October rate hike bets pull crypto lower
Futures now put the odds of another Fed hike in October at 73-75%. Bitcoin opened September 24 down 2.1%.
The market
Bitcoin opened September 24 at $84,370, down 2.1% from the previous day's open, and slipped below $83,500 in the morning. Ether opened 2.5% lower at $2,684. A day earlier some analysts were saying the crypto winter was over as prices neared eight-month highs.
The cause: rates
CME's FedWatch tool shows markets pricing a 73% to 75% chance that the Fed raises rates by another 25 basis points at its October 27-28 meeting, and about a 59% chance of one more hike in December. Fed Governor Michael Barr's comments on September 23 and hot inflation data drove the shift. Barr said further policy adjustments are likely to be needed in his base case to bring inflation to target in a timely way.
What it means
The Fed already raised rates by 25 basis points in September. It projects 2026 headline PCE inflation at 3.7% and core at 3.4%. Rate hikes tend to pull money away from risk assets such as crypto; if two more are priced in, the pressure is likely to continue.