All eyes are on Washington as the Federal Reserve’s April 28–29 FOMC meeting approaches, Jerome Powell’s final scheduled press conference before his term concludes.
Prediction markets have reached a near-unanimous verdict on what happens next, but the signals buried inside the Fed’s language could move crypto markets sharply either way. The federal funds rate currently sits in the 3.50%–3.75% range, unchanged for the third consecutive meeting.
Polymarket traders have priced a “no change” outcome at 99.8%, up from already-elevated levels in recent weeks. The surge in conviction followed the release of the March 17–18 FOMC minutes on April 8, which revealed that Fed members viewed inflation risks, amplified by US-Iran oil tensions and rising gas prices, as outweighing any softening in the labor market.
CME FedWatch independently confirms a 99% probability of no change at this meeting. The real question isn’t whether rates hold, it’s what Powell signals about everything that comes after. And crypto is paying close attention.
Can the FOMC Fed Rate Hold Spark a Crypto Relief Rally This Week?
#FOMC on April 29 is expected to deliver an unchanged rate decision.
This will likely be the last FOMC meeting for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
We thank him for many years of excellent service.
The new Fed chair will likely be Kevin Warsh. Markets generally view him as… pic.twitter.com/H7PA3BWYlq
— Seth (@seth_fin) April 27, 2026
Rate stability sounds boring on paper. In practice, it’s one of the most important macro backdrops for risk assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. A confirmed hold removes a near-term threat, but the 3.50%–3.75% range still represents restrictive policy, capital remains expensive, and liquidity hasn’t returned to 2021 levels.
Support sits at the 3.50% floor (the low end of the current range); J.P. Morgan Research places the next meaningful resistance at 4.00%, flagging a potential 25bp hike as a Q3 2027 risk scenario rather than an imminent threat.
Three scenarios worth watching after Powell’s presser:
- Bull case: Powell signals rate cuts are back on the table for late 2026 if inflation cools, risk assets, including crypto, rally on the pivot language.
- Base case: Hold confirmed; forward guidance remains vague; markets digest and stabilize. Bitcoin holds its macro correlation range.
- Bear/invalidation: Powell hints at a hike bias due to persistent energy shocks, dollar strengthens, crypto sells off, and the 3.50% support floor becomes the entire conversation.
The energy shock angle is the wildcard. Fed policy shifts have historically moved BTC price faster than most traders anticipate — worth tracking Powell’s exact phrasing on inflation “stickiness” in real time.
EXCLUSIVE: 99Bitcoin’s Readers – Earn $10 USDC When You Sign Up for Binance
LiquidChain Eyes Early-Stage Positioning as Macro Consolidation Drags on Established Crypto
Here’s the uncomfortable truth about a 99% “no change” outcome: certainty kills upside. When every trader already knows the answer, the asymmetric opportunity evaporates from the trade. That dynamic is pushing a segment of crypto-native capital toward earlier-stage opportunities where the information edge still exists.
LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is one project currently in presale that’s attracting attention. It’s a Layer 3 infrastructure protocol with a specific architectural bet: fusing the liquidity of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into a single execution environment, so developers deploy once and access all three ecosystems simultaneously.
The pitch isn’t theoretical; the Unified Liquidity Layer, Single-Step Execution, and Verifiable Settlement features address a real fragmentation problem that costs DeFi protocols millions in inefficiency annually (cross-chain liquidity routing is genuinely broken right now, and most users feel it without knowing why). The presale has raised more than $700,000 at a current price of $0.01454.
Visit the LiquidChain Presale Website Here.
EXPLORE: Best Crypto Presales With Staking Rewards
Follow 99Bitcoins on X, YouTube, and Telegram for more crypto news and analysis.
Why you can trust 99Bitcoins
Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.
Weekly Research
100k+Monthly readers
Expert contributors
2000+Crypto Projects Reviewed
