Crypto Risk Appetite Report 19th March 2026

This week's edition of our Market Sentiment Report.

The FOMC held rates steady at 3.5%–3.75%, with Powell striking a cautious tone as inflation risks remain tied to energy and tariffs, while rate cut expectations were pared back. At the same time, regulatory and market structure developments are accelerating, with progress on US crypto legislation and the SEC approving a Nasdaq pilot for tokenised equities trading. Institutional momentum in digital assets continues to build, with firms expanding into tokenised RWAs, structured crypto treasuries and 24/7 trading infrastructure. Alongside this, convergence between crypto, AI and payments is deepening, as new platforms, acquisitions and infrastructure launches signal a shift towards always-on, programmable financial systems.

BTC briefly moved above $76K before falling back to around $74K, ending an eight-day winning streak, though continued spot ETF inflows are still providing support. Broader risk sentiment remained steady with US equities grinding higher, but the conflict in the Middle East continues to keep pressure on oil and macro nerves elevated. In crypto policy, the SEC and CFTC released fresh guidance that sharpens the distinction between securities and non-security crypto assets, while Moody’s and Ripple both pointed to deeper institutional adoption through new onchain credit infrastructure and an expanded digital asset push in Brazil.