Bitcoin fell below $113,000 as investors braced for Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech that could set the US Fed’s path on interest rate cuts. Cryptocurrency investors were bracing for the US Federal Reserve’s annual gathering in Jackson Hole on Friday, where Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks may provide key signals on interest rate policy heading into September’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Bitcoin (BTC) briefly fell to $112,565 on Wednesday, a two-week low last seen on Aug. 3, Cointelegraph data showed. Bitcoin’s dip below $113,000 was a snapshot of “rising nerves in the market” as macroeconomic tensions surrounding Powell’s speech were causing “fear spikes” among digital asset traders, according to Ryan Lee, chief analyst at Bitget exchange. Read more
China’s cabinet will review a roadmap that includes yuan-pegged stablecoins to bolster yuan internationalization, sources told Reuters. China, one of the most restrictive global jurisdictions for cryptocurrencies, is reportedly considering allowing Chinese yuan-backed stablecoins in what would be a major policy reversal. Chinese authorities may authorize yuan-backed stablecoins for the first time to promote global use of its currency, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. If approved, China’s plan for stablecoin use would mark a major shift in its approach to crypto after the country banned crypto trading and mining in September 2021. Read more
Crypto advocacy groups accuse Wall Street bankers of trying to tilt stablecoin rules in their favor, warning Congress against changes to the GENIUS Act. Two of the crypto industry’s leading advocacy bodies are pushing back against Wall Street bankers’ latest attempt to roll back the United States’ newly minted stablecoin law. In a joint letter to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) and the Blockchain Association urged lawmakers to reject recommendations from the American Bankers Association (ABA) and state banking groups. As reported, several US banking groups, led by the Bank Policy Institute (BPI), have urged Congress to tighten the GENIUS Act by closing what they call a loophole that could allow stablecoin issuers and their affiliates to pay yields indirectly. Read more