Crypto Prices Take Major Hit after Fed Rate Hike

Jim Haastrup
3 Min Read

The FED rate hike is out and has dealt a heavy blow to cryptos in general. The federal reserve’s policy interest rate went up by 3/4 of a percentage point (about 0.75), translating the total to about 3% – 3.25%.

It may not seem like it, but this increase is a huge one from what it was in March when the federal funds rate was closer to zero.

This recent change in policy interest rates represents the quickest policy shift since the 1980s.

The price of cryptos in general, was inevitably affected by this. Bitcoin, for example, showed signs of choppiness in the hours after the news before the bears eventually took the initiative and sunk prices in sync with the fall of US stock.

Bitcoin & US Fed Rate Hike

Before the FED rate hike, Bitcoin struggled to stay at the $19,600 level.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s price is $18,927 despite showing bullishness last week and reaching the $22,000 level. Ethereum, on the other hand, didn’t fall as hard as Bitcoin after having experienced its fair share of bearishness before this.

Ethereum fell by about $50 and currently trades at about $1278. However, the price decline in both cryptocurrencies is nothing short of 3.8% each.

Chart of BTC/USD showing reaction to US FED rate increase
Chart of BTC/USD showing reaction to US FED rate increase | Source: TradingView

The FTX collapse brought in more bearishness in the crypto market. The flagship crypto, Bitcoin, plunged to the $16,740 zone, whereas ETH erased all its previous gain and tumbled to the $1230 level.

Harsh Crypto Winter

Inflation is one of the major issues the US has dealt with in the last few years.

Overall, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has increased market interest rates by about 75 basis points about three times in a row (amounting to a total increase of 225 basis points).

This is a potent indicator of how severe inflation has become over time.

Cryptocurrencies and their prices in the crypto market have always reacted badly to FED rate hikes. As an example, after the US Bureau Of Labor Statistics released inflation data for August, the prices of the Two largest Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, fell by less than 7% each in 24 hours.

This year, however, it is unclear how far cryptocurrencies can fall in price because the crypto market is still in the middle of a harsh winter.

Disclaimer: Voice of crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.

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Jim Haastrup is a blockchain and technical writer at Voice of Crypto, where he covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, GameFi, and the Metaverse. Before joining Voice of Crypto in 2022, he spent over three years as a senior technical writer across multiple blockchain projects, including Hashtoken, Naxar, and Bino, where he specialized in whitepapers, technical documentation, and content strategy for decentralized finance applications. Jim began his career as a junior technical writer at RM in Canada before advancing to lead technical writing roles at Bulltoken, a cryptocurrency crowdfunding platform in Norway. Throughout his career, he has authored more than 800 articles and collaborated with development teams to translate complex blockchain protocols into accessible content for diverse audiences including developers, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. His work spans ICO/STO/IDO research and analysis, cryptocurrency market trend forecasting, and social media management for crypto brands. Jim has helped numerous startups build their online presence through strategic content marketing, technical whitepapers, and pitch deck development. Jim graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 2021. Disclosure: No significant crypto holdings.