Bitcoin, Ethereum Move Sideways, Dogecoin Falls Amid Jerome Powell's Hawkish Tone On Rate Cuts: Analyst Says Dip Temporary Before BTC Highs

Leading cryptocurrencies felt the pinch on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said “no decision” has been made on a September rate cut.

CryptocurrencyGains +/-Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Bitcoin BTC/USD+0.02%$117,946.09
Ethereum ETH/USD
               
+0.61%$3,811.10
Dogecoin DOGE/USD          -1.85%$0.2195

What Happened: Bitcoin dipped below $116,000 late afternoon but recouped the gains overnight. Ethereum extended its gains overnight following the afternoon pullback, even as trading volume cooled off.

A White House advisory group formed under President Donald Trump released a cryptocurrency blueprint urging federal agencies to clarify rules concerning digital assets.

Meanwhile, cryptocurrency liquidations hit $432 million in the last 24 hours, with Ethereum alone accounting for $101 million. 

Interestingly, Bitcoin's rise to $120,000 could liquidate $430 million worth of BTC short positions on Binance.

Bitcoin's open interest rose by 1.23% in the last 24 hours. When the spot price is sideways and open interest is increasing, it typically precedes a breakout in either direction.

Despite the weakness, "greed" sentiment persisted in the market, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.

Top Gainers (24 Hours)

CryptocurrencyGains +/-Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Ethena (ENA)    +10.29%$0.6258
Conflux (CFX)    
               
+8.22%$0.2215
Curve DAO Token (CRV)          +8.18%$1.04

The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.86 trillion, contracting 0.24% in the last 24 hours.

Major stock averages closed lower on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 171.71 points, or 0.38%, to close at 44,461.28. The S&P 500 dipped 0.12% to end at 6,362.90. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was the silver lining, gaining 0.15% to end at 21,129.67.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25%-4.50%, as expected, followed by hawkish comments from Powell.

Powell said that "no decisions" have been made about a rate cut in September, pouring cold water on investors' hopes. The odds of a 25 basis point cut fell to 43% from 63% the day before, according to the CME FedWatch tool. 

See More: Best Cryptocurrency Scanners

Analyst Notes: Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Michaël van de Poppe suggested that the cryptocurrency market dip following no change in rate cuts is temporary.

"I think it’s a great chance to accumulate. Could be that we fall deeper, but not for long. August/September new ATHs," the analyst predicted.

Another cryptocurrency-focused trader, Tom Tucker, spotted Bitcoin forming a bullish pennant on its daily chart.

A bullish pennant is a continuation chart pattern, indicating resumption of an uptrend after a pause or consolidation period.

"With the Crypto Fear & Greed Index still in the greed zone at 63, and Bollinger Bands tightening, a breakout could be near. Target on breakout? $143,550," Tucker projected.

Photo Courtesy: Yalcin Sonat On Shutterstock.com

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