🚀 Altcoins Roar Back as Fed Turns Dovish

Contents

• The Wrap Up
• Overview in This Market
• Movement in the Top 8
• This Week’s Narrative
• Key Advancements
• DeFi Brief
• Memes in Motion
• Airdrop Buzz
• The Wrap Down

The Wrap Up

Markets began the week cautiously but surged mid-week as macro tailwinds—particularly from the FOMC—boosted risk assets. Bitcoin and Ethereum climbed, altcoins outperformed, and the total crypto market cap rose by 0.06%. This was a week of momentum revival, especially in DeFi, RWA, and meme tokens.

Expert Take

"The market’s reaction to the Fed was textbook bullish, but the lack of strong follow-through reveals a cautious undertone. We’re seeing rotation into altcoins, especially DeFi and infrastructure tokens, but participants are still prioritizing short-term gains over long-term conviction. Until broader macro uncertainties like tariffs and inflation settle, expect more tactical plays than sustained trends.”  

Overview in This Market

• Bitcoin (BTC) gained 0.35%, while Ethereum (ETH) surged 0.48%, slightly outshining BTC.
• Total market cap increased to $2.84T.
• Daily liquidations remained muted except on the 19th, when $259M in shorts were wiped after a dovish FOMC.
• Funding rates stayed directionless, with several altcoins still reflecting a risk-off stance.
• Traditional equities also rose: S&P 500 up 1.66%, Nasdaq up 1.15%.

What This Means & The Impact:
A dovish Fed sparked renewed buying across markets. But crypto’s muted follow-through suggests investors remain cautious amid uncertain macro signals and upcoming tariff concerns.

Movement in the Top 8

• BTC ($86,836.29, +5.07%) – Strengthens post-FOMC, though altcoins captured more attention.
• ETH ($2,058.86, +8.44%) – Outperformed Bitcoin, driven by renewed DeFi interest.
• XRP ($2.43, +1.33%) – Slight rebound amid growing market optimism.
• SOL ($139.79, +0.98%) – Surged on futures ETF launch and altcoin rotation.
• BNB ($641.18, +2.51%) – Gained from Binance’s zero-fee wallet swap campaign.
• DOGE ($0.1818, -14.14%) – Declined, contrasting with broader market trends.
• ADA ($0.6791, +3.33%) – Participated in the broader L1 resurgence.
• TRX ($0.2268, -0.77%) – Slight dip, lagging behind meme and DeFi peers.

What This Means & The Impact:
Risk appetite shifted from BTC dominance to altcoins. Notably, ETH led gains, signaling a brief but strong altcoin rotation spurred by favorable macro and ETF developments.

This Week’s Narrative

Macroeconomic policy took center stage as the FOMC left rates unchanged and projected two rate cuts in 2024. The Fed also slowed the pace of quantitative tightening, signaling a softer stance.

• Fed holds rates steady; signals 50bps cuts later this year.
• Balance sheet reduction pace slowed.
• Powell calls tariff-related inflation “transitory”.
• Tariffs effective April 2nd still not priced in by markets.

What This Means & The Impact:
The Fed’s messaging provided markets relief, but concerns over GDP downgrades and inflation persist. The crypto market reacted positively, yet upcoming tariffs remain a dark horse in market sentiment.

This Week’s Narrative

Macroeconomic policy took center stage as the FOMC left rates unchanged and projected two rate cuts in 2024. The Fed also slowed the pace of quantitative tightening, signaling a softer stance.

• Fed holds rates steady; signals 50bps cuts later this year.
• Balance sheet reduction pace slowed.
• Powell calls tariff-related inflation “transitory”.
• Tariffs effective April 2nd still not priced in by markets.

What This Means & The Impact:
The Fed’s messaging provided markets relief, but concerns over GDP downgrades and inflation persist. The crypto market reacted positively, yet upcoming tariffs remain a dark horse in market sentiment.

This Week’s Narrative

Macroeconomic policy took center stage as the FOMC left rates unchanged and projected two rate cuts in 2024. The Fed also slowed the pace of quantitative tightening, signaling a softer stance.

• Fed holds rates steady; signals 50bps cuts later this year.
• Balance sheet reduction pace slowed.
• Powell calls tariff-related inflation “transitory”.
• Tariffs effective April 2nd still not priced in by markets.

What This Means & The Impact:
The Fed’s messaging provided markets relief, but concerns over GDP downgrades and inflation persist. The crypto market reacted positively, yet upcoming tariffs remain a dark horse in market sentiment.

Memes in Motion

• Raydium launches LaunchLab, a competitor to pump.fun with flexible token mechanics.
• Taproot Wizards back Odin.fun, a BTC-based meme token launchpad.

What This Means & The Impact:
The meme economy evolves with new launchpad innovations, mimicking pump.fun’s viral model. Platforms aim to gamify speculation while driving transaction volumes on-chain.

Airdrop Buzz

• Shardeum opens SHM airdrop registration (until April 13th).
• BedRock launches BR token claims (open for 90 days).
• Nillion Network updates airdrop checker tools.

What This Means & The Impact:
User acquisition and engagement through airdrops is booming. Projects are using airdrops to incentivize ecosystem participation, while fixing past claim bugs to retain user trust.

The Wrap Down

This week saw a renewed spark in altcoins, led by a dovish macro backdrop and strong capital inflows to DeFi and meme assets. However, investor sentiment remains measured ahead of potential tariff-driven turbulence. Stay tuned as the rotation narrative plays out and new project launches intensify.

Expert Take

"The market’s reaction to the Fed was textbook bullish, but the lack of strong follow-through reveals a cautious undertone. We’re seeing rotation into altcoins, especially DeFi and infrastructure tokens, but participants are still prioritizing short-term gains over long-term conviction. Until broader macro uncertainties like tariffs and inflation settle, expect more tactical plays than sustained trends.”  

Your Trusted Crypto Research Team,
Crypto Research Australia – CRA
“The macro winds may shift, but strategy and adaptability define the winners.”