Rate Cut Pause or Rate Cut End: Forward Guidance on 2026 Fed Rate Trajectory

Update (January 28): Coinbase will launch Moonbird (BIRB) Perpetual Futures trading on January 29. The BIRB-PERP market will go live at 00:30 or later, subject to liquidity conditions.

On January 28, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said the platform now offers over 2,000 tokens tied to US-listed stocks in Europe, with plans to roll out 24/7 trading and DeFi access in the coming months.

On January 28, Bitcoin dropped below $89,000, with its 24-hour gain narrowing to 1.4%, according to market data from HTX.

On January 28th, five major institutions—JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Barclays, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo—shared their outlooks on the Federal Reserve’s 2026 rate cuts and tonight’s policy decision. Here’s a breakdown: ### Barclays - **Rate Cut Outlook**: Total of 50 basis points (cuts in June and December). - **Key View**: The FOMC will likely signal no rush to cut rates further, noting balanced risks between downside employment risks and upside inflation risks. - **Powell Expectations**: He will reinforce the FOMC’s “no rush to ease” stance. ### Bank of America - **Rate Cut Outlook**: Total of 50 basis points (cuts in June and July). - **Key View**: Political factors may take focus at the January meeting; the Fed will hold policy steady with no change to its balanced risk assessment. - **Powell Expectations**: His press conference may center on political (not policy) issues—but current market pricing carries unexpected dovish risks. ### Citigroup - **Rate

On January 28th, Circle announced its CCTP mainnet cross-chain transfer proxy feature is now live. The launch reduces end-to-end transmission latency, cuts operational costs and third-party risks, and improves experience for both developers and users.

On January 28, Trump took to Twitter to tout the S&P 500’s first-ever close above 7,000 points: “Historic First! The U.S. economy is back strong!!!” Per Bitget market data, the S&P 500 stood at roughly 1,450 points in early 2000. Over the past 26 years, it has delivered an annualized return of ~6.5%, with a dividend-inclusive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~7.5%-8%. Over the last five years, the index has posted strong gains: it opened around 3,700 points in 2021, rising ~90% over the period for an annualized return of ~13.8%. Its dividend-inclusive CAGR reaches 14.5%. During the 2022 bear market, the S&P 500 only pulled back ~18%, and since 2023, it has benefited from sustained surges in AI, tech, and economic recovery.