Bitcoin (BTC) and Altcoins Inch Higher Ahead of Fed Decision

It’s been a bit of a roller‑coaster start to the week for crypto, with Bitcoin (BTC) and its peers inching higher as traders weigh geopolitical jitters against an upcoming Federal Reserve meeting. After last week’s seesaw action, markets found a bit of calm, though not without a couple of eyebrow‑raising moments.

Geopolitics and Fed Watch

We can’t talk markets without mentioning the flare‑up in the Middle East. Tensions between Israel and Iran have nudged oil prices up, and that always has traders glued to their screens. With the Fed meeting just around the corner, everyone’s asking: Will this rattle the rate‑setters into action, or are they happy sitting tight?

Most analysts believe the Fed will hold rates steady at 4.25–4.50% this Wednesday, despite a few high‑profile calls for cuts. Until we see a clear drop in inflation, market experts don’t expect policymakers to take their foot off the brake. It’s a classic tug‑of‑war between cooling growth and sticky prices.

Bitcoin’s Narrow Range

Bitcoin kicked off the week trading between about $105,500 and $107,032. After dipping briefly near $104,900 over the weekend, it bounced right back above six figures. Right now, traders are eyeing the $109,500 mark—break through that cleanly and we could be on our way toward $110,000.

But if we slip under about $104,200, momentum might shift back toward the low‑$103,000s. Institutional appetite remains surprisingly strong. Spot‑ETF inflows have kept rolling in, suggesting long‑term investors are using any dips to add to their positions.

Altcoins Shine (Some More Than Others)

Ethereum’s been stealing some of the spotlight today, jumping nearly 4% as whispers swirl about upcoming Merge‑related upgrades. That uptick gave DeFi protocols a little boost, too—total value locked on Ethereum climbed about 1.9% over the past 24 hours.

Among the altcoin crowd, Solana led the gains, rallying 7% on news of new layer‑2 compatibility features. And don’t sleep on JITO—this small cap absolutely sprinted ahead, posting one of the biggest one‑day gains in the mid‑cap space.

Corporate and Regulatory News

In interesting corporate news, Metaplanet—an on‑chain treasury vehicle— announced it reached 10,000 BTC ahead of schedule. They funded the purchase through a $210 million bond sale, spotlighting how more firms view Bitcoin as a treasury hedge.

Over in Asia, Vietnam is crafting a new Digital Technology Industry law for 2026 that would formally recognize crypto assets and align with global AML rules. This could be a real catalyst for adoption in the region. And back in the U.S., lawmakers are still hashing out stablecoin regulations under the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts—you can bet the industry is watching those debates closely.

Eyes on the Road Ahead

So, where do we go from here? With the Fed likely to stand pat and geopolitical tensions simmering, today’s calm could be the eye of the storm. A clean break above Bitcoin’s current ceiling would be bullish, but any fresh flare‑ups in the Middle East or hawkish commentary from the Fed could send prices tumbling.

Keep an eye on Wednesday’s Fed press conference, plus this week’s retail‑sales report and the upcoming G‑7 summit for more clues. And if you’re trading, don’t forget to watch ETF flows and on‑chain metrics—they’re telling you where big money is headed, even when the headlines are noisy.