Bitcoin Drops 6%, Fed Decision Looms as August Jobs Data Awaited

Bitcoin Sinks in August Amid Fed Uncertainty; All Eyes on U.S. Jobs and Inflation Data for September Rate Clues

  • Bitcoin closed August down 6.47%, despite hitting an all-time high earlier in the month.
  • Investors are watching jobless claims, U.S. productivity, and the August jobs report for hints on upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate decisions.
  • Analysts say weak employment numbers could boost Bitcoin by increasing expectations for lower interest rates.
  • Rising inflation and a weakening jobs market are putting pressure on the Federal Reserve’s decision-making.
  • Experts urge caution in September, which historically shows weaker performance for Bitcoin.

Bitcoin ended August with a 6.47% drop, even after reaching a new record price of $124,545.60. Investors and market watchers are focusing on upcoming U.S. economic data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s decisions about interest rates in September.

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Recent jobless claims, productivity figures, and the August jobs report are at the center of attention. The U.S. labor market is showing signs of weakening, while inflation remains elevated, creating a challenging situation for the central bank.

“The Fed is walking a tightrope,” said Kurt S. Altrichter, founder of Ivory Hill Wealth Advisory, in a post. He explained that cutting rates too soon could feed a new wave of inflation, but keeping rates high might cause a recession by hurting the job market.

On Thursday, initial jobless claims—new applications for unemployment benefits—will be released. If claims exceed 230,000, it could signal that the job market is getting softer, adding pressure on the Fed to cut rates. Also on Thursday, revised data on U.S. productivity and unit labor costs will be published. Productivity growth for the second quarter is set at 2.4% (annualized), with labor costs up 1.6%, down from 6.9% in the previous quarter, according to the official report.

Friday brings the unemployment rate and nonfarm payroll numbers. Forecasts suggest a slight increase in unemployment to 4.3% and job additions rising to 75,000. Xu Han, director at HashKey Capital, told Decrypt he expects fewer payroll gains than consensus and warned the market could be underestimating the risk of future layoffs. He also noted, “a series of cuts beyond” September could be possible if the trend continues.

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Experts say that a disappointing jobs report does not necessarily mean bad news for Bitcoin. It may give the Fed a reason to lower rates, which often increases demand for riskier investments like cryptocurrencies. Still, some remain cautious due to seasonal trends, noting September is often a weak month for Bitcoin prices.

As August closed, Bitcoin traded at $107,500, according to CoinGecko data.

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