Wintermute: Two Catalysts Materialize, BTC Breaks Out of Range to Hit Eight-Month High

Wintermute released its weekly market report, as the Federal Reserve voted unanimously 12-0 on September 21 to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4.00%. Sixteen officials project at least one more rate hike this year, with inflation not expected to return to the 2% target until 2029. Two key catalysts previously monitored by the market—the FOMC rate decision and the CLARITY Act—have both materialized: the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate (49-50 vote, falling short of the 60-vote threshold), prompting the SEC and CFTC to immediately state that they would establish crypto regulatory frameworks under their current authority. The market adjusted for only a single trading session before reclaiming its losses. BTC traded between $75,000 and $81,000 this week, closing at $81,159—the first time since last November it has breached the 50-week moving average; ETH gained 6.7%, trading in the $2,350–$2,600 range. Regarding ETF capital flows, net outflows totaled $746 million from Tuesday to Wednesday, partially reversed by $593 million in inflows from Thursday to Friday, resulting in a five-day net outflow of approximately $6 million. Outflows triggered by the CLARITY Act were nearly fully offset within 48 hours. At the start of this week, both BTC and ETH broke above the range resistance ahead of the U.S. equity market open. Fueled by approximately $250 million in short liquidations, BTC briefly surged to $86,000, setting an eight-month high. Wintermute’s analysis suggests: