The broader cryptocurrency market remains divided with Bitcoin (BTC) slipping below $65,000 on Thursday after Kevin Warsh’s hawkish speech the previous day, while altcoins like Ethena (ENA) and Stellar (XLM) advance upwards.
The NZD/USD pair gains traction to around 0.5790 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) amid upbeat annual New Zealand Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data and improved risk sentiment.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, pulled back after reaching an 11-week high of 100.57 in the previous day and is now trading around 100.30 during the Asian hours on Thursday.
The USD/JPY pair holds steady above mid-160.00s during the Asian session on Thursday, consolidating its gains registered over the past four days to the highest level since July 2024.
USD/CAD inches lower after five days of gains, trading around 1.4100 during the Asian hours on Thursday.
The AUD/USD pair gathers strength to around 0.7025 during the early Asian trading hours on Thursday. Optimism surrounding the US-Iran peace deal provides some support to the riskier assets, such as the Australian Dollar (AUD) against the US Dollar (USD).
The GBP/USD pair gains some positive traction during the Asian session on Thursday and moves away from its lowest level since April 7, around the 1.3260 region set the previous day.
On Thursday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead at 6.8130 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.8096 and 6.7752 Reuters estimate.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price edges higher after five days of losses, trading around $75.10 per barrel during the Asian hours on Thursday. Crude oil prices gain ground despite easing Middle East tensions and supply concerns.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has called on governments to tokenize their stock markets and issue sovereign stablecoins, arguing that blockchain technology can expand access to capital markets and increase the global use of national currencies.
The EUR/USD pair recovers some lost ground near 1.1515 during the early Asian trading hours on Thursday. The Euro (EUR) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) on improved risk sentiment after US President Donald Trump signed the US-Iran MoU to end the war.
The White House stated that US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian signed the memorandum of understanding to end the US-Israel war on Iran, BBC reported late Wednesday.
Gold price (XAU/USD) tumbles to around $4,280 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal faces some selling pressure after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) decided to hold its benchmark interest rate steady but signaled a hike in borrowing costs later this year.
New Zealand's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.8% QoQ in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, compared with a 0.5% expansion (revised from 0.2%) in the fourth quarter of 2025, Statistics New Zealand showed on Thursday. This reading came in weaker than the expectation of a rise of 0.9%.
Bitcoin (BTC) remains well below key onchain metrics, with realized losses continuing to dominate capital flows despite a partial price recovery.
The Japanese Yen depreciated against the US Dollar on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve delivered a hawkish hold, with most officials expecting one rate hike towards the end of the year, while the new Fed Chair, Warsh, reiterated the Fed’s commitment to achieving the 2% inflation goal.
Ethereum (ETH) derivatives have remained subdued following the price decline over the past few weeks.
The Pound spent Wednesday absorbing blows from both sides of the Atlantic. Softer than expected UK inflation set a heavy tone in the morning, and Kevin Warsh's hawkish first Federal Reserve (Fed) decision finished the job in the evening.
The Australian Dollar went into Kevin Warsh's first Federal Reserve (Fed) decision as a high-beta currency with no domestic shield, and it paid for it.
The US Dollar Index (DXY) surged toward the 100.40 level on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) June policy decision, in which the central bank left interest rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, as widely expected, in Kevin Warsh’s first meeting as Fed Chair.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) left interest rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% on Wednesday, but the bigger surprise came from the updated economic projections and Kevin Warsh's first press conference as Fed Chair.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) spent Wednesday morning printing another record, its third in a row, before running headlong into Kevin Warsh's first decision as Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair.
Kevin Warsh's first meeting as Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair held rates steady, exactly as expected, and then handed the Dollar one of its cleaner catalysts of the year.
Kevin Warsh's first meeting as Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair was billed as a quiet hold, and on the headline rate it delivered exactly that. Everything wrapped around that hold, however, was a hawkish blow to the Euro.