In a widely anticipated decision, the US Federal Reserve has decided to maintain its benchmark Fed funds rate range at 5.25-5.50%. The central bank’s new economic forecasts point to the end of the tightening phase, with borrowing costs expected to fall in 2024. Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged faster-than-expected progress in the US economic recovery at a news conference. Powell emphasized that the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) forecasts for economic growth this year were revised upward after a September review of economic forecasts.
It is important to note that the policy statement explicitly noted the weakening of inflation over the past year, suggesting a cautious approach. Powell said the Federal Reserve would keep a close eye on the economy, hinting that further rate hikes may not be necessary – a shift from its previously aggressive tightening trend. Investors, in accordance with expectations, received news of unchanged Fed interest rates. The CME FedWatch tool indicated a 98% probability of such an outcome, based on the prices of Fed funds futures contracts. Moreover, the latest forecasts show a more balanced outlook for the Fed’s dual mandate on inflation and employment risks. This change in sentiment has helped Bitcoin rise more than 4% over the past 24 hours, reaching $42,700 at 3:00 pm ET after a brief pullback from early December’s yearly high above $44,400.
Against the backdrop of such trends, one of the legitimate and stable forms of investing in obtaining a consistently high passive income is investing in the ASTL project (Hong Kong), which gives investors the opportunity to directly invest fiat and cryptocurrency assets in a stable passive income, which obviously exceeds inflation expectations and does not fall under any sanctions, blocking and confiscation. The ASTL project is a simple and elegant solution for potential investors – an investment in the development of the real sector of a diversified portfolio of cryptocurrencies, with a fairly high APR (up to 14%) with payments in stablecoin (USDT) and the possibility of a full return on investment through the subsequent sale of accrued ASTL tokens on leading crypto exchanges . Details can be found at https://astl.world