Fed interest rates remain unchanged! FOMC statement highlights "surging energy prices and Middle East crisis," with 4 dissenting votes within the Fed against the "dovish tilt."

📄Full Article· Automatically extracted by trafilaturaGemini 翻譯1180 words

The Fed remains "on hold," but the internal battle between hawks and doves has surfaced! The US Federal Reserve (Fed) concluded its April FOMC meeting, keeping the benchmark interest rate at 3.50% – 3.75%, exactly as 100% of the market expected. However, the statement rarely revealed strong concerns about inflation, pointing directly to "surging energy prices" and the "Middle East situation" as casting a shadow over the economic outlook. Most notably, this vote saw a surprising 4 dissenting votes, highlighting a serious divergence among policymakers regarding the future policy path. (Previous coverage: Powell says goodbye! Hosting his final Fed FOMC meeting tonight, rates remain on hold; successor Walsh is a crypto billionaire) (Background: Bitcoin faces a showdown this week with the FOMC meeting and tech earnings! QCP: If BTC breaks through $82,000, the CME gap could target the $90,000 mark) The interest rate decision by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), which has drawn the attention of global financial markets, has been officially released. Under the cloud of a reignited global energy crisis, the Fed chose the most conservative path that best aligned with market expectations: continuing to keep its foot on the brake. According to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement released on April 29, US time, policymakers decided to keep the federal funds rate target range unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75%. This marks the Fed's consecutive decision to remain on hold, fully in line with the market's 100% prior bet. Citing "surging energy prices" and the "Middle East crisis" as inflation drivers Although interest rates remain unchanged, the language in this FOMC policy statement is filled with vigilance regarding a rebound in prices. The statement noted that recent economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace, but job gains have been modest, and the unemployment rate has remained little changed. Most crucially, regarding the current state of inflation, the FOMC explicitly stated that "inflation remains elevated" and acknowledged that this partly reflects "recent increases in global energy prices." Beyond energy costs, geopolitics has also been officially written into the highest level of policy considerations. The statement emphasized: "Developments in the Middle East are creating a high degree of uncertainty for the economic outlook." This means that under the dual pressure of soaring oil prices and geopolitical conflicts, the Fed will more cautiously assess the risks facing its dual mandate (maximum employment and a 2% inflation target). Rare and serious divergence! 4 dissenting votes emerge What shocked Wall Street most about this meeting was not the decision to keep rates unchanged, but the extremely rare "serious divergence of opinion" that erupted within the Fed. In this decision, as many as 4 members cast dissenting votes, revealing a fierce debate within the decision-making circle regarding the future path: - Aggressive rate-cut camp: Member Stephen I. Miran cast a dissenting vote, with his reasoning being the desire to "cut rates by 25 basis points" directly at this meeting. - Hardline anti-inflation camp: Members Beth M. Hammack, Neel Kashkari, and Lorie K. Logan supported keeping rates unchanged, but they cast dissenting votes because they strongly opposed retaining an "easing bias" in the current statement. They believe that with energy and inflation risks intensifying, the Fed should not send a dovish signal to the market that easing could happen at any time. This noisy FOMC meeting highlights the difficult tug-of-war the Fed is caught in as it balances addressing energy-driven inflation with preventing an economic slowdown. The market will closely watch how these internal rifts might influence the direction of monetary policy in the second half of the year and the subsequent impact on the cost of capital for risk assets like cryptocurrencies.

Data Status✓ Full text extractedRead Original (動區 BlockTempo)

🔍Historical Similar Events· Keyword + Asset Matching5 items

2026-04-26

Powell’s Final FOMC: Grading His Wins, Losses, and the Mixed Bag He Leaves for Trump’s Fed Pick Kevin Warsh

Similarity 130%關鍵字 fed/fomc

2026-04-29

Dogecoin leads pre-FOMC rally with 12% gains: Is DOGE price headed to $0.33?

Similarity 120%關鍵字 fomc同分類 bullish

2026-04-29

What Crypto Whales Are Buying Ahead of the April FOMC Meeting

Similarity 120%關鍵字 fomc同分類 bullish

2026-04-28