Cryptonews

The Federal Reserve, in a gesture as dramatic as a misplaced semicolon, opted to hold benchmark interest rates at 3.50-3.75% during its latest policy meeting. This decision, anticipated with all the fervor of a tax audit, marked the first pause in policy easing since the halcyon days of July 2025. The central bank, having trimmed rates thrice last year in response to President Donald Trump’s fiscal and trade theatrics, now stands like a cautious librarian, shushing the economy into submission. Two governors, Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller, dissented with the poise of spurned suitors, advocating for a quarter-point cut, but their pleas were as effective as a whisper in a hurricane.

As of this writing (and my coffee is still hot, so it’s recent), BTC was sulking at $84,437, down 5.83% in the last 24 hours. According to CoinMarketCap on Jan. 29, Bitcoin’s nearly $1.70 trillion market cap took an $85 billion nosedive. That’s like losing your favorite pair of jeans and your dignity in one go. The entire crypto market is now sitting in a corner, sobbing into its blockchain.

Behold, Cardano graces us with its presence at a princely sum of $0.35-a veritable castle of support that captivates market participants as moths are drawn to the flickering light of a candle.

As the sun sets on late January 2026, XRP’s price sits near $1.90, as steady as a mule in a mud puddle. A modest 4% dip since the year began, it trades between $1.88 and $2.00, a range tighter than a miser’s wallet. The sentiment? Cautious, like a prospector eyeing a dubious claim.

This “lifeline,” a mere 0.00001985 BTC for one XRP, has played its part since mid-2024, thwarting breakdowns in August, October, and now January. Oh, the drama! The supercycle, it seems, is a stubborn thespian, refusing to exit the stage. Yet, one must wonder: is this a masterpiece or a mere melodrama?

And lo! Its faithful companions, the altcoins, have decided to join in this tragic ballet of despair, while liquidations soar like a bird startled by a cat. According to the ever-so-reliable CoinGlass, a staggering $650 million worth of leveraged positions has been swept away in this tidal wave of misfortune, with half of that calamity occurring in the briefest of moments.

Ah, dear Ethereum, forever caught in a web of indecision! Its price dances a monotonous waltz, trapped in an eternal embrace of confinement, much like a character in one of my dreary tales. Analyst EliZ, with the fervor of a bard, recently took to the scrolls of social media to illuminate the asset’s prolonged state of contemplation.

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market chronicle, a quiet pageant of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20, conducted with the reserve of a drawing-room satire and the patient air of a Russian autumn.

And why now? Well, Bitcoin took a 30% nosedive from its all-time high, which usually sends investors running to exchanges like they’re Black Friday sales. But nope. Everyone’s suddenly gone all “I’m fine, I’m holding”-like that ex who swears they’re over you but still stalks your Instagram.

Meanwhile, the altcoins are having a collective meltdown. Ethereum’s like, “$3,000? I don’t know her,” and XRP’s just sitting in the corner muttering about $1.90. BNB’s under $900, and SOL, DOGE, ADA, BCH, and SUI are all in the “why me?” phase. It’s a regular crypto support group in here.