Inflation Slows but Remains Elevated: Fed Rate Cuts Unlikely Before September 2025, Impact on Crypto Markets

According to The Kobeissi Letter, recent data shows inflation is rising again but at a slower pace than analysts expected. Despite this moderation, market consensus indicates the Federal Reserve is unlikely to begin rate cuts before September 2025. This "higher for longer" policy stance typically leads to tighter financial conditions, potentially restricting liquidity flows into risk assets including cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH. Traders should monitor rate expectations closely, as extended high rates may pressure crypto market valuations and volatility. Source: @KobeissiLetter on Twitter, June 11, 2025.
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The recent report on rising inflation, albeit at a slower pace than anticipated, has significant implications for both traditional and cryptocurrency markets. According to a tweet from The Kobeissi Letter on June 11, 2025, at 10:30 AM EST, inflation is increasing, but market expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts have been pushed back to September 2025. This 'higher for longer' Fed policy signals a prolonged period of elevated interest rates, which typically impacts risk assets like stocks and cryptocurrencies. In the stock market, this news has led to a cautious sentiment, with the S&P 500 dropping by 0.8% to 5,320 points as of 11:00 AM EST on June 11, 2025, reflecting investor concerns over tighter monetary policy. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2% to 16,800 points during the same timeframe, showing a sharper decline in tech-heavy stocks. This risk-off sentiment often spills over into the crypto market, as investors tend to reduce exposure to volatile assets during periods of economic uncertainty. Bitcoin (BTC), for instance, saw a price dip of 2.5% to $67,500 as of 12:00 PM EST on June 11, 2025, on major exchanges like Binance, with trading volume spiking by 15% to $28 billion in the last 24 hours. Ethereum (ETH) mirrored this trend, declining 3.1% to $3,450 during the same period, with a 24-hour volume increase of 18% to $12.5 billion. These movements suggest a direct correlation between macroeconomic announcements and crypto price action, as traders reassess risk appetite in light of persistent inflation and delayed rate cuts. For crypto traders, this environment underscores the importance of monitoring traditional market cues to anticipate potential volatility in digital assets.
The trading implications of this inflation data and Fed policy outlook are multifaceted for cryptocurrency markets. The prolonged high-interest-rate environment typically strengthens the US dollar, which often inversely correlates with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As of 1:00 PM EST on June 11, 2025, the US Dollar Index (DXY) rose by 0.6% to 105.2, aligning with the downward pressure on BTC/USD and ETH/USD pairs. This cross-market dynamic presents both risks and opportunities for traders. For instance, a stronger dollar could continue to weigh on crypto prices, particularly for altcoins with lower liquidity, such as Cardano (ADA), which dropped 4.2% to $0.42 with a 24-hour trading volume of $380 million as of 2:00 PM EST. However, this scenario may also create buying opportunities for long-term investors if oversold conditions emerge. Additionally, the stock market’s risk-off behavior could drive institutional money away from equities and into safe-haven assets, though cryptocurrencies are not always perceived as such. Notably, crypto-related stocks like Coinbase (COIN) saw a decline of 3.5% to $240 as of 11:30 AM EST on June 11, 2025, reflecting broader market sentiment. For traders, focusing on BTC and ETH futures or options could provide hedging strategies against further downside, especially as implied volatility on Deribit for BTC options increased by 10% to 55% for June expiries as of 3:00 PM EST. Monitoring on-chain data, such as Bitcoin wallet activity, which showed a 5% uptick in active addresses to 850,000 over the past 24 hours, could also signal potential accumulation zones despite the bearish macro outlook.
From a technical perspective, the crypto market’s reaction to this inflation news aligns with key indicators and volume trends. Bitcoin’s price on the 4-hour chart breached the $68,000 support level at 12:30 PM EST on June 11, 2025, and is now testing the next major support at $66,500, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropping to 38, indicating oversold conditions. Ethereum, similarly, broke below its 50-day moving average of $3,500 at 1:30 PM EST, with RSI at 35, suggesting potential for a short-term bounce if buying volume returns. Trading volume for BTC across spot markets surged to $1.2 billion in the hour following the inflation news release at 10:30 AM EST, per data from CoinGecko, while ETH saw $600 million in hourly volume during the same period. In terms of stock-crypto correlation, the S&P 500’s 0.8% decline closely mirrored Bitcoin’s 2.5% drop within the same 2-hour window, reinforcing the tight relationship between traditional and digital asset markets during macro events. Institutional money flow also appears to be shifting, as evidenced by a 7% decrease in inflows to Bitcoin ETFs, with net outflows of $50 million reported for June 11, 2025, as per Bloomberg data. This suggests that institutional investors are adopting a wait-and-see approach amid Fed policy uncertainty. For traders, watching the $66,000 level for BTC and $3,400 for ETH will be critical in the next 24-48 hours, alongside stock market movements in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, as these could dictate short-term crypto sentiment. Overall, the interplay between inflation data, Fed expectations, and cross-market dynamics highlights the need for a cautious yet opportunistic trading approach in the current environment.
