Share this article
First Mover Americas: Crypto Majors Subdued After Fed's Hawkish Stance
The latest price moves in crypto markets in context for June 17, 2024.
Jun 17, 2024, 12:21 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
This article originally appeared in First Mover, CoinDesk’s daily newsletter, putting the latest moves in crypto markets in context. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every day.
Latest Prices
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Top Stories
The biggest cryptocurrencies fell during the European morning, extending the subdued mood after the Federal Reserve trimmed interest-rate cut expectations on Wednesday. Bitcoin and ether both fell by around 1% over 24 hours, CoinDesk Indices data show. Bitcoin dropped to just below $66,000 – near the low end of the $72,000-$65,000 range it's been trading in for the past month – and ether was quoted around $3,500. The CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), a measure of the broader crypto market, fell about 1.8%. Markets in many countries are closed for Islam's Eid al-Adha festival. Meme coins led declines, with SHIB losing 3.5% and DOGE dropping 1.7%.
U.S.-listed bitcoin miners reached a record market cap of $22.8 billion on June 15, JPMorgan said in a report. The bank noted that almost all the companies outperformed bitcoin in the first two weeks of June, with Core Scientific the best performer, adding 117%, and Argo Blockchain the worst, dropping 7%. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell 3% in the same period. Bitcoin mining stocks gained in the first half of the month as investors reacted positively to news of Core Scientific’s deal with artificial intelligence firm CoreWeave, the report said. Mining difficulty also extended its fall since April's reward halving.
The Financial Stability Board (FSB) said it will undertake further work on the challenges posed by stablecoins in emerging and developing economies. The decision was taken during a meeting in Toronto of the FSB's plenary, the sole decision-making body of the standard-setting and advisory organization, according to a Friday statement. The FSB has been one of the main architects of global crypto policy. Last year, along with the International Monetary Fund, it framed a joint policy paper on crypto, warning against implementing blanket bans to mitigate risks associated with the sector. At last week's meeting, FSB members discussed areas that "warrant further attention" in the industry.
Trending Posts
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Here's what bitcoin bulls are saying as price remains stuck during global rally
It's about a lot more than "zooming out." Supply overhangs and investor "muscle memory" regarding gold help explain bitcoin's poor absolute and relative performance.
What to know:
- Bitcoin has failed so far to act as an inflation hedge or safe-haven asset, lagging badly behind gold, which has surged amid high inflation, wars, and interest rate uncertainty.
- Crypto advocates argue that bitcoin’s weakness reflects a temporary supply overhang, investor “muscle memory” favoring familiar precious metals and its correlation with risk assets, rather than a collapse in long-term demand.
- Many bitcoin proponents still see BTC as a superior long-term store of value and “digital gold,” predicting that, once traditional hard assets are overbought, capital will rotate into bitcoin, allowing it to “catch up” to gold.
Top Stories
