USD/JPY trades close to more than three-decade high of 152.00, Fed Powell’s speech eyed
Source Fxstreet
- USD/JPY hovers near historic highs around 152.00 ahead of Fed Powell’s speech.
- The US ADP Employment report for March has indicated that private labor demand remains strong.
- Investors remain uncertain over Japan’s wage growth spiral.
The USD/JPY pair rebounds to historic highs of 152.00 in Wednesday’s early American session. The asset is expected to extend its upside on easing expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will begin reducing interest rates from the June meeting.
Fed policymakers don’t see any urgency for rate cuts as labor market conditions are tight and the economic outlook is strong. Cleveland Fed Bank President Loretta Mester said on Tuesday that the central bank sees more risk in cutting interest rates too early. Fed Mester added, “With labor markets and economic growth both being very solid, we do not need to take that risk.” While she sees three rate cuts as “reasonable” this year.
Meanwhile, the United States ADP reported upbeat employment data for March. The agency reported that 184K new workers were hired by private employers against expectations of 148K and the prior reading of 155K.
Going forward, investors will focus on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech, which is expected at 16:10 GMT. Powell is expected to provide cues about when the central bank will pivot to rate cuts.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Yen is broadly weak as investors lack confidence that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will tighten its policy sooner due to uncertainty over the wage growth spiral. Investors seem to have digested fears of Japan’s intervention in the FX domain to support the Japanese Yen.
Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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Bitcoin briefly loses 2025 gains as crypto plunges over the weekend.Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant.
The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year.
Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus.
Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses.
Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant.
The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year.
Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus.
Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses.
Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
Gold price (XAU/USD) extends the decline to around $4,030 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The precious metal edges lower as traders dialed back expectations of a US interest rate cut next month.
Ethereum is trading near $3,150 and just 8% above a key $2,895 long-term holders’ cost basis, with on-chain flows, macro uncertainty and support around $3,000–$2,800 all shaping what comes next for ETH.
