Crypto Price News For March 17: Mixed Sentiments Ahead Of Fed Meeting

The crypto market has seen mixed results today. As investors await key decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, crypto prices have experienced fluctuations, leaving traders in a cautious state.

According to Coinmarketcap, the global cryptocurrency market cap has decreased by 0.93%, reaching $2.72 trillion. Meanwhile, market volume has surged by 51.76%, now sitting at $69.39 billion. The CMC 100 Index has dropped by 0.99% over the past 24 hours, reflecting the ongoing uncertainty.

Driving Market Forces

Crypto investors are taking a cautious approach ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for March 18-19. There are expectations that interest rates will remain steady, but market participants are especially focused on the Fed’s stance on President Donald Trump’s recent tariff policies. These tariffs, along with concerns about inflation and economic growth, have kept the markets on edge.

Additionally, the market is being hit by panic selling from newer investors, with a report from 10x Research showing that nearly 70% of the current selling pressure on Bitcoin is driven by them. As prices fall, fear-driven selling is adding to the volatility.

Institutional investors, who had been accumulating Bitcoin via ETFs, have started offloading their holdings. In the past five weeks, $5.4 billion has been withdrawn and redirected to safer assets like treasury yields, amplifying market pressure amid rising economic uncertainty and the Fed's upcoming interest rate decisions.

Top Gainers

Despite the overall downturn, several coins have posted gains today:

• Binance Coin (BNB): +4.02%
• Cronons (CRO): +3.65%
• MANTRA (OM): +2.67%
• Shiba Inu (SHIB): 1.45%
• Polkadot (DOT): 1.21%

Binance Coin (BNB) gained 4.02%, benefiting from strong demand in its ecosystem despite broader market declines. Cronons (CRO) follows with a 3.65% increase, showing resilience as it continues to gain traction in the DeFi space.

MANTRA (OM) also posted a solid 2.67% rise, and Shiba Inu (SHIB) made a modest gain of 1.45%. Polkadot (DOT) also showed a subtle increase of 1.21%.

Top Losers

On the other hand, a lot of coins have experienced notable declines:

• Pi (PI): -7.13%
• Avalanche (AVAX): -4.29%
• Solana (SOL): -4.25%
• Pepe (PEPE): -3.34%
• Tron (TRX): -2.59%
• Cardano (ADA): -2.26%
• XRP (XRP): -2.09%
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH): -2.04%
• Ethereum (ETH): +1.37%
• Bitcoin (BTC): -0.95%

Pi (PI) led the losses with a significant drop of 7.13%. Avalanche (AVAX) and Solana (SOL) followed, falling by 4.29% and 4.25%, respectively.

Pepe (PEPE) continued its downward trend, losing 3.34%, while Tron (TRX) dropped by 2.59%. Cardano (ADA) and XRP (XRP) followed suit, both posting declines of around 2%. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) also fell by 2.04%, in line with the overall market weakness.

Ethereum (ETH) showed a slight loss of 1.37%, and Bitcoin (BTC) also saw a minor drop of 0.95%, holding steady near the $85K resistance level.

Thus, the crypto market remains under pressure as investors await clarity from the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. With concerns over tariffs, inflation, and market liquidity, the outlook remains uncertain in the short term. Investors should stay alert for updates from the Fed and any changes in market sentiment as the global economic landscape continues to evolve.