The hawkishness wasn’t subtle. The Federal Open Market Committee held rates at 3.5%-3.75%, but three policymakers – Cleveland Fed president Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari, and Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan – dissented in favor of a hike, pushing the decision through on a 9-3 vote. Warsh then opened his press conference saying “there is no soft inflation target,” reiterating that any inflation print above 2% is unacceptable to him.
“This is the Fed telling markets it will not tolerate inflation above target even at the cost of a growth scare,” Grachev said. “For digital assets, that’s the least favorable outcome on the table this cycle.”
His reasoning simple. “Tighter policy, less liquidity, [means] more expensive carry.” Tighter liquidity makes leveraged and carry-funded crypto positions more expensive to hold, which can pressure bitcoin’s price. Grachev expects the shift in positioning to happen…
