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☕️ GM Munchers! Yesterday felt like watching a heated game of chess between the Fed and Trump—but instead of kings and queens, we’ve got interest rates and tariffs on the board.

The Federal Reserve held its ground, keeping rates steady at 4.25%-4.50%, defying Trump’s demands for a cut.

Let’s break it down.

On today’s menu:

• Fed vs. Trump: The Rate Standoff That’s Shaking Markets 🤔

• Bitcoin Breaks $105K: What’s Fueling the Rally? 🚀

• Norway Buys Bitcoin? 🤯 

• The Best Selling Prop Firm of 2024 ✅ 

BIG NEWS
What Powell Said (and Didn’t Say)

Fed Chair Jerome Powell stuck to the script, emphasizing that rates are still "meaningfully restrictive."

Translation: No cuts for now. ❌ 

But there’s a twist—Powell admitted to tweaking the Fed’s language, calling it a “cleanup” rather than a hawkish shift.

Here’s the key takeaway:

• Powell sees progress on inflation, especially in areas like housing.

• He’s optimistic but cautious, signaling patience before making further moves.

• The Fed isn’t in a hurry, and any changes will depend on upcoming data.

Markets were left hanging on his every word, but Trump?

Not so much.

He blasted the Fed for failing to tackle inflation his way, throwing in promises of massive tariffs to "fix" the economy.

Market Reactions: Mixed Bag

Here’s what went down after Powell’s steady hand:

• Stocks: A lukewarm day:

  • S&P 500: Down 0.5%

  • Nasdaq 100: Down 0.2%

  • Dow Jones: Down 0.3%

• Bitcoin: 🚀 Up, up, and away to $105K thanks to a steady Fed and Trump Media’s plan to pump $250M into crypto via Truth.

• Forex:

  • EUR/USD: Nudged higher by +0.14%

  • USD/JPY: Dropped -0.14%

  • GBP/USD: Flat at 1.2300
    

• Commodities:

  • Gold: Rose $24 to $2,764 because when in doubt, shiny things.

What Traders Should Watch Next 📊 

1️⃣ Tariff Tensions: Trump’s tariff talk could disrupt trade and fuel inflation—watch how the Fed responds.

2️⃣ Bitcoin’s Surge: Will the crypto rally hold, or is this just a pump fueled by headlines?

3️⃣ Rate Cuts Odds: Markets now see just a 22% chance of a March cut—but June is still in play at 71%.

The Bottom Line

The Fed vs. Trump rate standoff is heating up, and traders are caught in the crossfire.

With inflation, crypto, and tariffs all in the mix, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride.

Keep your stops tight, stay nimble, and remember: when Powell talks, markets listen (even if Trump doesn’t).

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CRYPTO
Bitcoin Breaks $105K: What’s Fueling the Rally? 🚀

Speaking of Bitcoin—because it’s the only thing we love more than our wives (just don’t tell them)—let’s dive into what’s behind this recent rally and where it might go next.

Yesterday, Bitcoin smashed through $105,000, leaving traders buzzing and their crypto wallets smiling.

But what’s driving this rocket ship? 🚀 

Fuel for the Fire 🔥

1️⃣ The Fed’s Steady Hand

With the Fed deciding to keep interest rates steady, risk assets like Bitcoin got the green light to shine. Steady rates mean no additional pressure on borrowing costs, and Bitcoin thrives in environments where cheap money flows.

2️⃣ Trump’s Crypto Play

Enter Truth.Fi, the latest fintech platform from Trump Media. They’ve announced plans to invest up to $250M into crypto and ETFs, adding serious fuel to the Bitcoin rally.

Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes called it a “natural expansion” into decentralized finance, signalling big ambitions for their digital asset strategy.

3️⃣ Speculation Mania

Whenever Bitcoin rallies, FOMO follows. Traders and investors piled in, betting that this breakout could lead to even higher highs.

What Traders Should Watch 👀

Bitcoin’s rally to $105K is exciting, but the real action is in what happens next. Here’s what traders should keep an eye on:

1️⃣ Bitcoin National Reserve:

The buzz in the Bitcoin community is loud—will the U.S. take a page from El Salvador’s playbook and start stacking sats? Prediction markets like Polymarket currently give it a 56% chance of happening in 2025. 

If the U.S. even hints at making Bitcoin part of its reserves, expect fireworks.

2️⃣ Next Resistance Levels:

Bitcoin’s next major hurdle is $110K. 

A clean break above this could open the doors to $120K, but failure to hold current levels might send it back to test support around $100K.

3️⃣ Rate Cut Expectations:

Cheap money is Bitcoin’s best friend, so keep an eye on prediction markets tracking the Fed’s next move.

Current odds suggest a 22% chance of a rate cut in March and 71% by June. 

The sooner cuts happen, the more fuel there is for Bitcoin’s momentum.

The Big Picture:

This rally isn’t just about Bitcoin hitting $105K—it’s about the convergence of monetary policy, speculation, and the possibility of a game-changing U.S. Bitcoin reserve.

For traders, staying on top of these developments could be the difference between riding the wave or getting caught in the undertow.

As always, stay sharp and keep your eyes on the charts.

Bitcoin might just be getting started. 🚀

🚀 Pre-Market Fuel

1. Jerome Powell says banks can now serve crypto to customers. Slowly and then all at once…

2. This was the best-selling prop firm on Prop Firm Match in 2024. Why do you think that is?

3. Norway’s central bank owns $500 of MicroStrategy. This is absolutely insane!

🍪 Munchy Memes

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