Bitcoin and ethereum prices continued to fall on Friday after the US Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged earlier this week. Investors are worried because the Fed signaled that interest rates could stay high for longer and may even rise later in 2026.
Expectations for interest rate cuts in 2026 have become very weak after the Fed’s latest meeting. Higher interest rates usually hurt assets like cryptocurrencies because they do not pay interest to investors. A stronger US dollar has also added pressure on cryptocurrencies, along with other assets such as gold and silver.
Bitcoin price falls further
Bitcoin opened at $62,882.88 on Friday, June 19, 2026, which was 2.4% lower than Thursday’s opening price. By 8:30 a.m. ET, bitcoin had dropped further to $62,498.60
Bitcoin’s opening price was 1% lower than one week ago. Bitcoin’s opening price was 18.3% lower than one month ago. Bitcoin’s opening price was 40% lower than one year ago. These figures show that bitcoin has been under pressure not only this week but also over the past month and year, based on Yahoo Finance data.
Bitcoin’s historical high and low
Bitcoin reached its all-time high of $126,198.07 on October 6, 2025. Bitcoin’s all-time low was just $0.04865 on July 14, 2010. The current bitcoin price is far below its record high level.
Also read: US Fed holds interest rates steady: 5 key takeaways from the June FOMC meeting
Ethereum also moves lower
Ethereum opened at $1,709.13 on Friday, which was 2.2% lower than Thursday’s opening price. By 8:30 a.m. ET, ethereum had fallen to $1,687.60. Like bitcoin, ethereum continued its decline after the Fed’s policy announcement.
Ethereum’s recent performance
Ethereum’s opening price was 2.2% higher than one week ago. However, ethereum’s opening price was 19.7% lower than one month ago. Ethereum’s opening price was 32.3% lower than one year ago. The data shows that ethereum has also faced heavy losses over longer periods despite a small gain over the past week, as noted by Yahoo Finance.
Ethereum’s historical high and low
Ethereum reached its all-time high of $4,953.73 on August 24, 2025. Ethereum’s all-time low was $0.4209 on October 21, 2015. Ethereum remains far below its record high level.
Fed decision remains main market driver
The biggest reason behind the latest fall in bitcoin and ethereum prices is the Fed’s message that borrowing costs could stay high for longer. Investors often move money away from riskier assets like cryptocurrencies when interest rates are expected to remain high. The combination of a stronger dollar and higher-rate expectations has created additional selling pressure in the crypto market.
Crypto could play bigger role in housing market
Even as crypto prices fall, the US government is discussing ways to make cryptocurrency more useful in the housing market. President Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to become the “crypto capital of the world”.
In late June, William J. Pulte directed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare for counting cryptocurrency as an asset when evaluating mortgage applications, as cited by Yahoo Finance. The move could make it easier for people who hold cryptocurrency to qualify for home loans in the future. Pulte said he believes cryptocurrency is a real asset and that Americans should be able to use it when buying homes. The proposal could lead to major changes in how cryptocurrency is treated in the US mortgage system.
Bitcoin and ethereum both continued to decline on Friday as investors reacted to the Fed’s signal that interest rates may stay high for longer. Bitcoin fell 2.4% and ethereum fell 2.2% from Thursday’s opening prices. Market concerns about higher rates and a stronger US dollar remain the main reasons behind the latest weakness in cryptocurrency prices.
