Fed Rate Cut and SEC ETF Approval Drive Crypto Market Gains

I. Crypto Market Overview

Key Takeaways

Macro Environment

The Federal Reserve cut rates by 25 basis points to 4.00%-4.25%, boosting crypto liquidity and risk appetite. The US SEC approved generic listing standards for spot crypto ETFs, enabling faster launches and broader access. EY-Parthenon projects stablecoins could reach 10% of global cross-border payments by 2030, driven by regulatory clarity.

Crypto Market

The crypto market saw mild gains as BTC rose 0.71% to $117,403 and ETH edged up 0.03% to $4,613, supported by improved risk sentiment after the Fed rate cut. Altcoins outperformed, with IMX up 22.3% ($0.91), NEAR up 13.1% ($3.21), and ASTER up 0.6% ($0.0011), driven by sector events and strong trading volumes. NFT and gaming tokens led, while DOGE slipped 0.23%.

Today's Outlook

Wyoming Blockchain Stampede 2025 opens, spotlighting US blockchain innovation and regulatory dialogue. The Bank of Japan concludes its policy meeting, with markets closely watching for signals on future rate hikes and potential global liquidity impacts.

Fear and Greed Index

92.00% Annual Percentile

51 Neutral

Total Crypto Market Cap

$4.11T

0.89%

Total Market Trading Volume

$168.30B

13.76%

Altcoin Season Index

41.67%

Quarterly Percentile

71 / 100

Total Futures Market Open Interest

4.03B

1.97%

Futures

906.02B

4.69%

Perpetuals

II. Industry Updates

Macro-economic Policies

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.00%-4.25%, signaling a shift to monetary easing. This move is expected to boost crypto market liquidity and risk appetite, supporting BTC and DeFi inflows.

The Bank of England held its base rate steady at 4% and slowed the pace of quantitative tightening, citing persistent inflation. The decision maintains a restrictive environment, limiting GBP volatility and keeping crypto-GBP trading stable.

The US stock market rallied after the Fed's rate cut, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting strong gains. Improved risk sentiment is spilling over into crypto markets, increasing capital flows into BTC and ETH.

The Bank of Canada advocated for stablecoin integration into payment systems, shifting focus from CBDC development. This policy pivot is likely to accelerate stablecoin adoption and enhance DeFi payment rails in North America.

EY-Parthenon projects stablecoins could account for up to 10% of global cross-border payments by 2030, driven by recent regulatory clarity. This trend is expected to significantly increase stablecoin market cap and on-chain transaction volumes.

Cryptocurrency Regulatory Trends

The US SEC has approved new generic listing standards for spot crypto ETFs, enabling faster launches and broader investor access, which is expected to boost market liquidity and institutional participation.

The first US-listed XRP spot ETF debuted with a record $37.7 million trading volume, reflecting strong investor demand and signaling increased regulatory clarity for digital asset investment products.

The Bank of Canada has called for a national regulatory framework for stablecoins, aiming to modernize payment systems and align with global standards, which could accelerate stablecoin adoption in Canada.

Latin America's largest digital bank, Nubank, announced plans to integrate US dollar-pegged stablecoins with credit card payments, highlighting growing regulatory acceptance and mainstream adoption of stablecoins in the region.

JPMorgan reports that Circle faces intensifying competition in the US stablecoin market as Tether, Hyperliquid, and fintech firms prepare to launch compliant stablecoins, potentially impacting market share and user adoption.

ASTER (ASTER): ASTER surged 39.7% in 24h to $0.63, driven by its recent token launch and APX conversion event, with 24h volume reaching $394M and market cap over $1B.

Immutable (IMX): IMX jumped 22.3% in 24h to $0.91, supported by strong NFT and gaming sector activity, with $191M in trading volume and positive sentiment on protocol utility.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR): NEAR rose 13.1% in 24h to $3.21, fueled by a 154% spike in trading volume to $604M and growing adoption as an AI-native blockchain platform.

Smart Money Movements

BlackRock's spot ETFs acquired 1,280 BTC and 5,760 ETH on September 17, reflecting continued institutional accumulation of digital assets.

A whale transferred 433 BTC worth $51.05 million from Coinbase Institutional to an unknown wallet, signaling significant on-chain movement.

Three dormant Bitcoin wallets from 2013 moved 300 BTC, valued over $35 million, to Bitstamp, indicating possible large-scale liquidation.

Caliber purchased 278,011 Chainlink (LINK) tokens for $6.5 million, increasing its total LINK holdings to $6.7 million as part of its treasury strategy.

