Jan 10 (Reuters) – Bitcoin’s looking steady in 2023. But it’s only been a week.

Cryptocurrencies have crept into the new year, licking their wounds after the carnage of 2022. The overall global crypto market cap has risen 5% to $871 billion since Jan. 1, but it’s still down over 57% from this time last year.

Bitcoin itself has gained 4.3% since the start of 2023, though stuck in a narrow range between $16,500 and $17,300. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency is eerily subdued, with its 7-day volatility dropping to levels not seen since October 2018, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

“It will be a year for the patient, as we do not anticipate prices nearing former all-time highs in 2023,” said Vetle Lunde, senior analyst at Arcane Research.

Cryptocurrency spot trading volumes remain similarly muted after slumping about 48% in December versus the previous month to $544 billion, their lowest level since December 2019, CryptoCompare data showed.

While lower trading volumes are common around the turn of the year, the crypto market apathy has been exacerbated by a “general exodus” of active retail investors, according to Arcane Research.

For some market players, though, subdued sounds pretty good after the bitcoin bloodbath of 2022.

“I feel encouraged by the floor we’ve seen forming under bitcoin, it shows there’s a lot of demand around $16,000 and $17,000 levels,” said Callie Cox, investment analyst at investment platform eToro.

So what happens now?

THE BULL’S TALE