Banks ditch Fed rate-cut calls one by one — BTC shrugs and climbs anyway!

Barclays became the latest major brokerage to scrap its 2026 rate-cut forecast on Monday, joining JPMorgan and others in expecting the Fed to hold rates steady all year. The culprit: persistently high energy prices tied to geopolitical tensions around Iran, keeping inflation elevated and policy easing off the table.

Under normal conditions, a higher-for-longer rate environment drags on risk assets. Bitcoin isn't playing by those rules. BTC has gained roughly 2% to around $80,700, with spot ETF inflows holding firm even as macro headwinds mount. Some analysts frame the move as inflation-hedge repricing; others attribute it to equity market strength rather than any structural shift in crypto demand.

On the technical side, the 200-day SMA sits near $83,430 — a decisive break above it would strengthen the bull case. Traders are also watching the $81,500 resistance level and a CME futures…