A whale acquired 25,000 ETH, valued at $108.2 million, via Wintermute and deposited the entire amount into AAVE, leveraging DeFi protocols post-rate cut.

Events to Watch

Sep 19 (Fri)

Wyoming Blockchain Stampede 2025 opens at University of Wyoming; Bank of Japan concludes policy meeting, markets await signals on future rate hikes.

Sep 18 (Thu)

Optimism unlocks 116 million tokens (6.89% of supply); Velo unlocks 53 billion tokens (13.63% of supply); Fasttoken unlocks 20 million tokens (2.08% of supply); TOKEN2049 Singapore hosts major crypto leaders.

Sep 18 (Thu)

US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.00%-4.25%, impacting global markets and crypto sentiment.

Sep 18 (Thu)

CBC Summit 2025 USA gathers 150+ industry executives and regulators to address crypto banking and compliance challenges.

Sep 22 (Mon)

Korea Blockchain Week 2025 begins in Seoul, featuring top Web3, AI, and digital asset regulation discussions; CATCH Forum 2025 Zug explores blockchain and AI in enterprise.

Table of Contents

I. Crypto Market Overview

Key Takeaways

Macro Environment

Crypto Market

Today's Outlook

II. Industry Updates

Macro-economic Policies

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.00%-4.25%, signaling a shift to monetary easing. This move is expected to boost crypto market liquidity and risk appetite, supporting BTC and DeFi inflows.

The Bank of England held its base rate steady at 4% and slowed the pace of quantitative tightening, citing persistent inflation. The decision maintains a restrictive environment, limiting GBP volatility and keeping crypto-GBP trading stable.

The US stock market rallied after the Fed's rate cut, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting strong gains. Improved risk sentiment is spilling over into crypto markets, increasing capital flows into BTC and ETH.

The Bank of Canada advocated for stablecoin integration into payment systems, shifting focus from CBDC development. This policy pivot is likely to accelerate stablecoin adoption and enhance DeFi payment rails in North America.

EY-Parthenon projects stablecoins could account for up to 10% of global cross-border payments by 2030, driven by recent regulatory clarity. This trend is expected to significantly increase stablecoin market cap and on-chain transaction volumes.

Cryptocurrency Regulatory Trends

The US SEC has approved new generic listing standards for spot crypto ETFs, enabling faster launches and broader investor access, which is expected to boost market liquidity and institutional participation.

The first US-listed XRP spot ETF debuted with a record $37.7 million trading volume, reflecting strong investor demand and signaling increased regulatory clarity for digital asset investment products.

The Bank of Canada has called for a national regulatory framework for stablecoins, aiming to modernize payment systems and align with global standards, which could accelerate stablecoin adoption in Canada.

Latin America's largest digital bank, Nubank, announced plans to integrate US dollar-pegged stablecoins with credit card payments, highlighting growing regulatory acceptance and mainstream adoption of stablecoins in the region.

JPMorgan reports that Circle faces intensifying competition in the US stablecoin market as Tether, Hyperliquid, and fintech firms prepare to launch compliant stablecoins, potentially impacting market share and user adoption.

Trending Tokens

ASTER (ASTER): ASTER surged 39.7% in 24h to $0.63, driven by its recent token launch and APX conversion event, with 24h volume reaching $394M and market cap over $1B.

Immutable (IMX): IMX jumped 22.3% in 24h to $0.91, supported by strong NFT and gaming sector activity, with $191M in trading volume and positive sentiment on protocol utility.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR): NEAR rose 13.1% in 24h to $3.21, fueled by a 154% spike in trading volume to $604M and growing adoption as an AI-native blockchain platform.

Smart Money Movements

BlackRock's spot ETFs acquired 1,280 BTC and 5,760 ETH on September 17, reflecting continued institutional accumulation of digital assets.

A whale transferred 433 BTC worth $51.05 million from Coinbase Institutional to an unknown wallet, signaling significant on-chain movement.

Three dormant Bitcoin wallets from 2013 moved 300 BTC, valued over $35 million, to Bitstamp, indicating possible large-scale liquidation.

Caliber purchased 278,011 Chainlink (LINK) tokens for $6.5 million, increasing its total LINK holdings to $6.7 million as part of its treasury strategy.

A whale acquired 25,000 ETH, valued at $108.2 million, via Wintermute and deposited the entire amount into AAVE, leveraging DeFi protocols post-rate cut.

Events to Watch

Sep 19 (Fri)

Sep 18 (Thu)

Sep 18 (Thu)

Sep 18 (Thu)

III. Phemex Market Focus

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