U.S. dollar drops to two-week low; bitcoin eyes $50,000
The dollar fell to two-week lows on Tuesday in choppy trading, led by losses against the yen and euro, as risk sentiment improved in the afternoon session amid stock market gains and as U.S. Treasury yields rose.
Bitcoin soared to a record high, headed toward the $50,000 milestone. It has surged more than 1,000% since March 2020 and analysts said forecasts of bitcoin hitting $100,000 this year no longer seem far-fetched.
The dollar has risen as Democrats in the U.S. Congress moved to fast-track President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. But some analysts say massive fiscal spending and continued ultra-easy Federal Reserve monetary policy will ultimately be a broad headwind for the dollar.
U.S. benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields rose to near March 2020 highs on Monday as investors bet on a faster economic recovery than many of peers. U.S. 10-year yields were last 1.16%.
The dollar index was 0.6% lower at 90.54, after earlier hitting a two-week low.
BLISTERING BITCOIN
Cryptocurrencies were the biggest beneficiary of the weakening dollar. Bitcoin rocketed above $48,000, building on a nearly 20% surge overnight after Tesla Inc announced a $1.5 billion investment in the digital asset.
Ether Hits $1,800 for First Time as Market Cap Passes $200B
Ethereum’s ether cryptocurrency rallied to new lifetime highs early on Tuesday amid a continued drying up of sell-side liquidity in the market.
The second-largest cryptocurrency registered a record high of $1,824.59 during European trading hours, surpassing the previous peak price of $1,761.35 hit on Feb. 5, according to CoinDesk 20 data.
The cryptocurrency is now trading lower at $1,764, representing a 5.5% gain on a 24-hour basis. Ether has more than doubled in value this year, outperforming bitcoin‘s 58% rise.
The Japanese yen was another major beneficiary, rising 0.6% against the U.S. dollar to 104.69 yen. Earlier, the dollar fell to a two-week low of 104.50 yen.
The yen has become increasingly correlated with outright yields rather than an indicator of broad risk sentiment. A 90-day rolling correlation between yen and U.S. yields has strengthened considerably since the final quarter of 2020.
Elsewhere, the euro rose 0.5% to $1.2104 on Tuesday, up from a two-month low of $1.1952 touched Friday.
The British pound climbed to $1.3816, its highest since May 2018. It last traded up 0.6% at $1.3811.
Reference: CNBC, CoinDesk
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