- 1. Fear & Greed Index drops to 21 on Alternative.me amid FOMC tightening, signaling extreme fear.
- 2. Bitcoin holds USD 74,747 (+0.1%) per CoinGecko despite M2 contraction and QT pressures.
- 3. Ethereum falls 0.8% to USD 2,336 as banks favor Treasuries yielding 4.8%, FDIC data.
By Kofi Rao April 17, 2026
FOMC interest rate decisions curb global liquidity on April 17, 2026, driving crypto into extreme fear. Bitcoin trades at USD 74,747 per CoinGecko. Alternative.me's Fear & Greed Index hits 21, signaling volatility and weak momentum.
Traders parse Fed Chair Jerome Powell's April 2026 press conference for rate paths. Risk assets falter under quantitative tightening.
Fear & Greed Index Plunges to 21 on FOMC Interest Rate Decisions
Alternative.me's Fear & Greed Index stands at 21, lowest since Q4 2025. Volatility (VIX up 15% week-over-week) weighs 30%; market momentum 25%, per index methodology.
Federal Reserve runoff drains USD 95 billion monthly, per March 2026 FOMC statement. Investors buy Treasuries yielding 4.8% on 10-year notes. Banks tighten lending standards.
Bitcoin rises 0.1% to USD 74,747. Ethereum drops 0.8% to USD 2,336. USDT holds USD 1.00, per CoinGecko.
Bitcoin Resists at USD 74,747 Amid Liquidity Crunch
Fed policy shrinks M2 money supply 1.4% year-over-year to USD 21.1 trillion in March 2026, Federal Reserve data shows. Bitcoin holds USD 74,747 despite equity selloffs.
Quantitative tightening lifts Treasury yields to 4.75%, slowing crypto inflows. Crypto hedges fiat but DeFi funding rates spike.
Major banks cut exposures under Basel III. XRP gains 2.1% to USD 1.43; BNB up 1.3% to USD 631, CoinGecko reports.
Ethereum Declines 0.8% to USD 2,336 on Risk Aversion
Ethereum falls 0.8% to USD 2,336 as volumes drop 12% week-over-week, per CoinGecko. Layer-1 activity slows with higher gas fees.
Staking yields lag 10-year Treasuries at 4.8%. Banks shift to cash equivalents, FDIC Q1 2026 data shows.
USDT at USD 1.00 draws safe-haven flows. Fed guidance drives dynamics.
FOMC Calendars Compress Global Liquidity Metrics
FOMC calendars peg June 2026 rate cut odds at 15%. DXY surges 2.3% to 108.5, stressing USD 12 trillion emerging debt, IMF data shows.
Crypto correlates 0.72 with liquidity indices. ECB stays at 4.25%; BoJ drops yield control, ending yen carries.
SOFR hits 5.35%, hiking U.S. bank crypto custody costs.
Banks Cut Crypto Exposure in Fed Stress Tests
U.S. banks hold USD 18 billion Bitcoin, per April 2026 Fed stress tests. Higher rates trigger 20% mark-to-market losses in stress scenarios.
Unwinds speed up at Fear 21. Liquidations reach USD 450 million daily, Coinglass shows.
XRP at USD 1.43 gains on SEC clarity.
Altcoins Diverge: XRP Up 2.1% to USD 1.43, BNB at USD 631
XRP rises 2.1% to USD 1.43 on LatAm remittance needs, inflation at 25% per World Bank Q1 2026. BNB steady at USD 631, Binance volumes USD 15 billion daily.
Utility tokens outperform memes in rotation. M2 growth slows to 1.8% annualized.
Fed Rates Elevate Mining Costs, Disrupt Trade Flows
Rates at 5.25-5.50% boost U.S. energy 8% year-over-year, EIA data shows. Bitcoin hash rate dips 5% to 620 EH/s. DXY 108.5 shifts Asian chains.
Crypto remittances top USD 150 billion yearly in high-inflation areas, Chainalysis reports. Banks eye blockchain amid Basel III charges.
Nasdaq drops 1.2% to 17,800.
CME FedWatch Tool Maps FOMC Interest Rate Decisions Path
CME FedWatch Tool shows 82% odds of steady rates through September 2026, up from 65% pre-FOMC. Dot plot holds peak rates.
Bitcoin tests USD 74,747 support after FOMC interest rate decisions. Ethereum at USD 2,336 eyes volume recovery. H2 2027 liquidity easing may spark 30% upside, consensus models forecast.
