Bitcoin Surges Past $99,000 Following Dovish Remarks From Atlanta Fed President Bostic

Source Bitcoinist

After spending more than two weeks trading in the mid-$90,000 range, Bitcoin (BTC) is starting to climb toward the psychologically significant $100,000 mark. The flagship cryptocurrency surged past $99,000 following dovish remarks from Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) President Raphael Bostic.

Bostic’s Dovish Remarks Propel Bitcoin Beyond $99,000

Recently, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s hawkish comments dampened investor sentiment, effectively signaling that interest rate cuts may not happen for the rest of the year due to persistent inflation and a resilient job market.

However, Bostic’s latest remarks contrast with Powell’s stance. The Atlanta Fed president noted that while overall employment remains stable, signs of a slowdown are beginning to emerge.

He pointed out that it has become increasingly difficult for unemployed individuals to find jobs compared to a few months ago, with the probability of securing employment now lower than pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, he highlighted that the average duration of unemployment has extended by approximately three weeks since August 2024.

Bostic also emphasized the decline in the “quits rate” – the percentage of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs each month – which has fallen to levels last seen in 2015, excluding the pandemic years. Given these indicators, he expressed support for easing monetary policy, stating that “the balance of risks to our dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment has shifted.”

He further pointed to rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in light of US President Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs. Bostic argued that reducing monetary policy restrictiveness would help prevent excessive deterioration in the labor market.

Finally, he projected that the Fed would implement two rate cuts in 2025. Following his dovish remarks, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield and the US Dollar Index (DXY) declined, while risk-on assets like BTC gained.

DXY

BTC Coming Of Age In 2025?

Despite the shaky start to the year due to global macroeconomic uncertainties, BTC has performed relatively well. The top cryptocurrency held its own despite the stock market turmoil due to the Fed’s cautious stance on rate cuts.

As Bitcoin continues to trade around the pivotal $100,000 mark with a total market cap of almost $2 trillion, future price pullbacks are likely to be shallower compared to those witnessed during past market cycles.

Bitcoin’s adoption continues to grow, with an increasing number of US states exploring ways to incorporate it into their treasury reserves. Recently, Kansas, Kentucky, and Utah have taken significant steps toward recognizing BTC as a mainstream digital asset.

This trend aligns with a recent Fidelity Digital Assets report, which suggests that the next wave of crypto adoption will likely be driven by nation-states and government treasuries. At press time, BTC is trading at $99,112, up 2% in the past 24 hours.

bitcoin
Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Australian Dollar depreciates following employment data, China’s policy decisionThe Australian Dollar (AUD) extends its losses against the US Dollar (USD) following the release of domestic employment data and China’s interest rate decision on Thursday.
Author  FXStreet
Feb 20, Thu
The Australian Dollar (AUD) extends its losses against the US Dollar (USD) following the release of domestic employment data and China’s interest rate decision on Thursday.
placeholder
Trump approves the ‘D.O.G.E dividend’ tax refund for US taxpayersPresident Donald Trump just signed off on a tax refund plan that could send billions back into the pockets of Americans. The ‘D.O.G.E Dividend’, named after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), will return 20% of the savings from Musk’s cost-cutting initiative directly to taxpayers. Trump confirmed the plan during a Miami Beach event […]
Author  Cryptopolitan
Feb 20, Thu
President Donald Trump just signed off on a tax refund plan that could send billions back into the pockets of Americans. The ‘D.O.G.E Dividend’, named after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), will return 20% of the savings from Musk’s cost-cutting initiative directly to taxpayers. Trump confirmed the plan during a Miami Beach event […]
placeholder
Dogecoin (DOGE) Flatlines—Is a Breakout or Breakdown Coming?Dogecoin started a fresh decline below the $0.2620 zone against the US Dollar. DOGE is now consolidating and struggling to clear the $0.2550 resistance. DOGE price started a fresh decline below the
Author  NewsBTC
Feb 21, Fri
Dogecoin started a fresh decline below the $0.2620 zone against the US Dollar. DOGE is now consolidating and struggling to clear the $0.2550 resistance. DOGE price started a fresh decline below the
placeholder
Forex Today: Market focus shifts to February PMI dataHere is what you need to know on Friday, February 21: The action in financial markets quiets down on Friday as investors await preliminary February Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data from Germany, the Eurozone, the UK and the US.
Author  FXStreet
Feb 21, Fri
Here is what you need to know on Friday, February 21: The action in financial markets quiets down on Friday as investors await preliminary February Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data from Germany, the Eurozone, the UK and the US.
placeholder
3 Stocks to Profit From the AI RevolutionArtificial intelligence (AI) has been a leading driver for many tech stocks like Nvidia in recent years. However, as the AI revolution matures, investors may be looking for ideas b
Author  The Motley Fool
Feb 21, Fri
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a leading driver for many tech stocks like Nvidia in recent years. However, as the AI revolution matures, investors may be looking for ideas b
goTop
quote