Fed holds rates steady as Bitcoin stalls and gold gains

Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies barely moved after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, suggesting traders had largely prepared for the decision. Summary Bitcoin traded near $64,100, gaining only 0.3% over the previous 24 hours. Gold and silver ETF proxies rose 1.25% and 2.52%, respectively. Crypto-linked stocks diverged as Strategy gained 2%, while major Bitcoin miners fell about 6%. The CLARITY Act’s 28% passage odds make U.S. crypto policy the next industry-specific catalyst. Fed keeps interest rates unchanged Federal Reserve officials maintained the federal funds rate at between 3.5% and 3.75% following Chair Kevin Warsh’s second Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Policymakers voted 9–3 for the decision, with the presidents of the Cleveland, Dallas and Minneapolis regional Federal Reserve banks preferring a quarter-point increase. Markets had assigned roughly a one-in-three chance to a hike before the announcement. The Fed described economic activity as “expanding at a solid pace,” citing stable unemployment and job growth that has broadly kept up with changes in the workforce. However, it also acknowledged that inflation remained above its 2% target....