Not-So-Merry Christmas: Bitcoin to Score Second-Worst Q4 Ever

Perpetual futures open interest for Bitcoin increased from 304,000 BTC to 310,000 BTC on Monday as the cryptocurrency's price briefly touched $90,000, signaling renewed interest in leveraged long positions ahead of year-end trading according to blockchain analytics firm Glassnode. This 2% increase in open interest accompanying price appreciation suggests fresh capital entering leveraged positions rather than mere price-driven expansion, potentially contradicting earlier narratives about muted year-end activity while raising questions about whether building leverage creates vulnerability for the exact Q1 2026 crash scenarios that Anthony Pompliano suggested Bitcoin might avoid.

The post Fed Decides On Interest Rates Today—Here’s What To Watch For appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Topline The Federal Reserve on Wednesday will conclude a two-day policymaking meeting and release a decision on whether to lower interest rates—following months of pressure and criticism from President Donald Trump—and potentially signal whether additional cuts are on the way. President Donald Trump has urged the central bank to “CUT INTEREST RATES, NOW, AND BIGGER” than they might plan to. Getty Images Key Facts The central bank is poised to cut interest rates by at least a quarter-point, down from the 4.25% to 4.5% range where they have been held since December to between 4% and 4.25%, as Wall Street has placed 100% odds of a rate cut, according to CME’s FedWatch, with higher odds (94%) on a quarter-point cut than a half-point (6%) reduction. Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, both Trump appointees, voted in July for a quarter-point reduction to rates, and they may dissent again in favor of a large cut alongside Stephen Miran, Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers’ chair, who was sworn in at the meeting’s start on Tuesday. It’s unclear whether other policymakers, including Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid and St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem, will favor larger cuts or opt for no reduction. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in his Jackson Hole, Wyoming, address last month the central bank would likely consider a looser monetary policy, noting the “shifting balance of risks” on the U.S. economy “may warrant adjusting our policy stance.” David Mericle, an economist for Goldman Sachs, wrote in a note the “key question” for the Fed’s meeting is whether policymakers signal “this is likely the first in a series of consecutive cuts” as the central bank is anticipated to “acknowledge the softening in the labor market,” though they may not “nod to an October cut.” Mericle said he…

Palmer Luckey has raised $350 million for Erebor, valuing the digital bank at approximately $4.3 billion as it moves toward launch with FDIC approval, according to Axios. The Oculus founder and defense tech entrepreneur's entry into fintech represents remarkable valuation for pre-launch bank and raises questions about whether investors are backing genuinely innovative banking model or simply betting on Luckey's track record of building billion-dollar companies, while the timing amid regional banking stress and cryptocurrency integration ambitions creates both opportunity and scrutiny.