IMF expects one more BOJ rate hike, urges flexibility

The IMF framing matters less for the hike itself than for the word 'neutral' — it implies the endgame is a destination, not a cycle, which changes how yen funding costs get priced across carry trades. For crypto and other risk assets, the live question is whether the BOJ treats the IMF baseline as a ceiling or a floor; the mission chief's emphasis on flexibility suggests the pace, not the direction, is the variable to watch.