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Bitcoin slid to $76,000 in the 24 hours after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's final FOMC press conference Wednesday, down 1.75% on the day and 2.15% on the week, as traders absorbed a fractured rate decision that produced four dissents on a single vote — the most since October 1992.
Why it matters
The dissent count is the headline, not the rate path. Markets had already priced a hold; the surprise was the internal fracture inside the Fed, which Kraken chief economist Thomas Perfumo flagged as a warning sign. "The absence of a clean handoff to Warsh suggests the potential for discord over policy at the Fed," Perfumo said in a note shared with DL News. Of the four dissents, one wanted a cut and three objected to language, an unusually wide policy spread inside a single vote that opens the door to a less coordinated 2026 rate path under Powell's successor.
Market impact
The reaction was immediate and mechanical. Bitcoin fell 2% to $75,000 in the minutes after the press conference, and spot BTC ETFs saw $138 million in outflows the same day — a sharp reversal of the roughly $2 billion that had flowed into the products through April. The unwind is notable because April was shaping up to be BTC's best month since October.
Derivatives positioning now leans defensive. Polymarket is pricing just a 10% chance of BTC reaching $100,000 by year-end 2026, with 90% odds the Fed holds rates steady through December. On the chart, BTC is pinned around the $76.5K pivot with support stacked at $75.6K, $74.8K, and the $73.9K structural floor; a break of that last level opens the path toward $70K. Resistance layers sit at $77.3K, $78.2K, and $78.9K — reclaiming the zone is what flips momentum back toward a run at the low $80Ks. RSI is neutral and fear is elevated, a setup that historically can snap either way on the next macro catalyst.
Frequently asked questions
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What happened to Bitcoin after Powell's final Fed meeting?
Bitcoin fell to $76,000 in the 24 hours after the FOMC press conference, down 1.75% on the day and 2.15% on the week, after dropping 2% to $75,000 in the immediate aftermath of the decision.
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Why did the Fed decision matter so much for BTC?
The rate path was already priced in. The surprise was the internal fracture: four dissents on a single FOMC vote, the most since October 1992, with one wanting a cut and three objecting to language.
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How much money left spot Bitcoin ETFs after the meeting?
Spot BTC ETFs saw roughly $138 million in outflows the same day, reversing a chunk of the approximately $2 billion that had flowed into the products through April.
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What did Kraken's chief economist say about the Fed decision?
Thomas Perfumo said the absence of a clean handoff to Powell's successor Warsh "suggests the potential for discord over policy at the Fed," flagging the internal split as a warning sign for 2026.
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What price levels is BTC watching now?
BTC is pinned around the $76.5K pivot. Support sits at $75.6K, $74.8K, and the $73.9K structural floor; resistance layers are at $77.3K, $78.2K, and $78.9K, with a break of $73.9K opening the path toward $70K.
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