Featured

FOMC day brings a lot of action: macro headlines, big tech moves, ETF flows, and a handful of crypto developments that could shift momentum across markets. Here’s a clear, direct rundown of what I’m watching today and why it matters for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and the rest of crypto — plus some community updates and Q&A from live chat.

Table of Contents

Market Open & Big Movers 🟢

We started the day green. Nvidia is leading the market, rallying roughly 4 to 5 percent and flirting with a historic 5 trillion dollar valuation. That strength is contagious: AI winners and semiconductors are up, and that risk-on energy tends to bleed into crypto when traders chase yield.

On the crypto side, the altcoins that now have ETFs are doing best: Solana bounced hard from a late-night dip, Cardano and Litecoin are both up near 4 percent, and Ethereum outperformed Bitcoin by a decent margin. The ones with ETF setups are getting institutional attention and it shows in price action.

Nvidia & US Manufacturing 🇺🇸

What’s driving Nvidia? Jensen made a smart move: new chips are now being produced in the US (Arizona via TSMC) and investors reward that. US-based production is politically and economically attractive right now, so the market’s pricing in premium valuations for companies that bring manufacturing stateside. Expect competitors to try and follow.

FOMC Rate Cut Expectations 🔻

Markets are essentially pricing in a rate cut. The odds look very high — around 99% immediately before the meeting — but there was a small shift in December cut expectations (down from about 96% to roughly 87%). The press conference timing is standard mid-afternoon, and while I’m not tuning into the live pressers like I used to, anything surprising from the Fed could still move risk assets fast.

Fed Balance Sheet & Bailouts 🧾

People are watching the Fed’s balance sheet closely. Did the Fed buy or sell assets recently? There are ongoing questions about whether the Fed is backstopping struggling companies, banks, or even buying junk bonds. Any big change to the balance sheet could influence liquidity conditions and push markets — including crypto — in either direction.

Trump and Xi Meeting in Korea 🤝

Potentially the biggest macro event this week: a US-China summit in Korea. There are rumours about tariff rollbacks tied to fentanyl import reductions and talks around rare earths. If the meeting goes well, it could be a huge positive catalyst for risk assets before November. This one could outweigh the FOMC in terms of market-moving potential.

ETF Inflows & Institutional Demand 💼

ETF flows matter now more than ever. Yesterday’s inflows were healthy — about $200 million — and Ethereum saw a strong intake (roughly $246 million reported). Institutional appetite is real and scaling up.

  • Solana ETF activity: Bitwise seeded a Solana staking ETF with roughly $223 million and then added further capital (reports vary slightly by number).
  • Watch for continued inflows across Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs — that accumulates and compounds over time.

National Bitcoin Reserve Proposals 🌍

There’s chatter in Europe: Germany’s conservative party (AFD) is proposing to buy a reserve of Bitcoin at about 2 percent of supply, and similar proposals have been discussed in France. Countries talking about holding bitcoin as a hedge against inflation or even as part of broader treasury diversification is a major narrative shift. If a nation-state acts, the impact would be enormous.

Corporate Treasuries & Accumulation 🏦

Companies keep loading up. One Israeli firm reportedly bought 94 BTC and now holds over a thousand in their treasury. Bitmine and Tom Lee-linked entities continue to accumulate Ethereum — reports mentioned a large additional ETH purchase (figures cited around $113 million) pushing corporate holdings into the multi-billion dollar range. These treasury buys are not a trickle; they’re meaningful supply-side events.

Is This the Longest Bitcoin Cycle? ⏳

I keep seeing headlines calling this the longest Bitcoin cycle. That’s misleading. The cycle length is similar historically, but this cycle feels different because institutions are leading a gradual climb rather than the explosive retail-driven rallies of 2017 or 2021. Lower volatility and bigger players mean steadier moves — the cycle may just be slower and more mature.

Rotation Out of Gold Into Crypto? 🪙

Gold has pulled back from recent highs (it briefly hit 4,300 in some metrics and has fallen under 4,000 in others). Some of that liquidity looks like it’s rotating elsewhere — into tech names like Nvidia, and ultimately back into Bitcoin and crypto. If gold continues to decline, look for a portion of that capital to seek alternative stores of value, including BTC.

