The White House recently underscored Trump’s assertions by citing employment data, emphasizing the Federal Reserve’s previous successful efforts against inflation through high interest rates. However, the Fed has paused interest rate cuts due to delayed employment data, raising alarms as Bitcoin $87,387 plummeted to $99,000.
US Economy Shows Signs of Weakness
As this article was being prepared, the preliminary data of the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index was released at 67.8, falling short of the expected 71.8 and the previous 71.1. Despite last month’s figures not being considered strong, the significantly lower preliminary data suggests a potential for greater weakness in consumer spending. While this decline may positively impact demand-driven inflation, there are no supply chain issues affecting inflation in the US.
Fed’s Response to Economic Signals
The Fed should take these signals of economic fragility seriously and abandon its stubbornness regarding delaying interest rate cuts. Despite Bitcoin experiencing a loss of over $1,000 due to the Fed’s postponement of rates—compounded by the next meeting scheduled for March—this weakness could ultimately benefit cryptocurrencies in the medium term.
If the Fed starts responding to the deteriorating employment data and the decline in consumer confidence, it could lay the groundwork for a rapid recovery in cryptocurrencies.