Hawkish Fed Signals Weigh on BTC and Alts

Key Takeaways

• Macro uncertainty rose on hawkish Fed signals, delayed data, and firmer inflation
• BTC slid back to flat year-to-date amid heavy selling and ETF outflows
• Oversold relief rally possible, but alts remain vulnerable to amplified downside

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Digital Asset Commentary

Risk markets continued to tumble last week after a series of hawkish comments from Fed officials shifted expectations from a likely December rate cut to a December hold. To make matters worse, even though the US government has reopened, incoming economic data will be partially delayed, including the absence of an official October unemployment rate. Real-time inflation gauges, Fed Nowcast and Truflation, are also drifting higher toward a 3-handle, adding further uncertainty to the near-term rates outlook.

Bitcoin has struggled amid this macro backdrop, falling back to flat on the year. Downside pressure has been amplified by a large BTC seller on Binance, visible in cumulative volume delta, who appears to be unloading quickly and contributed to Sunday’s selloff. US BTC and ETH ETFs have also been net sellers in recent weeks, partially offset by Saylor’s MSTR adding $835.6 million in BTC last week.

Potential bullish tailwinds include a shift toward more dovish rate expectations and possible fiscal stimulus in 2026 Trump administration. The US debt and deficit picture, however, remains strained, with total debt now above $38.2 trillion, the trajectory little improved since the beginning of Trump’s term. Technicals may also offer catalysts: BTC, ETH, and SOL are signaling potential bullish momentum divergences, with lower lows in price but higher lows in momentum. Combined with emerging falling-wedge structures, traders will be watching closely for a reversal that could trigger a relief rally.

Mid to low cap alts remain heavily dependent on the sentiment of higher-cap leaders. If bearish momentum persists, these smaller assets are likely to experience amplified losses. During sharp market downturns, cryptocurrencies tend to auto-correlate toward 1, causing broad-based, highly synchronized selloffs.