Nikkei Jumps 2.5% As BOJ Hints to Pause Rate Hike, Crypto Market Rally Ahead?

As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of market experience under my belt, I must say that today’s market developments have been quite intriguing. The Nikkei’s surge past 35,000 levels is a testament to the resilience of the Japanese equity market and the global economy at large. However, the recent intervention by BOJ Governor Shinichi Uchida serves as a reminder that central bank decisions can have far-reaching consequences, as evidenced by the turbulence we witnessed last week following the 25 bps rate hike.


In a fresh development for global stock markets, the governor of Bank of Japan, Shinichi Uchida, hinted that they might reconsider their decision to raise interest rates from last week if market instability becomes apparent. Consequently, the Nikkei 225 Index spiked by 2.5% on Wednesday, breaking through the 35,000 mark. Additionally, the cryptocurrency market is demonstrating robustness as the price of Bitcoin rose by 2%, approaching $57,000 at the time of publication.

Nikkei Surge As BOJ Fuels Optimism

35,000 marks a new high for Nikkei, nearly regaining all the losses from the stock market crash on August 5, often referred to as “Black Monday”. The Bank of Japan’s recent interest rate increase by 0.25% has started unwinding Yen carry trades, causing turbulence in global markets and potentially pushing them towards initiating a US economic downturn.

As an analyst, I find myself expressing gratitude towards BOJ Governor Shinichi Uchida’s timely intervention, which has brought a comforting sense of stability to the markets. The adaptable strategy employed by the BOJ has been instrumental in mitigating market anxiety, as traders assess whether the recent worldwide sell-off was perhaps an exaggerated response to the weak US economic data. Charu Chanana, Saxo Markets’ head of currency strategy, echoes this sentiment.

“Uchida-san’s comments can bring some stability to the Japanese equity market for now, but it cannot take the focus away from US economic data and recession concerns. Putting in fresh carry trades remains tough in this environment of higher volatility and nervousness about the US economy.”

Crypto Market Recovery Further?

On Tuesdays, there was a significant rebound in the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin and other alternative coins (altcoins) jumped over 10% from their Monday lows. Interestingly, the altcoin market experienced an even greater recovery, with Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and others seeing gains of more than 15%.

Currently, the value of Bitcoin has risen by 3% and is nearing $57,250. Market analysts believe that this upward trend could continue, potentially pushing the price above $60,000 as global stock markets recover. CryptoQuant analyst Ki Young Ju suggests that if Bitcoin maintains its current level of $45,000 or higher, it has the potential to reach a new record high within the next year.

If the Bitcoin price remains over $45,000, there’s a possibility that it could reach another all-time high within the next twelve months, in my opinion.

As an analyst, I’ve noticed some bearish trends emerging, but there’s a possibility of a rebound that could counteract these signs. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the market’s behavior over the next week or two to determine if this level persists.

If it…

— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) August 6, 2024

Conversely, there has been a surge of investments in Ethereum ETFs, particularly BlackRock’s ETHA, indicating that institutional demand for Ethereum remains robust even after the latest market downturn.

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2024-08-07 08:15