The cryptocurrency market experienced mild volatility on Thursday, following the release of U.S. initial jobless claims data, which showed fewer Americans filing for unemployment benefits than economists had expected.
Bitcoin (BTC) remained flat over the past 24 hours, hovering around $107,500, while Ethereum (ETH) increased by 1.3% to $2,445. XRP, on the other hand, dropped by around 3% to $2.12, while Solana (SOL) is also mostly trading sideways around $143.
The total cryptocurrency market capitalization decreased by 2% on the day to near $3.4 trillion. Leveraged liquidations totaled around $206 million in the same period, according to CoinGlass. ETH liquidations amounted to over $70 million, while BTC followed with $43 million. Altcoin liquidations totaled approximately $25 million.
In the U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) space, spot BTC ETFs recorded $542 million in inflows on June 25, continuing a now 12-day streak of inflows, mostly in the hundreds of millions.
Meanwhile, spot ETH ETFs attracted around $60 million in inflows yesterday in the third day of consecutive inflows, according to SoSoValue data.
Investors Cautious on Jobless Claims
Experts partly attributed today’s market volatility to cautious investor sentiment following the jobless claims report released this morning. Specifically, 236,000 people filed new jobless claims last week, 10,000 fewer than the week before, and also lower than what economists were predicting (around 245,000).
New jobless claims are a way to measure how many people are getting laid off. A drop in claims usually suggests fewer layoffs and could be viewed as a positive sign for the job market. However, sometimes the stronger labor market data can add to expectations that the Federal Reserve may delay interest rate cuts.
Meanwhile, recurring applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose to the highest levels since November 2021, Bloomberg reported today.
Fed Remarks and Geopolitical Tensions
Earlier this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed is employing a wait-and-see approach when it comes to cutting interest rates.
Powell said inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% target, and noted during testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday that monetary policy is still evolving and its full impact on the economy is uncertain. “The effects of tariffs will depend, among other things, on their ultimate level,” Powell added.
Also contributing to the market’s volatility are ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Iran, Israel and the United States. In recent remarks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that the country had “delivered a heavy slap to the U.S.’s face” and asserted that the U.S. had “gained no achievement” by joining the conflict, as reported by The Guardian.
The remarks follow the U.S.’s strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend and reports of a ceasefire between Tehran and Israel by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The focus will continue to be on how the Middle East situation plays out following 2 weeks, though we maintain a bullish outlook mid-long term on [crypto] assets,” said Paul Howard, senior director at crypto hedge fund Wincent, in comments shared with The Defiant.
