NEWS

A wave of uncertainty continues to weigh on global markets this week, with cryptocurrencies trading in a narrow range ahead of the highly anticipated U.S. Federal Reserve meeting. While global equities managed a brief recovery on Monday, the crypto market remains defensive after a massive $1.2 billion liquidation in futures contracts on Friday, which triggered a sharp weekend decline in several altcoins.

 Crypto Performance: XRP Leads, Bitcoin Holds Steady

Tuesday's session saw mixed movements across the digital asset space. XRP stood out among major coins, climbing nearly 2% over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Bitcoin surged past the $108,000 level during the U.S. session on Monday before pulling back to $106,500 due to profit-taking, only to recover above $107,000 in Tuesday’s Asian session.

At the same time, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $1.4 billion over the past week, underscoring growing confidence among institutional investors in these products as shock absorbers during market downturns.

 Ethereum and Altcoins: Limited Gains Amid Market Caution

Ether (ETH) rose 1.5% to reach $2,609, but continues to lag behind Bitcoin’s ETF-driven strength. Meanwhile, Solana (SOL) and Tron (TRX) posted gains of 1.5% and 2.1% respectively, reflecting cautious optimism among crypto traders.

 Gold and Oil Climb… Bitcoin Lags Behind

Traditional safe haven assets such as gold and oil rose during early trading, following a surprise call by U.S. President Donald Trump for a full evacuation of Tehran, as announced during the G7 Summit — prompting a mini flight to safety.

In contrast, Bitcoin lagged behind in responding to these geopolitical developments — a behavior analysts say is not unusual. According to Eugene Cheung, Chief Commercial Officer at OSL,
Bitcoin often reacts slowly to macroeconomic trends. While gold and oil tend to surge amid geopolitical or inflationary pressures, Bitcoin might take more time to catch up.

He added: However, if market sentiment shifts and investors begin to seek alternative stores of value, Bitcoin could gain renewed momentum — especially if this week’s Fed outcome aligns with market expectations.

 All Eyes on the Fed: Rates Likely on Hold, But Tone Matters

Markets are now broadly pricing in a pause in interest rates at this week’s Federal Reserve meeting, but the spotlight is squarely on Chair Jerome Powell’s tone and comments — especially regarding inflation and tariffs.

Jeff May, COO of BTSE, commented:
We expect the Fed to keep rates unchanged while monitoring the economic impact of tariffs. With inflation cooling and the labor market remaining strong, there’s little reason to rush into hikes or cuts. Most likely, they’ll wait for more data before making major decisions later this year.

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