Bitcoin News Today: Yen Gains Against Bitcoin and Dollar as Bessent Sees Bank of Japan Rate Hike Ahead

Key TakeawaysBOJ Rate Hike Expected: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will raise interest rates to tackle inflation.Yen Strengthens: The yen rose against both the U.S. dollar and Bitcoin, with BTC/JPY falling 1.7% on BitFlyer.Funding Currency Shift: Analysts say the yen may no longer be the most attractive funding currency, reducing traditional risk-off triggers.The Japanese yen (JPY) strengthened against the U.S. dollar (USD) and Bitcoin (BTC) on Thursday after Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary, said the Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates to get ahead of inflation.Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Bessent warned that the BOJ is “behind the curve” on inflation control:“The Japanese have an inflation problem. They’re going to be hiking, and they need to get their inflation problem under control.”BOJ’s Cautious Stance vs. Policy PressureBessent’s view contrasts with BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda, who has been cautious on rate hikes, arguing that underlying inflation — driven by domestic demand and wage growth — remains below the bank’s 2% target, even though headline inflation is above 3%.In July, the BOJ kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.5%, offering no forward guidance on policy changes.The Trump administration has repeatedly called for tighter Japanese monetary policy to halt the yen’s depreciation and narrow the USD/JPY rate gap. A June Treasury report urged the BOJ to focus on structural rebalancing, yen normalization, and trade growth, according to the Financial Times.Market Reaction: Yen Gains, BTC/JPY DropsBessent’s comments pushed the yen higher across major pairs:BTC/JPY fell 1.7% to 17,845,432 yen on BitFlyer.BTC/USD slipped to $121,650 on Coinbase.USD/JPY dropped for a third straight day, hitting a three-week low of 146.21, per TradingView data.Is the Yen Still a Risk-Off Trigger?Historically, the yen has been a carry trade funding currency — borrowed at low interest rates to buy higher-yielding assets. A rally in the yen often triggered risk-off moves as traders unwound these positions.But Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex, says that dynamic may be fading:“Not only is the Swiss policy rate at zero, but JPY volatility is higher,” Chandler noted, suggesting the yen may no longer be the most attractive funding currency.The yen’s rebound against Bitcoin and the dollar reflects growing expectations of a BOJ rate hike, but shifting global funding preferences mean yen strength may not trigger the same level of market-wide risk aversion as in the past, according to CoinDesk.