Bitcoin clears $64,000 ahead of Wednesday's Fed rate decision

Bitcoin crossed $64,000 during Asian trading hours, a level that has drawn attention as a near-term milestone, and the move lifted most of the top 20 assets. The immediate backdrop is Wednesday's Federal Reserve interest rate decision, which is dividing professional opinion sharply — hedge fund Citadel is positioned for a rate hike while many Bitcoin analysts expect the Fed to hold rates steady. That disagreement is visible in the Fear & Greed index sitting at 29, well into fear territory despite today's price gains; traders are moving cautiously rather than confidently. Notably, the rally held even as South Korea's chip sector suffered a significant market crash — a reminder that crypto's correlation with traditional equity markets is not constant. Bitcoin's resilience in that context drew commentary from analysts tracking cross-market flows. XRP was the strongest performer among the top 15, rising 2.8%, while Cardano led the broader altcoin field with a 4.7% gain. NEAR Protocol was the day's notable decliner, falling 4.3% as traders rotated away from smaller-cap assets ahead of the Fed announcement. The overall market cap sits at $2.28 trillion with Bitcoin holding 56.6% dominance, suggesting the rally is still concentrated in larger assets rather than spreading broadly into altcoins.

• –Wednesday's Federal Reserve meeting is the week's central event for crypto markets — Citadel is betting on a rate hike while most Bitcoin analysts expect a hold, and the outcome will be known before Thursday's open.
• –A company behind an AI-driven trade that triggered $60 million in crypto liquidations has agreed to cover all losses, according to CoinDesk — an unusual outcome that may reduce some of the residual market uncertainty from that event.
• –Bitcoin's climb above $64,000 came despite a record crash in South Korea's chip market, which had no measurable spillover into crypto prices.