Bitcoin blips down as Fed’s Powell says no ‘hurry to lower rates’

The Bitcoin market stumbled almost 3% after the United States Federal Reserve hinted that further interest rate cuts might not be coming, contrary to expectations from those in the crypto and wider financial market.

“The economy is not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates,” said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a speech in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 14. 

Powell’s statement comes after two recent rate cuts in September and November of 50 and 25 basis points, respectively. The next Fed interest rate decision is set to be announced on Dec. 18.

Bitcoiners keep a close watch

“The strength we are currently seeing in the economy gives us the ability to approach our decisions carefully. Ultimately, the path of the policy rate will depend on how the incoming data and the economic outlook evolve,” Powell added.

Following Powell’s speech, Bitcoin’s price declined approximately 2.79% to $86,979, according to CoinMarketCap data. At the time of publication, the price has since slightly recovered to $88,100.

Traders’ confidence in a December rate cut has weakened, as “odds of a 25 basis points rate cut are down to just 59%,” trading resource The Kobessi Letter pointed out in a Nov. 14 X post. 

“The “Fed pivot” is being undone once again,” The Kobessi Letter added.

Interest rates are an important indicator for Bitcoiners

Bitcoiners are closely eyeing whether or not the Fed will cut the interest rate, as lower interest rates make perceived safer assets like bonds and term deposits less lucrative, leading investors to consider riskier and alternative investments like Bitcoin (BTC) and tech stocks. 

Related: Bitcoin price could fast-track to $100K high in November — Analysts

Meanwhile, US inflation data marginally exceeded market expectations. On the same day, the October US Producer Price Index (PPI) showed a 2.4% annual increase, slightly above the 2.3% consensus. The inflation data, being close to expectations, may be another factor reducing the urgency for the Fed to adjust interest rates.

It comes amid concerns that Trump’s various policies could impact on economic growth and inflation.

Economist Nouriel Roubini told ABC News on Nov. 14 that while some of Trump’s policies may increase growth and inflation, “being pro-business low-tax rates for the corporate sector, deregulation, and more production of fossil fuels,” other policies on Tariffs, trade wars and migration may lead to “higher interest rates.” 

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This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.