Japanese Rate Hike Implemented, Renowned Trader and Analyst Bullish Consensus

On Friday, December 19, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced a 25-basis-point interest rate hike, lifting the unsecured overnight call rate to 0.75%—its highest level since 1995. The decision, made after a two-day policy meeting, passed unanimously in a 9-0 vote, aligning with market expectations. Following the news, Bitcoin led a crypto market rebound, briefly surging more than 2%. Alongside the rebound, many prominent analysts and traders quickly shared bullish outlooks, boosting long-awaited improvements in market sentiment. Trader Eugene Ng Ah Sio, quiet for nearly a month, posted on his personal channel that most altcoins have reached the end of their downtrends and that “it’s time to build a watchlist and place buy orders.” However, major coins may still have room to fall further. Chinese crypto analyst Ban Mu Xia stuck to his recent bullish stance, identifying Bitcoin’s key resistance range as $98,600 to $107,000, with $112,500 acting as a strong resistance level. Arthur Hayes doubled down on a bold prediction: “Don’t bet against the Bank of Japan—negative real interest rates are their go-to policy tool. The yen will hit 200 against the dollar, and Bitcoin will surge to $1 million.” Even the typically low-key “BTC OG Insider Whale” representative Garrett Jin jumped in with a bullish call: “Bitcoin and ETH will rally, with Bitcoin’s first target at $106,000 and Ethereum’s at $4,500.”