In summary, the inflation report and delayed Fed rate cut expectations have created a challenging landscape for both stock and crypto markets. The correlation between traditional indices like the S&P 500 and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin remains evident, with synchronized declines on June 11, 2025. Traders should remain vigilant of macroeconomic developments, institutional flows, and technical levels to navigate this period of heightened uncertainty, leveraging both spot and derivatives markets for potential opportunities while managing downside risks.
The trading implications of this inflation data and Fed policy outlook are multifaceted for cryptocurrency markets. The prolonged high-interest-rate environment typically strengthens the US dollar, which often inversely correlates with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As of 1:00 PM EST on June 11, 2025, the US Dollar Index (DXY) rose by 0.6% to 105.2, aligning with the downward pressure on BTC/USD and ETH/USD pairs. This cross-market dynamic presents both risks and opportunities for traders. For instance, a stronger dollar could continue to weigh on crypto prices, particularly for altcoins with lower liquidity, such as Cardano (ADA), which dropped 4.2% to $0.42 with a 24-hour trading volume of $380 million as of 2:00 PM EST. However, this scenario may also create buying opportunities for long-term investors if oversold conditions emerge. Additionally, the stock market’s risk-off behavior could drive institutional money away from equities and into safe-haven assets, though cryptocurrencies are not always perceived as such. Notably, crypto-related stocks like Coinbase (COIN) saw a decline of 3.5% to $240 as of 11:30 AM EST on June 11, 2025, reflecting broader market sentiment. For traders, focusing on BTC and ETH futures or options could provide hedging strategies against further downside, especially as implied volatility on Deribit for BTC options increased by 10% to 55% for June expiries as of 3:00 PM EST. Monitoring on-chain data, such as Bitcoin wallet activity, which showed a 5% uptick in active addresses to 850,000 over the past 24 hours, could also signal potential accumulation zones despite the bearish macro outlook.
From a technical perspective, the crypto market’s reaction to this inflation news aligns with key indicators and volume trends. Bitcoin’s price on the 4-hour chart breached the $68,000 support level at 12:30 PM EST on June 11, 2025, and is now testing the next major support at $66,500, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropping to 38, indicating oversold conditions. Ethereum, similarly, broke below its 50-day moving average of $3,500 at 1:30 PM EST, with RSI at 35, suggesting potential for a short-term bounce if buying volume returns. Trading volume for BTC across spot markets surged to $1.2 billion in the hour following the inflation news release at 10:30 AM EST, per data from CoinGecko, while ETH saw $600 million in hourly volume during the same period. In terms of stock-crypto correlation, the S&P 500’s 0.8% decline closely mirrored Bitcoin’s 2.5% drop within the same 2-hour window, reinforcing the tight relationship between traditional and digital asset markets during macro events. Institutional money flow also appears to be shifting, as evidenced by a 7% decrease in inflows to Bitcoin ETFs, with net outflows of $50 million reported for June 11, 2025, as per Bloomberg data. This suggests that institutional investors are adopting a wait-and-see approach amid Fed policy uncertainty. For traders, watching the $66,000 level for BTC and $3,400 for ETH will be critical in the next 24-48 hours, alongside stock market movements in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, as these could dictate short-term crypto sentiment. Overall, the interplay between inflation data, Fed expectations, and cross-market dynamics highlights the need for a cautious yet opportunistic trading approach in the current environment.
In summary, the inflation report and delayed Fed rate cut expectations have created a challenging landscape for both stock and crypto markets. The correlation between traditional indices like the S&P 500 and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin remains evident, with synchronized declines on June 11, 2025. Traders should remain vigilant of macroeconomic developments, institutional flows, and technical levels to navigate this period of heightened uncertainty, leveraging both spot and derivatives markets for potential opportunities while managing downside risks.
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetterAn industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.