FOMC Holds Rates Steady: BTC 78K, Meta USDC Push

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell kept interest rates steady at the 3.50-3.75 band during Wednesday's FOMC meeting. In the decision passed by an 8-4 vote, the four dissenters showed new Chairman Kevin Warsh that the committee won't be a pushover. Powell announced he will continue in his role for an indefinite period after May, citing investigations by the Trump administration. Post-meeting, the 2026 rate cut probability fell to 1%; the crypto market was pressured but BTC has now risen to $78,348 (+0.04% 24h).

FOMC Decision and Powell's Shock Warnings

Powell emphasized that four supply shocks—pandemic, Ukraine war, tariffs, and Iran conflict—have fueled inflation and unemployment. With no rate cut in sight, oil climbed to $105, gold to $4,640. Market cautious; for BTC detailed analysis RSI 61.13, trend sideways but Supertrend bearish signal.

Big Tech Growth: AI and Cloud Records

Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta's Q1 earnings bore the fruits of AI spending. Google Cloud up 63% to $20.1 billion, AWS up 28% to $37.59 billion. Azure jumped 40%; Meta broke revenue record but missed user target, stock down 9%. Cloud momentum lifted the index.

Meta USDC Payments: Solana and Polygon Integration

Breaking news: Meta has started USDC payments via Solana detailed analysis and Polygon to creators using Stripe in Colombia and Philippines. Crypto comeback after four years; social media giants could accelerate blockchain. Opportunity arising for Polygon futures. DeFi protocols like Sky Protocol hitting record revenue but tokens under pressure.

BTC Technical Levels and Resistances

• Supports: S1 $71,926 (Strong, -8.09%), S2 $78,129 (Strong, -0.16%)
• Resistances: R1 $79,426 (Very Strong, +1.49%), R2 $84,650 (Medium, +8.17%)
• EMA 20: $76,029; Fibonacci and Ichimoku sourced.

While macro pressures continue, AI returns and Meta move could support crypto.