Crypto rallies after Fed rate decision and FOMC projections

The Federal Reserve delivered its Federal Funds Rate decision, FOMC Statement and Economic Projections at 18:00 UTC on 16 September 2026. In the 90 minutes that followed, crypto pairs pushed higher against the US dollar, with Stellar leading the way.

Where the crypto moved

XLMUSD was the standout mover, climbing 3.44% from 0.17424 at the release to 0.18023.

XRPUSD followed with a 2.70% gain, rising from 1.2612 to 1.29525.

Polkadot added 1.24%, moving from 0.972 to 0.984, while GRTUSD advanced 1.17% from 0.01705 to 0.01725.

Further down the board, the reaction thinned out. XTZUSD edged up 0.50% from 0.24265 to 0.24385, and ADAUSD ticked 0.36% higher from 0.19245 to 0.19315.

What the reaction shows

The response concentrated at the top of the list. Stellar and XRP accounted for the bulk of the move, each posting gains well above the rest of the group.

The mid-cap names — Polkadot and The Graph — logged modest, orderly advances, while Tezos and Cardano were close to flat, showing only a muted reaction to the decision.

Across the board the direction was uniformly higher against the dollar, but the size of the response varied sharply from one asset to the next in the first hour and a half after the announcement.

Descriptive market news from the ForexBullion Research Team. Not investment advice.