Federal Reserve Relaxes Crypto Rules as Bitcoin Surges Toward $100,000

The Federal Reserve's Policy Shift and Its Impact on Crypto Markets

According to Forbes, the Federal Reserve has quietly rescinded its 2022 supervisory letter that required state member banks to provide advance notification of planned or current crypto-asset activities. This move aligns the Fed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), both of which have also withdrawn similar statements. The previous guidance had deterred Wall Street banks from engaging in crypto and stablecoin activities, requiring them to get advance approval and warning of risks such as volatility, legal uncertainty, and liquidity issues.

With these restrictions now lifted, state member banks can pursue crypto ventures without prior approval, though such activities will still be monitored through standard supervision. Analysts from Tagus Capital noted that this reflects the Trump administration’s increasingly pro-crypto stance, including reduced regulatory enforcement, support for a national bitcoin reserve, and the appointment of Paul Atkins as SEC chair, who is known for backing digital assets.

"Banks are now free to begin supporting bitcoin," stated Michael Saylor, founder of Strategy, in response to the Fed’s statement.

Despite this regulatory shift, the Fed has not officially changed its policies regarding granting crypto-focused banks master accounts, which would give them direct access to the Fed’s services. Crypto-focused banks like Custodia and Kraken Financial have long campaigned for such access. Market strategist Joel Kruger from LMAX Group emphasized that markets will closely monitor US administration policies and Federal Reserve actions, especially regarding interest rates, recession risks, and the possibility of a return to quantitative easing.

The bitcoin price has climbed toward $100,000 per bitcoin, up from April lows of around $75,000.
Bitcoin ETFs recorded their best day since January, with trades going “risk on” as the US and China seek off-ramps from the global trade war.
The bitcoin price climbed as gold fell, following reports that China is considering exempting some goods from US tariffs.

Infobox: The Federal Reserve’s withdrawal of restrictive guidance is seen as a major victory for the crypto industry, potentially paving the way for greater Wall Street involvement and further price gains, as reported by Forbes.

Cryptocurrency Price Predictions and Market Trends

FXStreet reports that Bitcoin (BTC) is consolidating around $94,000 after a 10% weekly surge, supported by strong institutional demand. US spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recorded a total inflow of $2.68 billion until Thursday. The market’s risk-on sentiment is further bolstered by the appointment of pro-crypto Paul Atkins as the new head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a perceived softening of the Trump administration’s tone on the Federal Reserve and trade tensions with China.

Ripple (XRP) is trading at $2.18, following mid-week gains to $2.30. XRP shows signs of exhaustion but could see a 25% breakout to $2.74 if adoption continues to rise. AI tokens such as Bittensor (TAO), Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET), and ai16z (AI16Z) have also surged, reflecting bullish sentiment in the crypto market, even after NVIDIA excluded crypto-related companies from its Inception program.

Asset	Current Price	Weekly Change	Key Resistance	Potential Upside
Bitcoin (BTC)	$94,000	+10%	$95,000	$97,000
Ripple (XRP)	$2.18	Mid-week high: $2.30	$2.23	$2.74

Infobox: Bitcoin and XRP are consolidating after strong gains, with institutional inflows and regulatory developments driving market optimism, according to FXStreet.

Detailed Price Analysis: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP

The Crypto Times provides a breakdown of the week’s performance for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. As of April 25, 2025, Bitcoin is at $93,718.70, Ethereum at $1,781.20, and XRP at $2.20. Bitcoin saw a 9.5% rally, briefly hitting $95,000, with a market cap of $1.86 trillion and a 24-hour trading volume of $32.81 billion. If Bitcoin fails to break $95,000, a pullback to $90,000 is possible, but a breakout could push it to $97,000.

Ethereum gained 10% for the week, reaching $1,834 but failing to surpass the $1,861 resistance. Its market cap stands at $214.66 billion, with a daily trading volume of $15.19 billion. The RSI is at 52, indicating neutral momentum. If Ethereum drops below $1,700, it could fall to $1,449, but holding above $1,700 and breaking $1,861 could lead to further gains.

XRP is trading at $2.20, unable to break the $2.23 resistance. Its market cap is $128.46 billion, with a 24-hour trading volume of $4.14 billion. The RSI is also at 52, suggesting fading buying pressure. If XRP breaks $2.23, it could reach $2.50 or even $3.00; otherwise, a drop to $1.96 is possible.

