LONDON, March 3 Reuters The U.S. dollar eased from a 212month high versus the yen on Friday and looked set for its first weekly loss against major peers since January as traders tried to gauge the path for Federal Reserve policy.

The yen, which is particularly sensitive to U.S.Japanese longterm interest rate differentials, looked set to halt its sixweek losing streak as it gained strength on Friday with 10year U.S. yields retreating from a nearly fourmonth high close to 4.1.

Cryptocurrencies took a beating as the crisis engulfing Silvergate worsened, with industry heavyweights including Coinbase Global and Galaxy Digital dropping the lender as their banking partner.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against the yen, euro and four other major peers, eased 0.25 to 104.7, from as high as 105.36 at the start of the week, which was its strongest level since Jan. 6. Since last Friday, the index has slipped 0.5.

Taking some steam out of the dollar and the breathless advance in U.S. yields were comments from Fed policymakers, including Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, who said that slow and steady is going to be the appropriate course of action, despite new labour figures adding to the run of strong data of late.

Yesterday39;s Fed speakers Collins, Waller and Bostic all seemed content with 25bp hikes for now, said Mizuho senior economist Colin Asher in a note.

Most noted a possible need to push rates higher if the data continue to come in hot suggesting…