Fed holds rates steady in first decision under new Chairman Kevin Warsh

Markets Fed holds rates steady in first decision under new Chairman Kevin Warsh Traders now turn to Warsh's debut press conference for clues how the central bank's communication will change under his leadership. By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Stephen Alpher Jun 17, 2026, 5:52 p.m. 1 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on The Federal Reserve left its benchmark fed funds rate range unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% on Wednesday, a move markets had expected nearly unanimously. This was the first U.S. central bank policy meeting led by Kevin Warsh, who took over as chair from Jerome Powell after being confirmed by the Senate last month. The focus now shifts to Warsh's post-meeting press conference , beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET, and to what he says about the road ahead under his leadership at the central bank. Markets have spent the past several months steadily dialing back expectations for any rate cuts as inflation proved more stubborn and labor market data remained resilient. Traders now see a growing chance that the Fed's next move could be a rate hike rather than a cut. Warsh's comments could carry added weight because he has previously criticized the Fed's use of forward guidance and quarterly economic projections, including the closely watched dot plot. Investors will be looking for signs of whether the central bank plans to communicate policy differently under his leadership. Breaking News Latest Crypto News 1 Crypto industry aghast at Illinois' new tax on holding or transferring digital assets in state budget 1 hour ago 2 Crypto Long & Short: The measure of a maturing market 1 hour ago 3 Moody’s rolls out credit ratings on Solana in tokenized asset push 1 hour ago 4 BitGo stock surges on $50 million share buyback as value languishes 65% below IPO price 3 hours ago 5 Crypto’s security nightmare won’t be solved by ordinary audits 3 hours ago 6 Mexican billionaire with 70% of his investment portfolio in bitcoin says it's better than real estate 4 hours ago 7 Kevin Warsh's first Fed meeting could be more about communication than rates 4 hours ago 8 CoinDesk 20 performance update: Bitcoin Cash (BCH) drops 3.1%, leading index lower 4 hours ago 9 A new Bittensor proposal would turn validators into something like fund managers 5 hours ago 10 SpaceX's $2.6 trillion market cap nearly double that of bitcoin 5 hours ago Latest Research CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. By CoinDesk Research Jun 15, 2026 In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. Why it matters : In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. View Full Report More From Markets BitGo stock surges on $50 million share buyback as value languishes 65% below IPO price Kevin Warsh's first Fed meeting could be more about communication than rates SpaceX's $2.6 trillion market cap nearly double that of bitcoin