Bitcoin, ether pop higher as Japan rate hike lifts Asian risk appetite

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bitcoin, ether pop higher as Japan rate hike lifts Asian risk appetite Japan’s 10-year government bond yield briefly touched 2% for the first time since 2006 after the central bank lifted its benchmark rate. By Shaurya Malwa Updated Dec 19, 2025, 4:44 a.m. Published Dec 19, 2025, 4:44 a.m. What to know : Bitcoin and ether surged past key technical levels, driven by gains in Asian equities and easing global financial conditions. Japan's interest rate hike to a three-decade high was smoothly absorbed by markets, boosting Asian stocks and weakening the yen. Softer U.S. inflation data bolstered risk sentiment, with expectations rising for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. Bitcoin and ether climbed above key technical levels on Friday, tracking gains in Asian equities after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to their highest level in three decades and cooling U.S. inflation data revived appetite for risk assets. Bitcoin rose above $87,000 in Asia trading, while ether pushed higher alongside broader market strength, as investors looked past the BOJ’s long-telegraphed move and focused instead on easing global financial conditions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Cardano’s ADA, Solana’s SOL, DOGE $ 0.1259 , bnb BNB $ 835.76 and XRP $ 1.8399 rose as much as 3%, with the broad-based CoinDesk 20 index rising 2%. The move higher came after a volatile, yet relatively range bound, session that saw more than $576 million in crypto liquidations over 24 hours, largely concentrated in long positions, per CoinGlass. Such liquidation flows are indicative of how crowded positioning had become during the recent rebound and use of high leverage remains dominant, albeit for capturing small gains. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield briefly touched 2% for the first time since 2006 after the central bank lifted its benchmark rate, a move that had been widely expected following weeks of hawkish signals from Governor Kazuo Ueda. Rather than spooking markets, the decision was absorbed smoothly, with the yen weakening and Asian stocks rising. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.7%, led by technology shares, while futures tracking U.S. equities extended their rebound overnight. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and the Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.5%, helped by a strong outlook from Micron Technology that eased fears around artificial intelligence spending and stretched valuations. Risk sentiment was further supported by softer U.S. inflation data, which reset expectations that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting rates in the coming months. Meanwhile, on-chain data suggests some pressure may be easing. Long-term bitcoin holders are close to finishing a prolonged selling phase, according to K33 Research, after roughly 20% of supply rotated back into the market over the past two years. Still, traders remain cautious. The latest bounce has been driven more by macro relief than conviction, leaving crypto vulnerable to sharp moves as markets head into year-end with thinner liquidity and elevated leverage. More For You Protocol Research: GoPlus Security By CoinDesk Research Nov 14, 2025 Commissioned by GoPlus What to know : As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M. GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month. Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B. View Full Report More For You Bitcoin jumps above $87,000, yen slides as Bank of Japan hikes interest rates By Omkar Godbole 52 minutes ago The Bank of Japan raised its short-term policy rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, the highest in nearly 30 years. What to know : The Bank of Japan raised its short-term policy rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, the highest in nearly 30 years. Despite the rate hike, the Japanese yen fell against the U.S. dollar, while bitcoin saw a slight increase in value. Market reactions were muted as the rate hike was anticipated, with speculators already holding long positions in the yen. 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