Markets hold steady as traders wait for the Fed's next move

The crypto market right now looks like a waiting room. Everyone’s there, nobody’s moving, and all eyes are on the door marked “Federal Reserve.”

With the Fed’s next policy meeting arriving next week, traders have largely adopted a watch-and-wait posture. The result is a market that’s technically showing green but isn’t exactly inspiring anyone to make bold bets.

Bitcoin hovered near $65K, Ethereum traded below $1,900, Solana sat near $77, and XRP held at $1.10. Those aren’t crash numbers, but they’re not breakout numbers either. The Fear and Greed Index sits at 29, squarely in “Fear” territory, barely budging from last week’s reading of 28.

The Fed factor

Here’s the thing about rate decisions: they don’t just move bond markets. They set the risk appetite for everything, crypto included.