XRP experienced a slight pullback this week as crypto traders closely monitored the upcoming Federal Reserve (FOMC) meeting, scrutinizing comments from Chair Jerome Powell for insight into future market direction. Despite expectations that interest rates will remain unchanged, uncertainty surrounding macroeconomic conditions kept investor sentiment cautious.
As of Tuesday, XRP joined Cardano’s ADA in leading token declines among major cryptocurrencies. Both assets dropped nearly 4% over the past 24 hours, drawing market attention amid Bitcoin’s ongoing price consolidation. Bitcoin held steady above $94,000 after briefly dipping below that level over the weekend, maintaining a narrow trading range for several sessions.
Other cryptocurrencies showed mixed performances. Ether (ETH) shed just under 1%, while BNB Chain’s native token, BNB, climbed 1.3%. Dogecoin (DOGE), meanwhile, saw a 2% decrease. The broader CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), which tracks the performance of the largest liquid cryptocurrencies, registered a 1.8% loss, reflecting a cautious market stance overall.
Although XRP and other altcoins encountered short-term weakness, some sectors of the market demonstrated resilience. Decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens like AAVE, Curve (CRV), and the newer entrant Hyperliquid (HYPE) have attracted increasing demand recently. These tokens benefited as investors shifted their focus away from memecoins and toward protocols with stronger utility and tokenomics.
“As memecoins lose appeal, there’s growing investor interest in projects that showcase sustainable economic models,” said Kay Lu, CEO of HashKey Eco Labs, via Telegram. “DeFi platforms are currently gaining momentum, especially as Bitcoin’s reduced volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty drive traders to seek more stable returns.”
This trend was especially apparent in performance metrics. HYPE recorded the sharpest rise among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, rallying by 72% over the past week. AAVE and CRV weren’t far behind, with each posting gains of up to 40%.
Eyes on the Fed
The crypto market isn’t acting in isolation. All eyes are on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision expected this week. While analysts anticipate that the central bank will maintain current rates, sentiment remains split over the central bank’s future direction — a scenario being likened to a “coin flip.”
According to Augustine Fan, Head of Insights at SignalPlus, the FOMC announcement is unlikely to provoke a drastic market move. “Directionally, there’s no strong consensus,” Fan noted in a message on Telegram. “Crypto may continue drawing cues from broader economic indicators, particularly earnings momentum and how the economy adjusts to recent trade policies.”
Macroeconomic data remains mixed. Equities markets have shown surprising strength recently, with eight percent recession probability currently priced in, based on historical drawdown models. Yet bond markets and forecasts from institutional economists continue flashing more conservative signals.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions have only compounded market uncertainty. Last week, former President Trump stated there were no immediate plans to restart trade talks with China. His remarks diminished hopes for a sweeping agreement but left open the possibility of bilateral trade arrangements, a development that has underpinned risk appetite, as reported earlier.
Despite the near-term pullback in XRP, the token remains an integral part of the broader crypto landscape that is navigating through heightened economic uncertainty and transitioning investor behavior. With attention shifting toward fundamentals and regulatory developments, XRP’s performance will likely continue reflecting the evolving macro policy landscape and digital asset market trends.
