Bitcoin price wavers as Fed delivers cut and signals tough road ahead

Core Insights - Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies experienced a slight rise following the Federal Reserve's final interest rate cut of the year, which was a reduction of 0.25% [1][2] - Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that future interest rate decisions may be complicated due to conflicting economic data, emphasizing that inflation remains high and the labor market has softened [2][4] - Analysts noted that markets had already anticipated the interest rate cut, and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum saw minor fluctuations in response to Powell's comments [3][6] Cryptocurrency Market Reactions - Bitcoin rose slightly by over 1% after Powell's comments but later retraced those gains, trading at approximately $93,703 [3] - Ethereum also saw a minor increase, trading around $3,357, up nearly 2% [3] - XRP fluctuated, priced slightly over $2 during the same period [3] Federal Reserve's Position - The Federal Reserve has been divided on interest rate policies, with some members advocating for looser monetary policy [1][4] - Powell's term is set to expire in May, and there is speculation about potential changes in leadership and policy direction depending on political developments [4][5] Market Conditions and Future Outlook - The cryptocurrency market is expected to remain stable until May 2026 unless a bearish catalyst emerges [5] - Bitcoin's price has been affected by various factors, including political instability and liquidity issues in the digital asset markets [5][6] - Historically, cryptocurrencies have performed well in low-interest rate environments, and traders are banking on continued rate cuts to support digital asset prices [6][7]