The latest macroeconomic data released from the US revealed that the economy performed stronger than expected in the third quarter of 2025. According to preliminary data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.3 percent year-on-year in the third quarter. This rate surpassed the 3.8 percent growth recorded in the second quarter, indicating continued momentum in the economy. Thus, the US economy entered the second half of the year with reduced recession fears. Looking at the details of the data, it appears that growth was primarily fueled by consumer spending, a recovery in exports, and increased government spending. In particular, the strong performance of household consumption indicated resilience in domestic demand despite the high interest rate environment. Increased government spending and exports were also among the factors supporting growth. However, weakness was observed on the investment front. The decline in fixed capital investments raised questions about the sustainability of the growth composition going forward. The GDP price index exceeding expectations showed that the risks on the inflation front have not completely disappeared. This outlook strengthened expectations that the Fed may take a more cautious approach to interest rate cuts. While markets continue to foresee approximately two interest rate cuts in total for 2026, the lack of a clear expectation of a cut for 2027 is noteworthy. The negative surprises seen in durable goods data also indicated that tight financial conditions continue to put pressure on some sectors.
Bitcoin and altcoins are trading sideways
Despite this strong macroeconomic picture, there was no significant price change in the cryptocurrency market. The Bitcoin price traded sideways in the 87,000-88,000 dollar range at the time the data was released. Apart from the limited fluctuations seen in the intraday chart, it was noteworthy that the price did not show a strong breakout either upwards or downwards. Although Bitcoin retreated by approximately 2 percent in the 24-hour period, this movement is considered to be related to short-term technical corrections rather than macroeconomic data.
The chart suggests the market has largely priced in the US growth data. Strong GDP figures reduce recession risks, while persistently high inflation and the possibility of delayed interest rate cuts have limited buying appetite in the Bitcoin market. Therefore, investors appear to be cautious and a clear direction has not yet emerged.
