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Bitcoin Barely Holds $26K as Interest Rate Surge Continues

Higher yields are taking a toll on traditional assets as well, with the Nasdaq sinking another 1% to its lowest level since early June.

Bitcoin slips as rates stay high (CoinDesk)
Bitcoin slips as rates stay high (CoinDesk)

The price of bitcoin (BTC) remained under pressure at $26,200 on Tuesday as the idea of higher rates for a longer period takes hold throughout financial markets. The broad CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) is down 0.6%, modestly underperforming the decline in bitcoin.

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield moved up to 4.55%, matching its highest level in about 16 years. The yield on the 10-year note began September at just 4.18%.

A História Continua abaixo
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The sharp move higher in rates is having major effect on equity markets, with the Nasdaq lower by 1.1% on Tuesday and now at its weakest read in nearly four months. The S&P 500 is down similarly and also matching levels not seen since early June.

JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon warns on rates

"I am not sure if the world is prepared for 7%," said the JPMorgan CEO earlier Tuesday. Dimon noted that the rise in the U.S. Federal Reserve’s benchmark fed funds rate from 0%-2% was not a big deal and that the rise from 2% to the current 5.25%-5.50% caught a few off guard. A rise to 7%, though, he cautioned, is something very few market participants are expecting.

"There will be stress in the system," he said, possibly sending the U.S. economy into recession.


Stephen Alpher

Stephen is CoinDesk's managing editor for Markets. He previously served as managing editor at Seeking Alpha. A native of suburban Washington, D.C., Stephen went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, majoring in finance. He holds BTC above CoinDesk’s disclosure threshold of $1,000.

Stephen Alpher