Econ Data Dampens Rate Cut Hopes, Crypto Wobbles

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices declined Thursday after a U.S. economic report revealed slower-than-expected growth for the first quarter. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported a 1.6% annualized GDP growth rate, below economists' estimates of 2.2%. Despite a surge in residential construction and consumer spending, exports and inventory stockpiles declined. The report also indicated a 3.7% increase in core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), potentially influencing the Federal Reserve's future rate cut plans.

Economic Data Casts Doubt on Fed's Rate Cut Expectations, Cryptocurrency Markets Wobble

New York, United States - The release of key economic data on Thursday sent shockwaves through financial markets, including the cryptocurrency sector, as the U.S. economy's slower-than-expected growth in the first quarter dampened optimism for an imminent rate cut.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annualized pace of 1.6% during the January-March period, falling short of economists' expectations of a 2.2% increase. This slowdown marks a significant departure from the previous six quarters, which saw GDP growth consistently exceeding 2% each quarter.

The muted GDP growth was largely attributed to a decline in exports and a reduction in inventory stockpiles, which offset a jump in residential construction and increased consumer spending. The report's findings came on the heels of an impressive 3.4% annualized growth rate recorded in the final quarter of 2023.

In the aftermath of the GDP release, the prices of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, experienced a slight decline. Bitcoin dipped to $64,690, while Ethereum fell to $3,160, reflecting the broader market sentiment.

"The headline [GDP] number sort of gives a false signal," remarked Sam Bullard, Senior Economist at Wells Fargo, in an interview with Decrypt. "When you take out the volatile numbers, the underlying momentum of the U.S. economy seems to be still progressing at a fairly brisk pace."

Bullard highlighted that final sales to private domestic purchasers grew by 3.1% in the first quarter, indicating underlying strength in domestic demand. However, the GDP report also revealed a 3.7% increase in core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, raising concerns about the Fed's future rate policy.

The elevated core PCE growth, up from 2% in the fourth quarter of 2023, could influence the Fed's decision-making regarding interest rate cuts, Bullard suggested.

The U.S. central bank has been actively raising interest rates to combat decades-high inflation, bringing them to a 23-year high and holding them steady for months. While higher interest rates can slow down economic growth by making borrowing more expensive, they can also dampen demand for risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies, as safer havens such as bonds and cash become more appealing.

Shifting expectations for rate cuts, alongside geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, have weighed heavily on risk assets this month, including Bitcoin. On Thursday, the odds of the Fed maintaining interest rates in May rose from 83% to 90%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool.

"Seeing a pickup in [core PCE] is consistent with the extended resiliency we're seeing in the U.S. economy on the demand side," Bullard said. "This keeps the Fed on the sidelines in regards to that timing of that first rate cut."

The recent economic data and its implications for monetary policy have sent a ripple effect through the cryptocurrency markets, raising questions about the timing and magnitude of the Fed's future rate adjustments and their potential impact on crypto asset prices.