Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Register Gains in Anticipation of Interest Rate Cuts

Bitcoin's value has rallied in recent hours, reflecting broader gains in risk-sensitive markets as speculation grows that the Federal Reserve may start cutting interest rates in September.

After trading around $56,000 on August 16, BTC has rallied 3.6% in the past 24 hours, reaching as high as $61,000 before returning to $60,850 at the time of writing. Despite these gains, Bitcoin remains in the trading range it has fluctuated in for most of the year, struggling to reach new highs.

Prices of other cryptocurrencies also rose on Tuesday, with Ethereum gaining 2.2% to $2,681.

SOL rose 2.6%, and other altcoins such as XRP, BNB, ADA, DOGE, and MATIC increased between 2.7% and 7%.

Investor sentiment has improved with the growing belief that the Federal Reserve may lower interest rates in September, with traders expecting a 25 basis point cut, according to CME FedWatch data.

This week’s focus is on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium on Friday. While Powell is unlikely to explicitly signal a rate cut, he is expected to offer more positive comments, especially as recent data has shown cooling inflation in the U.S.

Lower interest rates typically benefit risky and speculative assets, including cryptocurrencies.