How Polkadot reacted to Initial Jobless Claims on 18 December 2025

The short answer

An exceptional reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Polkadot's price swung 3.91 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For an Initial Claims release, 1.32 times is usual. An hour later the price was 2.19% higher.

3.91x

Exceptional

Trading (volume ratio)
8.19x
usual for Initial Claims: 1.54x
Price at 8:30 AM
$1.830
15 minutes later
+1.64%
One hour later
+2.19%
range 3.28%, hour before 2.19%
DOT/USDT, 5 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

The dashed orange line is the release. Chart data from Binance.

Open
1.800
Close
1.750
24h change
-2.86%
24h high
1.890
24h low
1.720
24h volume
9.757M DOT

Measured by Clometrix

Polkadot's volatility ratio was 3.91x, against 1.32x for a typical Initial Claims release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 8.19x, against a typical 1.54x. That is more than twice what this release usually does. Both compare the quarter hour of the release with an ordinary quarter hour that same day, where 1.00x is no change: volatility is how far the price ranged, volume how much traded.

How Polkadot moved

Polkadot was at $1.830 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 1.64% higher, and an hour later 2.19% higher. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 3.28% of its price, against 2.19% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Department of Labor on 18 December 2025 at 8:30 AM EST. Initial Jobless Claims fell to 224K for the week ending 13th Dec, from 236K in the week ending 6th Dec.

It arrived at the same moment as Consumer Price Index, Core Consumer Price Index, Core Inflation Rate and Continued Jobless Claims, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

What made it matter

Since 2021, Initial Claims releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Polkadot about as much as those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.41x across 93, against 1.27x across 208. This one was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 3.91x compares with 1.27x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Polkadot's median volatility ratio is 1.32x.

How it compares

Across 301 Initial Claims releases since 2021, Polkadot's usual price swing is 1.32x. This one was 2.96 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Initial Claims's usual, 1.32x. Thick line: this release, 3.91x.

Minute by minute

Each row is the time after the release, with the same length of time before it for comparison.

After High Low Close Change Range Range before Volume
1 minute 1.85 1.83 1.84 0.54% 1.08% 0.55% 207,156 DOT
5 minutes 1.85 1.83 1.84 0.54% 1.08% 0.55% 380,021 DOT
10 minutes 1.85 1.83 1.85 1.08% 1.08% 0.55% 495,576 DOT
15 minutes 1.87 1.83 1.86 1.61% 2.14% 0.55% 585,216 DOT
30 minutes 1.88 1.83 1.87 2.14% 2.66% 1.63% 941,938 DOT
1 hour 1.89 1.83 1.87 2.14% 3.17% 2.17% 1.351M DOT
2 hours 1.89 1.83 1.87 2.14% 3.17% 2.17% 1.916M DOT
4 hours 1.89 1.76 1.78 -2.81% 6.88% 2.17% 3.297M DOT
6 hours 1.89 1.76 1.77 -3.39% 6.88% 2.72% 4.379M DOT
8 hours 1.89 1.76 1.78 -1.12% 6.88% 2.75% 4.734M DOT
12 hours 1.89 1.72 1.75 -4.57% 8.99% 3.80% 6.131M DOT

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Initial Claims Reaction
Bitcoin 4.23x 1.50x Exceptional
Ethereum 5.10x 1.46x Exceptional
XRP 2.94x 1.18x Exceptional
BNB 2.95x 1.42x Exceptional
Solana 2.98x 1.38x Exceptional
Dogecoin 2.98x 1.38x Exceptional
TRON 3.65x 1.33x Exceptional
Cardano 3.35x 1.35x Exceptional
Chainlink 3.71x 1.43x Exceptional
Sui 2.94x 1.24x Exceptional
Bitcoin Cash 8.51x 1.34x Exceptional
Hedera 3.33x 1.32x Exceptional
Avalanche 3.38x 1.42x Exceptional
Litecoin 3.28x 1.39x Exceptional
Gram 2.00x 1.02x Strong
Shiba Inu 2.49x 1.33x Strong
Uniswap 2.08x 1.34x Strong
Polkadot 3.91x 1.32x Exceptional
Aave 3.53x 1.38x Exceptional
Bittensor 3.25x 1.40x Exceptional
NEAR Protocol 3.89x 1.24x Exceptional
Aptos 2.92x 1.41x Exceptional
Internet Computer 2.92x 1.45x Exceptional
POL (prev. MATIC) 2.66x 1.40x Strong
Filecoin 1.97x 1.27x Strong

What is Initial Jobless Claims?

The weekly claims report is released Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. ET by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Initial claims are new jobless claims filed by U.S. workers seeking unemployment compensation, included in the unemployment insurance weekly claims report. The report, published since 1967, includes a separate count of workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits, known as continuing claims.

Every Initial Claims release for Polkadot

Questions about this page

Is 3.91x a lot?

For an Initial Claims release it is exceptional: the usual is 1.32x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next Initial Claims do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Polkadot moved in after past Initial Claims releases, so you can plan for the likely size of the move.

More questions ยท Glossary

Disclaimer

The data analysis, forecasted results and projections provided herein are based on historical price action and market trends. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, these predictions are speculative and should not be considered a guarantee of future performance. Market conditions can change rapidly, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading and investing involve significant risk, and you should conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. We do not assume any liability for any losses that may result from reliance on this information.