A number of factors are behind bitcoin’s New Year rise, according to analysts, including an increased probability of interest rates being lowered and purchases by large buyers known as “whales.”Filip Radwanski | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBitcoin has begun 2023 on a positive note, with the price of the world’s largest digital token up roughly 26% since the start of January.On Saturday, bitcoin’s price rose above $21,000 per coin for the first time since Nov. 7.It’s still a far cry from the $68,990 record high bitcoin notched in Nov. 2021. But it has given market players cause for some optimism.The month-to-date rally follows a grim 2022, which saw major insolvencies and scandals in the crypto industry, including the collapse of FTX, and a sharp pullback in the broader market linked to central bank actions.Analysts say that a number of factors are behind bitcoin’s New Year rise, including an increased probability of interest rates being lowered, as well as purchases by large buyers known as “whales.”New Year, new monetary policy?Inflation is cooling down, and economic indicators suggest slowing U.S. economic activity. That’s made traders optimistic the Federal Reserve could reverse, or at l …
