Bitcoin Slides Below $63,000 on Hawkish Federal Reserve Signals
Bitcoin slipped 1.9% to $62,995.6 by 17:19 ET (21:19 GMT) on Thursday, 18 June 2026, breaking the $63 k barrier. The decline followed the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, where rates were left unchanged but an increasing number of policymakers signaled a possible rate hike later in 2026 amid persistent inflation risks. New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh also indicated an overhaul of the Fed’s communication strategy, adding further uncertainty. CME FedWatch data showed investors pricing in at least one 25‑basis‑point hike by the end of 2026, a development that typically dampens appetite for speculative, risk‑driven assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Broader Crypto Market Reaction
The broader crypto market retreated in tandem with Bitcoin. Ether fell 1.9% to $1,705.49, XRP slid 3%, while Cardano, Solana and BNB dropped 1.8%, 2.7% and 3.3% respectively. Among meme‑coins, Dogecoin lost 2.6% and the Trump‑themed token $TRUMP fell 1.9%. No significant support emerged from the concurrent U.S.–Iran diplomatic development.
U.S.–Iran Peace Framework
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran at Versailles, as confirmed by a White House image and a video posted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the document as a “historical document.” The MoU ends military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, initiates a 60‑day negotiation period toward a final deal, reaffirms Iran’s commitment not to procure or develop nuclear weapons, and provides for disposal of enriched material through a mutually agreed mechanism. The agreement also calls for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened without tolls for the 60‑day period.
Ark Invest Portfolio Adjustments
Ark Invest disclosed daily trading activity showing it bought roughly $18.4 million of Coinbase shares, acquiring 111,799 shares across three of its ETFs – ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF. The firm also added 236,759 Block shares worth about $17.2 million. Conversely, Ark trimmed its Robinhood Markets position by 275,572 shares, a sale valued at approximately $29 million.
Contributors
The report was contributed by Vahid Karaahmetovic and Anuron Mitra.