Bitcoin Stuck Below $90,000 as Traders Await Fed Decision

Bitcoin edged slightly higher on Tuesday but remained rangebound below the $90,000 level, hovering near one-month lows as investors stayed cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency traded 0.4% higher at $88,296.5 by 01:33 ET. Despite a softer U.S. dollar, Bitcoin has struggled to regain momentum after sharp losses last week and is up just about 1% so far in 2026.

The muted performance stands in contrast to gold and silver, which have surged to fresh record highs on rising safe-haven demand. This divergence highlights Bitcoin’s difficulty attracting flows in an environment dominated by geopolitical uncertainty and risk aversion.

Markets are now focused on the Fed’s two-day meeting, which begins Tuesday and is widely expected to end with rates unchanged on Wednesday. Traders will closely watch Chair Jerome Powell’s tone for clues on the timing of potential rate cuts and the inflation outlook, both of which could shape broader risk sentiment and liquidity conditions.

Attention is also on President Donald Trump’s expected nomination of a new Fed chair, a move that could influence longer-term monetary policy expectations.

Meanwhile, Japan could see its first crypto exchange-traded funds as early as 2028, according to Nikkei. The Financial Services Agency is reportedly planning to allow cryptocurrencies as eligible ETF assets while tightening investor safeguards, with firms such as Nomura and SBI seen as potential issuers.

Across the broader market, altcoins posted modest gains. Ethereum rose 1.5% to $2,935.9, XRP added 1.1% to $1.90, while Solana and Cardano climbed about 1.5% each. Polygon fell more than 3%, and among meme tokens, Dogecoin gained 0.6% while $TRUMP slipped 1.1%.