Risk assets, dollar drop after key US election debate

The U.S. dollar fell Wednesday, hitting its weakest point of the year against the Japanese yen after the critical U.S. presidential debate.

At 02:36 ET (06:36 GMT), USD/JPY was down 0.72%, while the EUR/USD gained 0.25% against the greenback. The yen's strength was further bolstered by comments from Bank of Japan board member Junko Nakagawa, who confirmed that the central bank is prepared to increase interest rates if economic growth and inflation align with its projections.

Bitcoin (BitfinexUSD) price also experienced losses, dropping 0.7%. At 02:36 ET, the world's largest digital coin was seen exchanging hands at $56,537.00.

U.S. futures also traded in the red with the benchmark S&P 500 Futures down 15 points, or 0.27%.

During the sole scheduled debate of the U.S. presidential race, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was perceived to have outperformed Republican candidate Donald Trump. The two of them were engaged in a heated exchange for most of the time.

The debate covered a range of topics, from policy differences to personal criticisms, and has seemingly influenced investor sentiment.

With the presidential election drawing near, the debate has heightened anticipation of a closely contested race. Following the event on September 10, betting odds showed a shift, with Donald Trump's chances of winning the 2024 election dropping to a tie on the Polymarket betting platform. 

Pop music megastar Taylor Swift said she will vote for VP Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. In an Instagram post made shortly after the debate, Swift said Harris is a 'warrior.'

“I think (Harris) is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote.