Crypto slides as jobs data lifts rate-hike bets

Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP fell on September 5, one day after posting a near 4% bounce, according to Coin Gabbar. The outlet attributed the reversal to a convergence of factors: Federal Reserve rate uncertainty, a stronger-than-expected US jobs report, a hacked wallet cluster, a customer data breach update and a protocol shutdown.

The jobs data, released September 4, raised market expectations for a rate hike rather than a cut, the BBC reported. President Donald Trump called for interest rates to be cut later this month regardless, saying higher rates put the US at a "very unfair disadvantage," according to the BBC. The remarks came as inflation continued running high and households felt pressure from rising prices, the BBC reported.

Separately, UK petrol prices reached their highest level since the start of the Iran conflict, the BBC reported. Finance.yahoo.com reported that the closure of a key strait has become profitable for shipping firms including BW LPG (BWLP), with LPG carriers capturing arbitrage from the disruption. The Independent reported that UK travel operator Wayfairer Travel suspended all holidays "until further notice," citing ongoing accounting and legal discussions.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, the BBC reported. Putin said the situation "is not so easy" and that Russia would explain "how we see the situation," according to footage released by the Kremlin.

On-chain data feeds remained impaired this cycle. BTC mempool showed a modest congestion release, continuing a decline noted in the prior cycle (25,367 to 23,806), while ETH on-chain volume registered $0, a persistent anomaly flagged across multiple prior cycles.