Key points:
Monetary stimulus in China and Europe increases investors’ focus on Bitcoin price.
The US Federal Reserve is under political pressure to cut rates, as the DXY weakens.
Bitcoin’s decoupling from traditional markets continues to gain attention.
Bitcoin (
Several metrics and events
As central banks respond to the threat of an economic recession, the chances of an increase in monetary supply are rising. While the US Federal Reserve (Fed) has held off on lowering interest rates or expanding its balance sheet, other nations have already taken such steps. This puts more pressure on the US economy, which is starting to show signs of weakness.
In China, new bank loans in March rebounded more than expected to $500 billion, over 20% higher than analysts had predicted and a strong recovery from the previous month’s decline. According to Reuters, the PBOC has promised to increase stimulus measures to reduce the impact of the trade war with the United States.
On April 17, the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the seventh time in a year to support the eurozone economy. The ECB has lowered the cost of capital to its lowest level since late 2022. Several investment banks have also reduced their inflation forecasts for the region, as the tariff war could reduce the region’s gross domestic product by 0.5%, according to Reuters.
Further adding pressure on the US Federal Reserve to end its restrictive monetary policy is the weakening of the US dollar compared to major global currencies, as the
Investor confidence has also been hurt by US President Donald Trump’s public criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s administration. This situation makes it harder for the US Treasury to rely on issuing Treasurys to stay afloat, which further weakens the US dollar. President Trump even said that Powell’s removal “cannot come fast enough,” while also calling for lower interest rates.
However, when looking at the current macroeconomic data, there is little reason to support a more relaxed monetary policy from the US Fed, especially after the latest US jobless claims reported on April 17. Initial claims fell by 9,000 to 215,000 in the week ending April 12, according to the US Labor Department. Powell repeated on April 16 that the labor market is in a “solid condition,” according to Reuters.
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Bitcoin miners have also shown a strong long-term commitment, as the hashrate
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