.4% during the trading session.

U.S. Treasury yields sank lower, with the rate on the 10-year note dropping by 3 basis points to 4.323%, providing a further boost to the stocks.

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Analyst Notes: Popular cryptocurrency analyst Kevin highlighted Bitcoin's falling wedge/bull flag pattern, predicting the next target as $68,000–$69,0000, a level that could offer significant resistance.

"Looking good thanks to the solid macro data we got the last two days from last month's inflation revisions to Core CPI today," the analyst remarked.

Update on the #BTC falling wedge/bull flag that we have been tracking. If we hold this breakout the next expected targets are 68K-69K which will be big resistance. Looking good thanks to the solid macro data we got the last two days from last months inflation revisions to Core...  pic.twitter.com/W0uzs8TdUd

— Kevin (@Kev_Capital_TA) May 15, 2024

Another noted technical analyst, Rekt Capital, discussed the beginning of the altcoin market's bottom, which might lead to an altcoin season that traders have long sought.

"Whether Altcoins start bottoming now in mid-May or a little later in end of May, early June...The window for Altcoin bottoming has just begun."

$ALTS
Like clockwork
We're already starting to see a market-wide recovery literally in mid-May
Whether Altcoins start bottoming now in mid-May or a little later in end of May, early June...
The window for Altcoin bottoming has just begun#BTC #Crypto #Bitcoin  pic.twitter.com/hEA7Atu0fD

— Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) May 15, 2024