The last few months of 2017 seemed too good to be true for many digital currencies. But now, in the first few weeks of 2018, we’ve seen many of the top digital currencies impacted by a severe slump. It’s difficult to say exactly what has driven the price of these cryptocurrencies downward. It could have something to do with China’s preparation to block domestic internet users from accessing international digital currency exchanges. This occurred after the country banned Chinese exchanges and ICOs late in 2017. Reports have also suggested that South Korea is going to regulate cryptocurrencies in the near future as well. It’s also entirely possible that the recent price slump is simply due to natural shifts in the digital currency market.

(Investopedia)