As the crypto market braces for the Federal Reserve’s decision, traders are showing caution, evidenced by a 40% drop in trading volume over the last 24 hours.
Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s leading cryptocurrency, finds itself in a period of consolidation around the $41,000 price mark, as traders eagerly await the Federal Reserve‘s interest rate decision, scheduled for today.
Bitcoin’s Price Movement
Bitcoin’s recent journey in the market has been characterized by volatility, with the price rebounding from a low of $40,200 to $42,000 before settling at around $41,300. Despite the apparent stability, the crypto market remains on edge, with traders carefully analyzing key metrics to gauge the sentiments of major players in the space.
While some attribute the recent negative price movement to derivatives markets, a closer examination reveals a more complicated picture. The impact of forceful liquidation orders, often associated with futures markets, dissipated swiftly after Bitcoin’s price hit $40,200 on Monday. This suggests that the recent downturn was not solely driven by futures markets, challenging the notion of a crash caused by derivatives.
To determine whether influential market participants such as Bitcoin whales and market makers remain bullish, traders are closely monitoring the Bitcoin futures premium, also known as the basis rate. Despite the 9% intraday price drop on Monday, the BTC futures premium remained above the 10% neutral-to-bullish threshold, indicating resilience and possibly continued optimism among key players.
Examining the options markets provides further insights into investor sentiment. The 25% delta skew, which measures the cost of upside or downside protection, has remained neutral since December 5. This suggests a balanced cost for both call (buy) and put (sell) options, indicating resilience after the 6.1% correction since December 10.
Federal Reserve’s Role in Bitcoin Price
As the crypto market braces for the Federal Reserve’s decision, traders are showing caution, evidenced by a 40% drop in trading volume over the last 24 hours. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is expected to provide a summary of economic projections following the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which showed a decline in US inflation to 3.1%, aligning with market expectations.
Investors are wary of potential rate adjustments, with the consensus leaning towards the Fed maintaining rates within the 5.25% to 5.50% range. The Fed’s previous decision to pause rate hikes was expected, allowing time to assess the impact on inflation and economic growth. The uncertainty surrounding the potential for future rate hikes has contributed to the instability seen in the Bitcoin price.
In the traditional financial markets, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 0.11%, and S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.11% and 0.18%, respectively. Positive sessions for major averages have been observed, with the S&P 500 and Dow reaching their highest intraday levels since January 2022, and the Nasdaq Composite reaching its highest level since April 2022.
Investors will be closely monitoring Jerome Powell’s commentary for clues on the timing of possible rate cuts. The CME FedWatch Tool indicates market expectations of rate cuts beginning next spring, but Powell may push back on this scenario. Treasury yields have also pulled back, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling to 4.2% after reaching 5% in October.
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