Bitcoin Tumbles Below the $100,000 Threshold, Rattled by the Fed's Hawkish Guidance

Crypto investors that had been fueling bitcoin's sharp rally over the last few months were rattled after the Fed's December policy meeting on Wednesday.

Bitcoin fell below the $100,000 mark on Thursday as the prospect of fewer rate cuts in 2025 weighed on the apex token.

While other risk assets, such as stocks, were poised for a rebound following a sharp decline on Wednesday, bitcoin continued to slide. By midday, the token had lost more than 5% and was trading at $98,835.

Other cryptocurrencies also faced selloffs, with Ethereum and XRP each falling by over 4%. Meanwhile, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization decreased by nearly 7% to $3.41 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Crypto investors, who have been driving bitcoin's rapid rally over the last few months, were left shaken by the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting on Wednesday, which concluded with Fed officials offering hawkish guidance on the path of interest rates next year.

Despite cutting rates by 25 basis points, central bankers lowered their interest rate outlook for 2025, with FOMC members projecting only two rate cuts next year, compared to the four anticipated at the September meeting.

Comments by the Fed Chair further exacerbated the sell-off in risk assets on Wednesday afternoon, as Powell stated that the central bank would adopt a more "cautious" approach when adjusting the policy rate and that the possibility of future rate increases remained on the table.

"After scaling past $108K on Wednesday, Bitcoin has now dipped below $100K. The entire crypto sector has come under pressure in the wake of the equity market pullback," said Louis Navellier, Chief Investment Officer of Navellier & Associates, in a note on Thursday morning.

Bitcoin first crossed the $100,000 threshold in early December, buoyed by a multi-week rally following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. Crypto enthusiasts have hailed Trump as the "crypto president," anticipating that he will stimulate the market by reducing regulations and possibly even mendorong the US government to begin purchasing bitcoin itself.