Bitcoin, ether slide after a hawkish Fed, even as Trump's signed Iran deal lifts stocks

MarketsBitcoin, ether slide after a hawkish Fed, even as Trump's signed Iran deal lifts stocksThe Fed held rates but signaled it is more worried about inflation than growth in Chair Kevin Warsh's first meeting.By Shaurya Malwa Jun 18, 2026, 4:52 a.m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShowCryptocurrencies fell broadly despite a market-lifting Iran peace deal, as investors focused on a more hawkish Federal Reserve stance on inflation.The Fed left interest rates unchanged but signaled higher-for-longer borrowing costs, tightening financial conditions that typically weigh on risk assets like bitcoin and ether.Analysts expect bitcoin to remain rangebound between $60,000 and $70,000 absent a major catalyst, such as new U.S. crypto legislation or further U.S.-Iran de-escalation.Crypto fell across the board on Thursday, shrugging off a signed Iran peace deal that lifted stocks, after the Federal Reserve held interest rates but made clear it is more worried about inflation than growth.Bitcoin traded around $63,900, down 3% over 24 hours though still up 2% on the week, per CoinDesk data. The selling was broad. Ether fell 3.4% to $1,733, XRP dropped 3.9% to $1.17 and solana lost 3.6% to $71. Hyperliquid's HYPE, the standout gainer all week, fell hardest at 7.2% to $69, though it remains up about 28% over seven days. Tron was the lone major in the green, up 0.9%.The driver was the Fed. It left rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%, in line with expectations, but its updated projections pointed to higher inflation and a slower pace of future rate cuts, and some officials floated the possibility that rates may still need to rise. It was the first decision under new Chairman Kevin Warsh, who said there had been rigorous debate before the vote and vowed the central bank would deliver price stability. A more hawkish Fed means tighter financial conditions, which tend to drain the liquidity that fue…

Bitcoin, ether slide after a hawkish Fed, even as Trump's signed Iran deal lifts stocks

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