Fed Holds Rates Steady; Tether CEO Teases Major Announcement Within 30 Days
The Federal Reserve held interest rates unchanged and reiterated its expectation of one rate cut in 2026, with Chair Jerome Powell stating rates will not be reduced if inflation fails to improve. Tether's CEO said the company is preparing a "major announcement" to be revealed within 30 days, while the SEC approved Nasdaq's pilot program for tokenized stock trading and Kraken put its IPO plans on hold. Stablecoin payments startup TransFi raised $19.2 million in a round led by Turing Financial Group, Polymarket acquired Brahma to bolster its crypto and DeFi infrastructure, and Senator Cynthia Lummis said the CLARITY Crypto Bill will be finalized this year.