Asset	Price	Market Cap	24h Volume	Key Resistance	Key Support
Bitcoin	$93,718.70	$1.86 trillion	$32.81 billion	$95,000	$90,000
Ethereum	$1,781.20	$214.66 billion	$15.19 billion	$1,861	$1,700 / $1,449
XRP	$2.20	$128.46 billion	$4.14 billion	$2.23	$1.96

Infobox: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP are at critical resistance levels, with further gains possible if these are breached, as detailed by The Crypto Times.

Market Sentiment and Altcoin Performance

Gadgets 360 reports that Bitcoin is trading at $93,400, maintaining its price above $93,000 for over 48 hours. On Indian exchanges, Bitcoin is trading between $93,086 and $93,962. The overall crypto market cap is $2.92 trillion, up 0.92% over the last day. While Bitcoin remains stable, most altcoins are experiencing volatility, with Tether, Ripple, Binance Coin, Dogecoin, and Tron logging losses. Conversely, Solana, Cardano, Leo, Shiba Inu, Litecoin, Monero, Cronos, and Cosmos are among the altcoins that have gained in value.

Market analysts from CoinDCX and Delta Exchange note that Bitcoin opened the day on a bullish note but faced a minor pullback. Ethereum is consolidating, with $1,800 acting as minor resistance. Sentiment remains cautiously optimistic, with patterns of accumulation suggesting a potential turnaround. Avinash Shekhar, CEO of Pi42, stated that as Bitcoin finds stability, the market may be setting up for a new rally.

Bitcoin price: $93,400
Ethereum price: $1,766
Crypto market cap: $2.92 trillion
Altcoins showing losses: Tether, Ripple, Binance Coin, Dogecoin, Tron, Stellar, Bitcoin Cash, Polkadot
Altcoins showing gains: Solana, Cardano, Leo, Shiba Inu, Litecoin, Monero, Cronos, Cosmos

Infobox: Bitcoin’s stability above $93,000 and selective altcoin gains point to a cautiously optimistic market, as reported by Gadgets 360.

Financial Advisors Remain Cautious Despite Crypto Surge

According to WNEM, despite the recent surge in cryptocurrency prices, many financial advisors remain cautious. Zachery Smith, a financial advisor with Premier Financial Group, explained that the main reason for this caution is the lack of a clear regulatory framework. While institutions like Frankenmuth Credit Union are promoting crypto access, they do not have the same fiduciary obligations as financial advisors, who must adhere to strict compliance guidelines set by regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“There’s very little regulatory framework, there’s not very much guidance for how to handle that,” said Smith.

Smith also highlighted the legal risks involved, noting that failure to comply with regulations could expose advisors to legal action. He believes that cryptocurrency will play a larger role in financial planning in the future, but the industry is not there yet. For now, investors are advised to do their own research or use platforms offered by more flexible institutions like credit unions, and to never invest more than they are willing to lose.

Financial advisors remain cautious due to regulatory uncertainty.
Institutions without fiduciary obligations are more flexible in offering crypto access.
Investors are urged to conduct their own research and exercise caution.

Infobox: Regulatory uncertainty keeps financial advisors on the sidelines, even as crypto prices rise, according to WNEM.

Technical Analysis: Consolidation and Key Levels for BTC, ETH, and XRP

FXStreet provides further technical analysis, noting that Bitcoin is stabilizing around $93,000 after a 9.5% rally this week. Ethereum and Ripple followed with gains of 10% and 5%, respectively. However, momentum indicators suggest potential pullbacks. Bitcoin’s RSI is at 66, indicating fading bullish momentum after being rejected at the overbought level of 70. If Bitcoin continues to pull back, support is expected around $90,000, but a close above $95,000 could lead to a retest of $97,000.

Ethereum rallied 11.19% on Tuesday, closing above $1,700, but failed to break the $1,861 resistance. Its RSI stands at 52, pointing downward. If Ethereum closes below $1,700, it could retest support at $1,449. XRP failed to close above $2.23 and is trading around $2.17. Its RSI is also at 52, indicating fading momentum. If XRP closes above $2.23, it could retest $2.50 and potentially reach $3.00.

Asset	Current Price	Weekly Gain	Key Resistance	Key Support	RSI
Bitcoin (BTC)	$93,000	9.5%	$95,000 / $97,000	$90,000	66
Ethereum (ETH)	$1,750	10%	$1,861	$1,700 / $1,449	52
XRP	$2.17	5%	$2.23 / $2.50 / $3.00	$1.96	52

Infobox: Technical indicators suggest that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP may face short-term pullbacks unless key resistance levels are breached, as analyzed by FXStreet.

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