US JOBS BOOST
Looking ahead, markets are awaiting government figures on US employment due Friday morning for a gauge on the health of the economy.
A separate report this week showed that despite rising energy prices, companies in the world’s biggest economy in May added the most jobs since the start of 2025.
The dollar fell against main rivals after recent gains thanks to its safe-haven status and expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise US interest rates to combat higher inflation.
Bitcoin flirted with its lowest levels since October 2024, just before the election of Donald Trump, which helped propel the world’s leading cryptocurrency to record highs.
Bitcoin “has suddenly started looking less attractive” compared to AI stocks that have soared in recent months, said Swissquote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.
“They have delivered higher returns than Bitcoin while benefiting from actual earnings growth that justifies at least part of their price gains, also explaining the deteriorating interest in harder-to-price cryptocurrencies,” she said.
Bitcoin fell under US$64,000 in Thursday trading. It has not fallen under US$60,000 since October 2024.