Bitcoin moves sideways amid US rate freeze and Middle East war fears

Fed "Maintains Benchmark Interest Rate"... Fourth Rate Freeze This Year Israel's Attack on Iran Meets Counterattack... Conflict Intensifies Expert: "BTC, Key Level at $100,000... No Sharp Decline"

The cryptocurrency market, including Bitcoin (BTC), remained stable on the 19th amid rising tensions in the Middle East and the Federal Reserve's interest rate freeze. The Fed announced on the 18th (local time) that it would maintain its benchmark interest rate. This is the fourth rate freeze this year, following January, March, and May. As former US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum-like warning, the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated. On the 19th, after Israel attacked Tehran and Iraq's nuclear facilities, Iran launched multiple missiles, further intensifying the conflict in the Middle East. Despite the unstable situation, Bitcoin maintained its price range, and altcoins also held similar prices to the previous day. ◇Bitcoin = As of 4 PM on the 19th, the Bitcoin price on Upbit was 145.53 million won. Bitcoin's dominance was 64.88%. According to on-chain analysis platform Sigbit, the long and short betting ratios in the Bitcoin futures market were 50.56% and 49.44%, respectively. Experts predicted no sharp decline in Bitcoin due to Middle East tensions. Famous cryptocurrency analyst Van der Poff told Cointelegraph, "The key support line on the 4-hour chart is $100,000" and "I believe the possibility of Bitcoin falling below $100,000 is low." ◇Rising Coins = As of 4 PM on the 19th, Orbs (ORBS) showed the largest increase, rising by about 5% compared to the previous trading day. Orbs is a hybrid blockchain compatible with Layer-1 chains like Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Smart Chain, providing a public blockchain infrastructure solution to help developers create apps. Orbs tokens can be used to receive rewards through Staking on the network or to pay resource costs for app execution. ◇Fear and Greed Index = The digital asset Fear and Greed Index provided by Alternative was 57 points, entering the 'Neutral' stage. The neutral stage is a section where market participants show psychological resistance and support, indicating important decision-making for future price movements. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) provided by Sigbit was 45.7, recording a 'neutral' state. RSI measures the relative strength between upward and downward price pressures and indicates the overbought and oversold scales of a specific asset. Reporter Seung-won Kwon ksw@blockstreet.co.kr