Fed rate-cut odds reportedly dropped to around 14% after Donald Trump praised tariffs as a source of US “wealth,” and crypto prices twitched in response. Bitcoin and major altcoins traded nervously as traders reassessed how long they might live with higher US interest rates. This plays out against a year when central banks cut rates 32 times globally, so any hint that the US might stay tighter for longer hits both stocks and crypto fast.
What Does Trump’s Tariff Talk Have to Do With Fed Rate Cuts and Your Coins?
Let’s translate the jargon first. A “rate cut” refers to the US Federal Reserve lowering interest rates. Cheaper money usually helps riskier assets like Bitcoin because borrowing costs drop and dollars look less attractive when held in a bank.
The US is increasingly an outlier. While the US Fed cut odds sank to 14%, we watched the Bank of England and ECB both slash rates on December 18, totaling 32 global cuts this year by Major central banks. Frankly, markets expected the Fed to join that party.
But when odds of a US cut slide to just 14%, traders hear one thing: money stays expensive. The consequence? This divergence is making the dollar look like a ‘fortress,’ which is exactly what suppresses Bitcoin’s breakout momentum.
Now add tariffs. A tariff is like a tax on imported goods. Trump not only defended them, but he also praised them for creating wealth. Higher tariffs can push up prices, which can keep inflation sticky. If inflation stays sticky, the Fed has less reason to cut rates. That is why Trump’s comments matter to your Bitcoin stack, even if he never says the word “crypto.”
While Trump praises tariffs as a ‘wealth builder,’ the data shows a different pressure. The effective U.S. tariff rate hit 17% in November 2025, a level not seen since 1935. This is the real reason the Fed is hesitating; they can’t cut rates while a 17% ‘tax’ on imports is actively feeding the inflation fire.
(Source – Knode Wealth Management, US Average Effective Tariff Rate)
We have seen this movie before. When Trump tariff headlines hit, Bitcoin often swings hard. Futures markets tumbled when previous tariffs kicked in, and Yahoo Finance reported that BTC “dropped then popped” as traders tried to price in policy chaos.
If you want a broader read on how central banks move hit Bitcoin price, check our coverage of Federal Reserve liquidity and Bitcoin price and our guide on rate cuts and the 2026 crypto outlook.
What Does This Macro Shift Mean for Bitcoin and Altcoin Investors?
When rate-cut odds fall, dollars look stronger and safer. That often pushes some money out of Bitcoin, Ethereum, SOL, and smaller coins, especially those with tiny market caps that behave like high-beta tech stocks. Crypto cares about liquidity. Expensive money means less fresh cash chasing the next narrative.
Fed cut odds already swung wildly this year, dropping to 30% during earlier political flare‑ups. That kind of instability keeps traders jumpy and shortens their time horizons. They scalp moves instead of holding patiently.
There is a flip side. Tariff stress and weaker consumer confidence, which AP News reports have hit new lows since tariffs were rolled out, can prompt some investors to view Bitcoin as a hedge against policy chaos. So you sometimes see a strange mix: short‑term selloffs when rate expectations shift, followed by “flight to hard assets” narratives, especially if the dollar starts to wobble again.
If you follow US regulations and politics in crypto, it also ties into the broader policy story we cover in our piece on US crypto regulation, which is changing, and how Trump-era economic ideas have already shaped Bitcoin reactions.
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How Should Beginners Manage Risk When Politics Whipsaw Crypto?
First, treat macro headlines like weather alerts, not trading signals. They matter, but overreacting to every Trump quote or Fed odds shift usually ends in FOMO buys at the top and panic sells at the bottom.
Second, match your strategy to your time horizon. If you stack Bitcoin as a multi‑year savings experiment, a move in rate‑cut odds from 30% to 14% is short‑term noise. If you trade altcoins based on narratives, that same move can drain liquidity and make sharp wicks more likely, especially on thin order books.
Third, size your risk. Never use rent money or emergency savings for this part of your portfolio. Treat it like venture capital: high risk, possibly high reward, always optional.
Finally, separate your “macro education” from your actual buy button. Learn what rate cuts, tariffs, and dollar strength mean so you do not feel lost when charts move. Macro drama will continue to swing between fear of tariffs and hope for rate cuts. If you stay focused on education, position sizing, and time horizon, rather than reacting to hot takes, you transform that noise into context instead of chaos.
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The post Fed Rate-Cut Odds Sink to Just 14% After Trump Tariff Praise: Here’s Why Crypto Flinched appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
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