Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Bitcoin Faces Double Whammy From Bill Rejection, Fed Hike
Bitcoin fell after lawmakers did not advance a bill meant to create clearer rules for cryptocurrencies.
The Federal Reserve then raised interest rates, adding another problem for Bitcoin and other digital tokens.
Higher interest rates can make risky investments less attractive.
Bitcoin later stabilized near $76,000.
Investors also pulled more than $450 million from US-listed spot Bitcoin funds.
Traders closed more than $540 million in bets that cryptocurrency prices would rise.
Other signs showed that retail investors and traders were becoming less active.
Some analysts said the bill’s failure was a setback, but not the only reason the crypto market had been weak.
Bitcoin stabilized near $75,900-$76,000 after falling as much as 5% in the previous session.
The US Senate failed to advance the Clarity Act, weakening hopes for near-term crypto-market regulatory clarity.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday, with markets previously pricing in a more than 90% chance of a 25-basis-point hike.
More than $540 million in bullish cryptocurrency bets were unwound within 24 hours, while Bitcoin futures open interest continued falling.
US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded more than $450 million in net outflows on Tuesday, their largest single-day withdrawals since June.
- Who
- Bitcoin investors, US lawmakers, cryptocurrency companies, and the Federal Reserve are central to the developments.
- What
- Bitcoin and the wider cryptocurrency market faced pressure after the Clarity Act failed to advance and the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.
- When
- The Senate vote took place Tuesday, and the Federal Reserve raised rates Wednesday.
- Where
- The regulatory dispute and Senate vote occurred in the United States, while cryptocurrency markets were affected more broadly.
- Why
- The bill’s failure removed a hoped-for source of regulatory support, while higher interest rates, tighter liquidity, and existing market weakness weighed on demand.
Reasons for further weakness
Signs of resilience and delay
Market outlook
Reasons for further weakness
Analysts said the failed bill and higher interest rates created a double setback, with prices potentially remaining range-bound or falling into year-end.
Signs of resilience and delay
Other analysts described the bill’s failure as incrementally negative or another delay rather than a major shock, and derivatives data showed more bets on Bitcoin rising than falling.
Cause of the selloff
Reasons for further weakness
The loss of a hoped-for regulatory catalyst, reduced retail interest, thinner liquidity, and higher rates were cited as combined pressures on cryptocurrencies.
Signs of resilience and delay
Analysts noted that Bitcoin was already under pressure before the Senate vote, so the failed Clarity Act was a meaningful catalyst but not the sole cause of the market decline.
Path to regulatory clarity
Reasons for further weakness
Industry executives and legal experts warned that continued legislative inaction could prolong fragmented and incompatible rules, making it harder for the industry to plan.
Signs of resilience and delay
Coinbase and Ripple Labs executives said the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission could provide clearer rules without new legislation, although future administrations could change agency rules.
- Bitcoin price
- Bitcoin stabilized at approximately $75,900 to $76,000 after falling as much as 5% in the previous session.
- Clarity Act
- The cryptocurrency market-structure bill had been under consideration for more than a year but failed to advance in the Senate.
- Federal Reserve decision
- The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday, its first rate increase in three years, according to the second article.
- Expected rate move
- Swap data had shown markets pricing in a more than 90% chance of a 25-basis-point rate hike.
- Bullish bets unwound
- More than $540 million in bullish cryptocurrency bets were unwound over 24 hours.
- Bitcoin fund outflows
- US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds had more than $450 million in net outflows Tuesday, the largest single-day withdrawals since June.
- Options positioning
- Approximately $1.7 billion in Bitcoin call options were held at the $80,000 level across all maturities.
