Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Slips as Fed Rate-Cut Euphoria Lifts Stocks
Bitcoin's trading lower as Asian markets open—a curious divergence while traditional equities ride the Fed's rate-cut wave.
The Split Screen
Stocks are soaring on the promise of cheaper money. Meanwhile, crypto's flagship asset edges down. It's a classic tale of two markets: one dancing to central bank tunes, the other marching to its own decentralized beat.
Decoupling or Just a Pause?
The move highlights crypto's stubborn independence. While rate cuts flood traditional finance with liquidity, Bitcoin's price action reminds everyone it answers to a different set of rules—supply schedules, halving cycles, and pure, unfiltered sentiment.
Some traders see it as a buying opportunity, betting the liquidity will eventually spill over. Others view it as a healthy correction before the next leg up. After all, in a world where stocks rally on bad news—sorry, 'accommodative policy'—a little defiance is refreshing.
The Bigger Picture
Don't let the short-term dip fool you. The macro winds are shifting. A dovish Fed weakens the dollar and fuels the search for hard assets. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply, sits perfectly in that narrative. Today's slip might just be the calm before the storm of capital looking for a home outside the traditional system.
So, while Wall Street celebrates the Fed's latest intervention—because what's a bubble without a little help from the printers—Bitcoin quietly sets its own course. The future of finance isn't built on promises. It's built on code.
Market snapshot
- Bitcoin: $90,121, down 2.3%
- Ether: $3,224, down 2.4%
- XRP: $2.01, down 3.9%
- Total crypto market cap: $3.16 trillion, down 2.4%
Markets Weigh Limited 2026 Cuts While Risk Appetite Stays Cautious
Futures now imply about a 78% chance the Fed will leave rates unchanged at its next meeting, up from about 70% before the decision, as traders reassess how far this easing cycle can really go.
SUMMARY OF FED DECISION (12/10/2025):
1. Fed cuts rates by 25 bps in 3rd rate cut of 2025
2. Fed will consider "extend and timing" of additional adjustments
3. Fed will begin purchasing US Treasury Bills on December 12th
4. Fed will buy $40 billion of US Treasury bills in 30…
Nic Puckrin, investment analyst and co-founder of The Coin Bureau, said, the “FOMC decision wasn’t quite as hawkish as many market participants were expecting, so markets are breathing a sigh of relief.”
“However, it is worth noting that the Fed is now expected to cut rates only once next year – fewer cuts than investors were hoping for. This could still change, since next year does bring a historic changing of the guard, but Chair Jerome Powell still remains at the helm for the first three FOMC meetings of 2026,” he added.
“Indeed, today’s announcement is not enough to spark a Santa rally for Bitcoin, and I don’t see any other obvious catalysts from here on, barring any unexpected announcements from President Donald Trump. Even then, a dead cat bounce is a real possibility, as risk assets tend to care more about the Fed than just about anything else.”
Regional Markets Rise While Greater China Shows A Split In Risk Appetite
Asian stocks picked up the baton from Wall Street, where the S&P 500 closed 0.7% higher and the Russell 2000 small cap gauge jumped 1.3% to a record.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index ROSE about 0.5% in early trade, with tech and financial shares drawing the bulk of the buying interest.
Moves across Greater China showed a mixed risk appetite. The Shanghai benchmark slipped 0.18% and the Dow Jones Shanghai index eased 0.10%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advanced 0.4% as investors rotated back into some of the city’s large caps. For crypto traders, the rebound in Hong Kong is a reminder that equity risk sentiment in the city often moves in tandem with demand for China linked growth plays and higher beta tokens.
Tech sentiment turned more cautious in US after hours dealings. Nasdaq 100 futures traded about 0.3% lower in Asian hours after Oracle reported revenue that fell short of expectations, sending its shares sharply down in late trade.
Nvidia also edged lower, a sign that investors are trimming some of the most crowded artificial intelligence wagers that often sit in the same portfolios as major coins.
