This will be important for Bitcoin and crypto this week

Cryptomarket looks back on weak trading week

The crypto market has had a difficult trading week. Sustained price corrections in the U.S. stock market, combined with disappointment over planned U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserves, caused Bitcoin (BTC) to fall 13 percent on a weekly basis toward the $81,000 mark. The interim recovery movement since the new multi-month low of $78,167 the previous week appears to have come to an end.

Ethereum (ETH) lost 20 percent, while Ripple (XRP) and Solana (SOL) both fell 27 percent, further underscoring the crypto sector's weakness. In the new trading week, investors are focusing on the latest U.S. inflation data. This overview shows which economic data will continue to be in the spotlight in the coming days.

Key economic data of the week

The second trading week of March begins on Tuesday with the JOLTS report on the labor market. Wednesday will be followed by CPI consumer prices for February. A day later, U.S. producer prices are released. The week concludes on Friday with the University of Michigan's consumer confidence estimates and U.S. household inflation expectations.

JOLTS report as the start of the week

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the latest JOLTS report on the labor market for January at 16:00 (CET). In the previous release, the number of job openings came in at 7.6 million, which was significantly lower than the expected 8.01 million. For the latest figures, analysts expect a slight increase to 7.71 million.

If U.S. companies have increased job openings again and forecasts are met or exceeded, this could indicate a stabilization of the tight labor market. This could be positive for the recently weak stock market and possibly for cryptocurrencies as well.

However, if the numbers continue to fall and remain below prediction, this would signal another weakening of the U.S. economy. This could lead to further weakness in both the stock and crypto markets.

U.S. consumer prices on Wednesday

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - At 2:30 p.m. (CET), the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the latest consumer price index (CPI) for February. In January, consumer prices were at 3.0 percent, just above the expected 2.9 percent. Another decline to 2.9 percent is expected for February.

Meeting or even undercutting this forecast would give the Federal Reserve more room to cut interest rates in the future. In recent weeks, the number of interest rate cuts expected in the market has increased from one to three. This could trigger a rally in risky assets such as Bitcoin and altcoins, which were under pressure last week.

However, should inflation remain at 3.0 percent or even rise for the fifth consecutive month, the likelihood of a rate cut in March would diminish further. Investors could see this as a negative and pull back from risky assets, which would create further selling pressure in both the stock and crypto markets.

Producer prices in the U.S. on Thursday

Thursday, March 13, 2025 - At 2:30 p.m. (CET), the latest producer price indices (PPI) for February will be released. The previous figures showed an increase of 3.5 percent, above the expected 3.2 percent, and at the same level as the upwardly revised December figures. Since September, producer prices have nearly doubled and they remain at this high level for now.

For the new figures, analysts expect a slight decline to 3.4 percent. If the actual figures come in lower than expected, this could be beneficial for the stock and crypto markets, as lower producer prices usually foreshadow falling consumer prices.

However, if producer prices remain flat or rise again, this could be a sign that inflation problems in the US are worsening. This could cause a negative reaction in the markets. Moreover, additional U.S. import tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, China, the EU and possibly India threaten to further increase inflationary pressures.

Predictions for inflation and consumer confidence on Friday

Friday, March 14, 2025 - The University of Michigan releases its preliminary figures on U.S. consumer confidence and household inflation expectations for March. The previous figures showed consumer confidence falling to 64.7, the fourth consecutive month below prediction. The forecast for March is at 63.8.

If these numbers are met or even lower, it would be an indication that consumer confidence continues to decline, which could create additional selling pressure in the stock and crypto markets. A positive surprise, on the other hand, could contribute to a recovery toward the end of the week.

In addition, the latest household inflation expectations for the next 12 months are released. In the previous reading, the prediction rose from 3.3 percent to 4.3 percent. The preliminary estimate for March is at 4.4 percent. In particular, concerns about price increases due to new U.S. import tariffs could raise these prediction further.

If inflation expectations actually rise or even exceed prediction, this could lead to consumer restraint, which would put additional strain on the U.S. economy. This could translate into further declines in the stock market. Only if inflation expectations unexpectedly fall sharply could a recovery move toward the weekend.