Bitcoin (BTC) maintained a position above $60,000 early Wednesday, rebounding after a brief dip below this threshold during late U.S. trading hours. As global traders prepare for the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, where Chair Jerome Powell is expected to announce potential rate cuts, market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. At press time, BTC was trading just over $60,300, marking a nearly 4% increase in the past 24 hours and extending its weekly gains to over 7%.
While Bitcoin showed strength, other major cryptocurrencies exhibited mixed movements. Ether (ETH), BNB Chain’s BNB, and dogecoin (DOGE) each saw gains of less than 1%. In contrast, tokens like XRP, Cardano’s ADA, and Toncoin (TON) faced slight declines, reflecting a varied landscape in the crypto market.
The FOMC is set to release its statement and interest rate decision at 2 p.m. Eastern Time later today. Historically, a pivot to lower borrowing costs has encouraged bullish sentiment among traders, as cheaper access to capital tends to spur growth in riskier assets, including cryptocurrencies.
Current market data indicates a 67% probability that the FOMC will implement a rate cut, adjusting rates down to a range of 4.5% to 5%, a significant reduction from the current two-decade high of 5.25% to 5.5%. Traders on Polymarket are also divided on the magnitude of the cut, with both a 100 basis point (bps) and 125 bps cut each holding a 31% likelihood.
However, experts caution that a larger cut—specifically a 50 bps reduction—could trigger a sell-off. Alice Liu, research lead at CoinMarketCap, noted that while a 25 bps cut would likely uplift markets, a 50 bps cut might raise concerns about the economy’s health, potentially leading to deeper corrections in risk assets.
“The size of the rate cut matters because it could lead to different market reactions. If the cut is perceived as a response to weakening economic conditions, it might raise concerns about future earnings growth,” Liu explained. She also emphasized that Q4 historically tends to be a strong period for Bitcoin, with an average price increase of 90.33% over the past decade.
Speaking at the Token 2049 conference in Singapore, SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci predicted that Bitcoin could reach record highs if rate cuts materialize alongside clearer regulations around cryptocurrency in the U.S. He suggested that a substantial cut of 150 bps at the next Fed meeting is a possibility.
In addition to Bitcoin’s performance, Sui has seen a notable increase of over 7%, buoyed by positive market sentiment following the launch of USDC on its platform and Circle’s introduction of the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). This new feature facilitates cross-chain transfers, enhancing liquidity and integration across platforms.
At Token 2049, Circle also announced a collaboration with Polymarket, aiming to further integrate Circle’s infrastructure into the prediction market platform, which could boost operational efficiencies and user engagement.
As the crypto market braces for potential shifts stemming from the FOMC meeting, Bitcoin’s resilience above $60,000 serves as a testament to trader optimism. The coming hours will be crucial as decisions around interest rates could reshape market dynamics, influencing the future trajectory of not only Bitcoin but the broader cryptocurrency landscape.
September 2024, Cryptoniteuae