Bitcoin Falls As FOMC Signals Inflation Is Back, Holds Rates Steady

The Fed held the federal funds rate at 3.50%–3.75% on April 29, 2026, but shifted language to say inflation “is elevated,” citing rising global energy prices and heightened geopolitical risks. The FOMC showed rare division — three members (Hammack, Kashkari, Logan) opposed adding an easing bias, the most dissent since October 1992 — prompting markets to rethink the timing of rate cuts. That recalibration weighed on risk assets, with Bitcoin extending losses and slipping back into the roughly $75,000 area in a classic sell-the-news reaction. Overall, the Fed’s more cautious tone and internal split increased uncertainty and may delay investor expectations for monetary easing, pressuring crypto and other risk-sensitive markets ahead of upcoming data and meetings.