Amid Middle East Volatility, XRP Surges Past Crypto Majors as Bitcoin Holds Under Pressure

Investor Memo Format with Bullet Point Insights

🧠 Market Brief: Crypto Sideways as Fed, Geopolitics Drive Uncertainty

📅 Date: June 17, 2025
📌 Focus: Fed meeting, geopolitical tension, ETF flows, altcoin behavior

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Markets expect no Fed rate change, but Powell’s tone will set the risk tone for Q3.
• $1.2B in crypto futures liquidated last Friday, triggering sharp weekend declines.
• XRP outperformed major tokens, showing resilience amid volatility.
• BTC traded as high as $108K Monday before retreating on profit-taking.
• Buyers returned in Asia, lifting BTC above $107K Tuesday morning.

📊 Top Movers:

• XRP: + Leading major token recovery
• BTC: $107,141 – recovering post-liquidation drop
• ETH: $2,609 (+1.5%) – still trailing ETF-driven BTC strength
• SOL: $142.86 (+1.5%)
• TRX: $0.2714 (+2.1%)

📈 ETF Flows:

• Spot BTC ETFs saw $1.4B in net inflows last week – a sign of ongoing institutional accumulation despite short-term volatility.

🌍 Macro Backdrop:

• Gold and oil jumped after Trump’s G7 remarks urging a Tehran evacuation.
• Bitcoin didn’t follow the rally, as it typically lags behind immediate geopolitical reactions.

“We may see delayed upside for BTC if macro fears persist,” noted OSL’s Eugene Cheung.

🧭 Forward Guidance:

• No hike/cut expected from the Fed.
• Markets watching for any dovish cues or references to inflation softening.
• SignalPlus suggests any dovish undertone could act as a tailwind for risk assets post-FOMC.