Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP traded in a narrow range Wednesday as investors awaited the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) policy statement scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 16, 2026.
As of 12:30 p.m. UTC, digital-asset prices—led by Bitcoin, ETH, and XRP—showed only modest movement after a sharper decline the prior session. The two-day meeting, listed on the Federal Reserve’s September calendar, also includes a 2:30 p.m. press conference and the quarterly Summary of Economic Projections.
The current federal funds target range remains 3½ to 3¾%, the level the Committee last affirmed in its July 28–29, 2026, minutes. Those minutes recorded a 9–3 vote to hold the range and stated that the next meeting would occur September 15–16. Markets will parse both the rate decision and the accompanying projections for any shift in the path of policy.
Policy Calendar and Rate Backdrop
The Federal Reserve Board calendar for September 2026 lists the FOMC meeting on September 15–16 with the policy statement released at 2:00 p.m. and the press conference at 2:30 p.m. The same page confirms the session is one of the four annual meetings that include economic projections. Official monetary-policy pages likewise identify September 15–16 as the upcoming two-day gathering.
In the July minutes the Committee described inflation as still elevated relative to its 2% goal and said future action would depend on incoming data and the balance of risks. The interest rate paid on reserve balances was left at 3.65% and the primary credit rate at 3.75%.
No subsequent official statement has altered that range. Because September is a projections meeting, participants’ individual rate-path views will be published alongside the statement.
A change in the target range, or a notable revision to the projections, would be the first adjustment since 2023 if a hike is delivered. The official record itself does not preview the outcome; it only establishes the timing, the existing range, and the fact that projections will be released.
Cryptocurrency Prices Ahead of the Statement
Aggregated market data from CoinGecko showed Bitcoin, Ether and XRP recovering slightly from Tuesday’s lows but still well below recent intra-week highs. Bitcoin stood at $75,910, down $182 or 0.24% from the previous close of $76,092.
The same day’s range at that timestamp ran from $75,122 to $76,172. Tuesday’s session had seen the index fall from an open near $78,993 to a close of $76,092 after touching $74,941—as shown in TradingView’s year-to-date chart.
Ether quotes on the CoinGecko clustered near $2,400 as of mid-morning Eastern Time. One print at 6:27 a.m. Eastern listed $2,400.39. Earlier Tuesday the token had traded as high as the mid-$2,500s before the late-session decline.
XRP was quoted at $1.2875 at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time (12:15 UTC) on the XRPUSD download page, down 0.47% from the prior close of $1.2936. The day’s range at that update was $1.2741 to $1.3113. Tuesday’s print showed a high of $1.4629 and a low of $1.2650.
These figures reflect index prices published before 12:37 p.m. UTC; live order books continue to fluctuate. No Federal Reserve communication addresses cryptocurrency prices; the figures above are market observations only.
Investors typically watch the 2:00 p.m. statement and the subsequent press conference for any language on inflation persistence or the labor market that could alter dollar-liquidity conditions. The official documents released this afternoon will supply the primary policy data; price reaction will be visible in the same indices cited above.
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