[MARKET UPDATE] USD/JPY rises to session highs of 153.68 (from 152.82) as US Treasury Secretary Bessent says the US is "absolutely not intervening in USD/JPY currently"; the Bitcoin leg lower also coincided with the comments

The rise in USD/JPY to 153.68 suggests strong demand for the dollar against the yen, particularly following Treasury Secretary Bessent’s clear statement on non-intervention in the currency pair.

Newsquawk StaffPublished 28 Jan 2026, 15:31 UTCOn the live feed at 15:11 UTC — 18 more headlines followed before this page went public

Newsquawk headlinesUTC

15:15

US Treasury Secretary Bessent on Canadian relations, says, in the end "I think we will end up in a good place"; USMCA talks are coming up, via CNBC

15:12

US Treasury Secretary Bessent says there is no trade deal with South Korea until they ratify the deal, via CNBC; on the EU, he calls them disappointing after freezing the trade deal during President Trump's Davos speech

15:11

[MARKET UPDATE] USD/JPY rises to session highs of 153.68 (from 152.82) as US Treasury Secretary Bessent says the US is "absolutely not intervening in USD/JPY currently"; the Bitcoin leg lower also coincided with the comments

15:09

US Treasury Secretary Bessent says "we are absolutely not intervening in USD/JPY currently", via CNBC; US does not speculate on interventions

15:08

US Treasury Secretary Bessent says the US always has a strong USD policy, via CNBC

Open the platform and use it. The whole workspace is free to try, with no signup and no card. When you want the headlines arriving live instead of on a delay, Newsquawk Pro is £24.99 for 7 days.

Try the platform free

Free. No signup, no card.

Context

This comment could signal confidence in the dollar's strength, while the concurrent drop in Bitcoin may reflect a risk-off sentiment, potentially pushing investors towards traditional safe-haven currencies. Traders should keep an eye on further developments around US monetary policy, as these dynamics could influence future USD/JPY movements.

All markets · last 90 days

Recent headlines that moved markets

FX/9 Sept · 15:01 UTC

US Treasury Buyback: Treasury to buy back a maximum of USD 6bln in 10-20year Treasuries on Thursday (vs guidance for at least USD 4bln).

USD/JPY, after we published+0.4%

USD/JPY rose over 50 pips as DXY strengthened.

ENERGY/8 Sept · 19:50 UTC

Iran launched an attack against US Navy ships on Monday that the US military has yet to acknowledge, WSJ reports, citing US officials.

Brent crude, after we published+0.8%

EQUITIES/8 Sept · 05:24 UTC

Saudi Energy Minister says a number of energy facilities and utilities were hit; are temporarily halting some operations.

Equity indices, after we published−0.3%

ENERGY/8 Sept · 05:23 UTC

Saudi Energy Minister says a number of energy facilities and utilities were hit; are temporarily halting some operations.

Brent Nov'26, after we published+1.0%

ENERGY/3 Sept · 08:03 UTC

Russian President Putin says that Russia and Ukraine should agree first; he notes that there is an opportunity to reach a peace agreement.

with Brent Nov, after we published−1.3%

EQUITIES/3 Sept · 04:54 UTC

North Korea stripped references to "peaceful unification" with South Korea from the charter of its ruling Workers' Party of Korea, according to Yonhap.

Equity indices, after we published−3.3%

Newsquawk Daily

Get both market opens in your inbox.

This note and the other one — the EU open and the US open, every business day, written by the desk. No account needed.

Related headlines

The whole workspace, free to try.

© 2026 Newsquawk. All rights reserved.