"In the short term, weak data may support BTC to continue the rebound. The market is concerned about Friday's non-farm payrolls report, if it again shows that the labor market cooling, will strengthen the year rate cut expectations," analysts at Bitunix said in an email.
Other analysts expressed concerns about the public spat between President Donald Trump and his one-time ally and billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk over tax reforms and their impact on fiscal deficit.
"A public clash between Elon Musk and Donald Trump shook investor confidence, highlighting fractures within political and business leadership," said Valentin Fournier, lead research analyst at BRN. "Traditional markets held relatively steady (−0.5%), but crypto saw a sharp reaction, with $830M in liquidations as leveraged traders got wiped out."
Fournier suggested maintaining a cautious, low-exposure stance, expecting sideways or further downside action over the weekend. "Any near-term rebound will need a fundamental catalyst to be sustained," he noted.
More buoyantly, USDC issuer Circle's shares surged 168% on their first day of NYSE trading to close at $83.23 from the IPO price of $31, lifting the market cap to $18.5 billion. The stock saw a trading volume of over 47.8 million shares, according to the exchange. The debut, however, revived memories of Coinbase's listing in April 2021, which marked an interim bitcoin market top.
The number of large open interest holders of CME bitcoin futures reached an all-time high of 217 as of the end of May, signaling increased institutional participation. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that the company is in the “study phase” of potentially using stablecoins as a payment method.
In traditional markets, the U.S. Treasury called on the Bank of Japan to hike rates to stall the weakness in the yen, a currency that's seen as a haven from risk. Stay alert!
