Dollar dips ahead of US midterms; bitcoin stabilises after crypto heist

On Monday, the dollar weakened while the euro strengthened, as investors prepared for the US midterm elections and central bank decisions in Britain, Australia, Norway and Sweden. Bitcoin and ether experienced a slight rebound following a record $6.3 billion heist at Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange. Traders also monitored Middle East developments, as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the US-Iran conflict led to a 3.9% drop in Brent crude futures.

The dollar was last down 0.3% to 101.63 against a basket of major currencies, having hit its lowest in a month earlier in the session. Kit Juckes, head of FX strategy at Societe Generale, noted that risk is on the rise, with oil prices down and a more favorable outlook for the dollar. Americans are set to vote on Tuesday, with Democrats expected to gain control of Congress, while the US jobs data for October is due later in the week.

The euro rose 0.5% to $1.1212, defying Fitch's downgrade of France's outlook from stable to negative. The British pound edged higher at $1.3414, while the Japanese yen saw a slight decline to 157.87 per dollar. Japan's central bank reported an increase in real interest rates, particularly in the long and super-long zones, in its quarterly outlook report.

The Australian dollar weakened to $0.7008 ahead of its policy decision on Tuesday, with the Reserve Bank of Australia expected to raise its cash rate to a near two-decade high of 4.85%. Bitcoin gained 0.2% to $77,976.98, after hitting a six-week low on Friday, while ether rose 1.3% to $2,291.57, after sliding to a two-month low last week.

Following the Binance heist, Binance customers withdrew $3.64 billion, or 2.1% of its assets, as the exchange resumed service and withdrawals stabilized after a brief spike.