In his latest public remarks, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell clearly pointed out that if the overall economic outlook continues to align with expectations, the Fed could potentially raise interest rates one more time before the end of this year. At the same time, Fed official Williamson also publicly weighed in, adding that after the rate hike in September, there was actually “no need to be overly hasty.” The back-to-back comments from the two policymakers have directly pulled the market back into renewed scrutiny of the tightening path.
This statement has attracted intense attention across the market mainly because many investors had originally been optimistic that the rate-hiking cycle had officially entered its final stage. Powell has still chosen to keep a card up his sleeve; the core goal remains to prevent the market from pricing in easing too early, which could trigger a second rebound in inflation. This cautious, data-dependent stance keeps the subsequent monetary policy trajectory filled with more suspense and tactical maneuvering.
Judging by reactions in traditional financial markets, as long as expectations for another rate hike have not been fully extinguished, U.S. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar index are unlikely to experience a truly deep pullback in the short term. The liquidity environment for global risk assets remains under pressure. Meanwhile, U.S. natural gas futures recorded an intraday decline of 3.00%; the price moved to $3.012 per million BTU. The localized weakness in the energy sector also reflects the sharp volatility in commodity markets amid a complex macro backdrop.
For our crypto market, the continued high-interest-rate environment means external liquidity is unlikely to see an explosive surge in the short term.
$BTC and major mainstream assets will most likely continue to trade in a range and consolidate within the current liquidity band. At present, both bullish and bearish sentiments are relatively restrained, with both sides waiting for subsequent, more critical inflation indicators to provide direction. Until the trend is firmly established, maintaining an objective stance is clearly the more rational choice.👀
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