Fed's Powell's comments sooth bond market, but oil continues rise, hitting crypto and stocks

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Fed's Powell's comments sooth bond market, but oil continues rise, hitting crypto and stocks WTI crude oil closed above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2002. By Helene Braun | Edited by Stephen Alpher Mar 30, 2026, 8:28 p.m. Make preferred on Fed Chair Jerome Powell (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) What to know : Stocks and crypto prices each gave up early gains even as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell eased any concerns about imminent rate hikes. Powell said the Fed is inclined to look past the Iran-related energy shock for now and hold rates steady. Bond yields fell, but oil continued its rise, ultimately pressuring the stock market and crypto. The teetering bond market received some good news on Monday, but it wasn't enough to offset a continued surge in oil prices, which sent U.S. stocks lower and crypto giving up most of its gains. Speaking at Harvard University , Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank — for the moment — is looking past short-term oil price shocks and focusing on inflation expectations that remain "well anchored." His comments helped soothe a bond market that had begun to seriously price in the chance of an imminent Fed rate hike. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell nine basis points Monday to 4.35%, and the 2-year yield slid eight basis points to 3.83%. The odds of one or more Fed rate hikes in 2026 tumbled to 5% from 25% on Friday, according to CME FedWatch . Sizably higher early on Monday, U.S. stocks nevertheless gave up those gains, the Nasdaq closing lower by 0.75% and the S&P 500 by 0.4%. Bitcoin BTC $ 66,615.80 also gave up early gains, retreating back to $66,500, roughly unchanged over the past 24 hours. Hurting sentiment in risk assets was a continued rise in the price of oil. WTI crude rose 5.3% on Monday to just shy of $105 per barrel. While WTI has traded above $100 since the Iran war broke out, it hadn't closed above that level since 2022. “We will eventually maybe face the question of what to do here," said Powell. "We’re not really facing it yet because we don’t know what the economic effects will be." Bitcoin News More For You The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: North America By CoinDesk Research Mar 26, 2026 Commissioned by Ripple As stablecoins evolve into core financial infrastructure, North America leads. This report maps the regulation, market shifts, and players driving adoption. Why it matters : Stablecoins are entering their third phase of evolution - the institutionalization era - becoming increasingly embedded into core financial infrastructure. As institutions prioritize transparency and compliance, regulated issuers like USDC, RLUSD, and PYUSD are steadily gaining share with RLUSD surpassing $1B in market cap within its first year. North America, leading in regulatory frameworks and institutional distribution, is at the center of it all. View Full Report More For You Trump-backed American Bitcoin hits 7,000 BTC as holdings expand rapidly By James Van Straten , AI Boost | Edited by Nikhilesh De 3 hours ago Satoshis per share climbs past 660, reinforcing rapid treasury expansion since Nasdaq debut. What to know : American Bitcoin reserves reach 7,000 BTC, roughly tripling in under seven months. Shares slide even as reserves surge and bitcoin exposure per share climbs. Read full story Latest Crypto News Jack Dorsey’s Square auto-enables bitcoin payments for millions of U.S. businesses 2 hours ago Trump-backed American Bitcoin hits 7,000 BTC as holdings expand rapidly 3 hours ago Bitcoin hashrate posts first-quarter drop for first time in 6 years as miners pivot to AI 5 hours ago The SEC’s latest crypto guidance still leaves too much unsaid 5 hours ago Bitmine makes biggest ether purchase in 2026 while other digital asset treasuries pull back 5 hours ago Bernstein says the 60% crash in crypto stocks is a rare chance to buy the dip at a 'big' discount 6 hours ago Top Stories Bitcoin rises as Trump says U.S. in talks with 'new regime' in Iran, threatens oil infrastructure if deal fails 8 hours ago Ethereum Foundation stakes additional $42 million of ether 10 hours ago Rate hike bets are building for the Fed – and now the Bank of Japan too 7 hours ago Bitcoin bullish bets hit a 28-month high on Bitfinex, and that's music to bears' ears Mar 29, 2026 Yield-hungry bitcoin holders may be keeping BTC stuck in a sideways grind 14 hours ago Hyperliquid traders in Tokyo get 200-millisecond edge, Glassnode research shows 15 hours ago In this article BTC BTC $ 66,615.80 ◢ 0.06 %