Fed's Fifth Pause, Internal Hawks Rise: 9-3 Vote Pattern Exposes Divisions, August Crypto Market Liquidity Game and Bitcoin Range-bound Outlook
The Fed maintained interest rates at 3.50%-3.75% on July 29, the fifth pause in 2026, with a 9-3 vote pattern revealing internal hawkish divisions. Maintaining rates does not equal releasing liquidity: Coinbase premium index deeply negative, ETF net outflows of $5.4 billion in the first half, stablecoin supply contraction, crypto market pressured by AI capital absorption and policy vacuum. CryptoQuant models three scenarios for Bitcoin in August, with non-farm payrolls, CPI and Jackson Hole conf
