Crypto Holds Gains as BTC Settles and XRP Leads Market

Key Moments

Macro Environment Pressures Crypto as Fed Expectations Stay Hawkish

The cryptocurrency complex is consolidating on Friday as traders reassess risk in the face of persistent macro headwinds. Bitcoin (BTC) has surrendered part of its advance from earlier in the week and is changing hands slightly above $84,000, having eased back from fresh multi-month highs. Ethereum (ETH) is moving in tandem, pulling back from its own gains that recently pushed a wide swath of digital assets to eight-month highs and now trades just below $2,700.

Ripple’s XRP diverges from this softer tone. The token is edging higher for a second straight session and trades around $1.54, signaling that buying interest remains firm despite bouts of profit-taking across the broader market.

Fed Rate Path and Geopolitics Shape Risk Sentiment

The United States (US) Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its policy rate in September by 25 basis points, lifting the target range to 3.75%-4.00%. The move had been broadly anticipated and incorporated into market pricing, and the central bank underscored its commitment to bringing elevated inflation back to its 2% longer-term objective.

Despite that, investors are still bracing for another increase that would take the target band to 4.00%-4.25% in October. This firm policy stance is unfolding against ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which are affecting global supplies, including Oil and energy, and feeding into broader risk considerations.

According to the FedWatch tool, there is a 71% probability that the Fed will raise rates again. Even so, demand for cryptocurrencies remains robust. The crypto Fear & Greed Index is steady at 71, firmly in the Greed zone, pointing to continued risk appetite in digital assets.

If buyers continue to add exposure, the prevailing bias across major tokens could stay skewed to the upside. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin is positioned for a potential extension toward $88,000, while Ethereum faces its next meaningful resistance around $3,000. XRP’s recovery remains in place, with charts indicating scope for a move toward $2.00 if support levels hold.

Bitcoin Technical Picture: Uptrend Intact Above Key EMAs

Bitcoin is quoted at $84,135, consolidating after a pullback from a weekly high of $87,378 yet preserving a broadly bullish tone. Spot prices continue to trade comfortably above both short- and long-term Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), which all sit below the current level, reinforcing the view of a well-supported uptrend.

Momentum indicators remain constructive. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is in the mid-60s, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line stays above the zero threshold, signaling that buyers still dominate despite the recent cooling in price.

On the downside, the first notable support is the 50-day EMA near $76,455, where dip-buying interest could re-emerge if the correction deepens. A decisive move under that level would open the way to a broader demand region around the 200-day EMA at approximately $73,997 and the nearby 100-day EMA around $73,300. This confluence defines a medium-term support band that would need to be broken to materially challenge the existing bullish structure.