What to Expect from the Crypto Market: How the Conflict Between Trump and the Fed Will Affect Prices
RBC Crypto presents an analysis by Anatoly Radchenko on the state of the cryptocurrency market as of January 12th. The key focus is the conflict between former US President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Trump is pressuring the Fed to cut interest rates to provide cheaper credit, but Powell is resisting, leading to a reported criminal investigation. This political tension is causing the US dollar to weaken and is boosting gold and silver prices. Such pressure on the Fed and broader geopolitical risks (involving China-Taiwan, Iran-Israel, Venezuela, Cuba) are generally unfavorable for cryptocurrencies, as Middle East escalations have historically not benefited the asset class.
Regarding market performance, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $90.5k, down 2.5% for the week. It is underperforming compared to Ethereum and Solana. Large holders continue to sell, and there is uncertainty around purchases by entities like Michael Saylor's Strategy company. Privacy coins like Monero (XMR) are seeing interest, but their performance is tied to the overall market strength of BTC and ETH.
While positive narratives exist, such as Wells Fargo's $300 million Bitcoin purchase and rumors of crypto trading on Elon Musk's X platform, the analyst assesses the overall picture as negative. He states there is no strong catalyst for a rapid price increase, despite some investors accumulating BTC. The market lacks a convincing reason for a significant rally in the near term.
RBK-crypto01/12 12:13