Ethereum, Solana & Staking ETFs 🔗

Ethereum inflows remain strong and corporate treasuries keep buying. Solana’s ETF story is heating up: Bitwise and Grayscale have added staking to their ETF structures. That’s huge — staking used to be treated like a security by regulators in some conversations a year ago; now staking is being built into institutional products.

Western Union also announced plans to issue a stablecoin (USDPT) on Solana via Anchorage Digital Bank. That’s a notable adoption story from an established remittance player and could drive more on-chain utility for Solana.

Binance’s CZ plans to sue Senator Elizabeth Warren over allegedly defamatory statements. Warren claimed CZ pleaded guilty to money laundering and sought a presidential pardon; CZ denies those allegations. If it escalates legally, it’s another high-profile clash between crypto executives and regulators/policymakers.

Clash Community Updates & Giveaways 🎮

The Clash community is active. We had a big NFT sale for top tier pieces, the treasury is filling up with Soul tokens, and the Gleam giveaway is live with entries tied to community actions and secret codes revealed during streams. There are tiered prizes including one grand prize of five Soul or five winners of one Soul each, and more than a month left to enter.

Tournament updates: I’m tweaking rewards to better reward live viewers and players. Expect random player and spectator prizes, plus restructured tournament rewards so active participants get more in real time.

Q&A Highlights: AI, Robotics & Jobs 🤖

Some key takes from chat and Q&A:

  • Robotics and AI will impact jobs massively over the next decade. High-skill white collar tasks could get automated first — bookkeeping, design tasks, some engineering workflows. Manual labour jobs may be last to go, so trades could stay in demand longer.
  • People are weighing buying early humanoid robots. I’m skeptical about early players, particularly foreign hardware with opaque subscription models. I’d prefer waiting for strong, reputable vendors — Tesla is one example people mention.
  • AI is not just a tool. It can think, learn, and improve quickly. That reality means every individual should focus on maximising wealth and skills over the next decade to insulate against dislocation caused by automation.

Bottom Line & What I’m Watching Now 👀

It’s not a bad day for markets overall. Watch these things closely:

  1. FOMC statements and the press conference for any hints at future liquidity or balance sheet changes.
  2. US-China talks for tariff developments and geopolitical risk reduction.
  3. ETF inflows, particularly custody and staking ETF data for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
  4. Large on-chain treasury buys or national reserve moves that materially reduce available supply.

We’re in an institutional-led cycle. Accumulation is happening quietly and steadily. The path to a new Bitcoin high could be paved by continued ETF inflows, corporate and national buying, and a rotation of capital out of traditional safe havens like gold.

FAQ ❓

What are the odds of a Fed rate cut today?

Markets priced a very high chance of a cut immediately before the meeting — essentially near certainty — though December cut odds briefly softened. Keep an eye on the press conference for any change in tone.

How do ETF inflows affect Bitcoin and altcoins?

ETF inflows increase institutional demand and custody flows, reducing available supply and supporting price. ETFs with staking or custody for alts like Solana or Ethereum can concentrate capital and drive relative outperformance.

Could a national Bitcoin reserve move prices significantly?

Yes. If a country actually buys a meaningful percentage of circulating supply, it would remove large amounts of liquidity and be a major bullish catalyst for price discovery and institutional confidence.

Is staking now accepted by institutional products?

Yes. Recently multiple ETF product structures started including staking, and institutional custody is adapting to support staked assets. That was a big regulatory and market shift compared to a year ago.

What should community members do about the Gleam giveaway and tournaments?

Enter the Gleam page, follow the entry steps, and watch streams for secret codes to get bonus entries. For tournaments, submit your entry and watch live for spectator and player rewards that will be distributed in real time.

Full Disclaimer: This blog and its contents are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell or trade, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation for any security, cryptocurrency, or related product, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advice or other related services by theprimenews.co.uk. theprimenews.co.uk may have a financial investment with the cryptocurrencies discussed in this blog. In preparing this blog, no individual financial or investment needs of the viewer have been taken into account nor is any financial or investment advice being offered. Any views expressed in this blog were prepared based upon the information available at the time such views were written. Changed or additional information could cause such views to change.