The crypto market continues its upward trend, highlighted by Bitcoin’s price reaching approximately $95,000 after many were pessimistic and predicted a drop to $60,000. However, BTC remains resilient despite macroeconomic factors and the ongoing trade war. Check out the full analysis from the Trader Pintu team.
The latest U.S. jobless claims data for the week ending April 12, 2025, shows that initial jobless claims decreased by 9,000 to 215,000, down from a revised 224,000 in the previous week. This decline was better than market expectations, which had forecasted an increase to 225,000. The drop to 215,000 marks the lowest number of new claims in over two months, indicating continued strength and tightness in the U.S. labor market. The four-week moving average of initial claims also fell by 2,500 to 220,750, reflecting a generally stable trend in new unemployment filings over the past month.
Despite the improvement in initial claims, continuing jobless claims, which measure the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment benefits, increased by 41,000 to 1,885,000 for the week ending April 5, 2025. This rise in continuing claims suggests some volatility and challenges remain for those unemployed in re-entering the workforce. The four-week moving average of continuing claims edged up slightly by 1,000 to 1,867,250, indicating that while new layoffs are low, the total pool of unemployed individuals claiming benefits remains elevated compared to historical lows.
The insured unemployment rate, which represents the percentage of the labor force receiving unemployment benefits, remained steady at 1.2 percent for the week ending April 5. This rate has been relatively stable, underscoring a labor market that is tight but not deteriorating significantly. Seasonal adjustments showed that unadjusted initial claims rose only modestly by 1.5 percent, much less than the expected 5.7 percent increase, with most states reporting stable or declining claims except for Kentucky and Missouri, which saw noticeable increases.
Federal government employee claims, which have been under scrutiny due to recent firings by the Department of Government Efficiency , inched higher by 34 to 548 claims, marking one of the lowest levels since the Trump administration. However, many of those terminated reportedly received severance packages, which delay their eligibility for unemployment benefits, potentially muting the immediate impact on claims numbers from this group.
Overall, the latest jobless claims data reflect a labor market that remains historically tight with low initial claims, but with some persistent challenges as seen in the rising continuing claims. The data suggest that layoffs remain contained, but the pace of rehiring or finding new employment for the unemployed is somewhat uneven. Analysts expect initial claims to trend around 210,000 in 2026 and continuing claims to gradually rise over the next few years, reflecting ongoing structural shifts in the labor market.
The past week marked a significant rebound for BTC and the broader cryptomarket, reversing the cautious sentiment that had dominated earlier in April. BTC surged past the $90,000 mark for the first time since early March, with its price climbing as high as $92,892 on April 23, 2025. This rally represented a gain of over 11% in just two sessions, with BTC up approximately 23% from its April lows. The move was fueled by a combination of technical bullish signals, renewed ETF inflows, and a shift in macroeconomic sentiment, as investors sought alternatives amid a weakening U.S. dollar and volatility in traditional equity markets.
Several macro and regulatory developments contributed to this bullish momentum. The appointment of a new SEC Chairman, Paul Atkins, and positive news regarding an upcoming U.S. stablecoin regulation bill boosted confidence in the sector. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury Secretary’s proposal to ease regulations on stablecoins spurred higher trading volumes in USDT and USDC, further supporting market liquidity. These regulatory tailwinds, combined with expectations that the Fed will maintain tighter policy for longer, have encouraged investors to view BTC as a hedge against inflation and policy uncertainty.
On the technical front, BTC’s price action was reinforced by strong buying pressure, as indicated by a sharp spike in the ADX indicator and the formation of bullish patterns on the Ichimoku Cloud. The alignment of key moving averages (EMAs) also pointed to further upside potential. ETF inflows into spot BTC products reached their highest level in three months, with $381.4 million flowing in on Monday alone, marking the fourth day of inflows in the last five trading sessions. This institutional participation has been critical in supporting BTC’s upward trajectory and signaling growing mainstream acceptance.
While BTC led the charge, the rest of the crypto market displayed mixed performance. The total crypto market cap rose by 1.21% over the week, with major altcoins like Solana and XRP posting strong gains of 10% and 4.2% respectively, while others such as Ethereum, ADA, and DOGE saw mild losses of less than 2%. Notably, some smaller-cap assets, such as Onyxcoin (XCN) and Fartcoin, experienced outsized rallies, with XCN soaring over 120% during the week. However, the broader altcoin market remained somewhat sluggish, reflecting a preference among investors for large-cap, more established cryptocurrencies during periods of macroeconomic uncertainty.
Despite the renewed optimism, market volatility remains elevated, with the BTC 1-month at-the-money volatility hovering around 65%. The Fear and Greed Index, while improving, still reflects lingering caution among investors. Funding markets show a tilt toward cautious long exposure rather than aggressive leveraged bets, indicating that while conviction in BTC’s role as a hedge is growing, uncertainty persists amid ongoing trade tensions and the evolving regulatory landscape. Overall, the past week has underscored BTC’s resilience and its increasing decoupling from traditional risk assets, positioning it as a favored alternative in an environment marked by inflationary pressures and geopolitical strife.
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