US$ edges lower; Australian dollar slips after weak growth data

London

THE dollar edged broadly lower in a quiet market on Wednesday as concerns about a possible US government shutdown offset optimism about progress on tax reform legislation. Analysts said it was unlikely for there to be any big moves in the dollar until at least after Friday's closely watched non-farm payrolls report, and perhaps not until next week's US Federal Reserve policy meeting is out of the way.

Bitcoin's moves dwarfed any traditional currency's once again, with the cryptocurrency hitting a new record high of more than US$12,500, up almost 7 per cent on the day. It is on track for its strongest quarter since 2013 after almost tripling in price since the start of October.