Huobi HTX Chief Analyst: The Fed's hawkish rate hikes reshape policy credibility

Regarding the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates by 25 basis points as expected in the September meeting, Huobi HTX Chief Analyst Andy pointed out that what truly deserves attention is the comprehensive hawkish shift in the Federal Reserve's stance. All 12 officials rarely supported the decision unanimously, and the dot plot clearly indicates another rate hike within the year, with tightening becoming a consensus.

The core message conveyed by the meeting is that the Federal Reserve is determined to rebuild its credibility against inflation at all costs. The economic forecast summary raised growth expectations and lowered the unemployment rate, reflecting confidence in a soft landing; however, the path for core inflation to decline has been significantly delayed, indicating that the higher-ups have accepted the reality of "higher for longer." Chairman Waller's statement is particularly crucial, placing anti-inflation efforts as an absolute priority. Even though the current economic fundamentals are robust and oil price fluctuations are supply-side factors, the Fed still chooses to respond with a tightening stance. This "better to be too tight than too loose" position has temporarily pushed up U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar, while suppressing gold.

For the cryptocurrency market, uncertainty has actually decreased. A clearer policy path helps compress risk premiums, which is not a bad thing for risk assets in the medium to long term. The key going forward lies in data validation: if employment and growth remain strong, rate hikes may continue but at a slower pace; if the economy shows cracks, there is still room for a policy shift. Overall, the Federal Reserve is trading short-term pain for long-term policy credibility.