Bitcoin joined a broader risk-asset rally after the Federal Open Market Committee (U.S. central bank policy committee) raised its target rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4%. Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation remained too high for too long and that recent readings showed no meaningful improvement in underlying trends. Traders were reassured by the committee's dot plot (official interest-rate projections), which showed a median policy rate of 4.1% at the end of both 2026 and 2027, implying one additional 25-basis-point increase rather than a prolonged tightening cycle. The Dollar Index fell 0.17%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.04%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.81%, gold advanced 1.02% and silver climbed 1.52%. The two-year Treasury yield declined 2 basis points to 4.71% after reaching its highest level since 2024 in the previous session. Crypto participated in the rally rather than leading it, reversing its independent trading pattern from earlier in the week. Gains were strongest among smaller and more speculative assets, with 94 of the CoinDesk 100 constituents higher over 24 hours and the CoinDesk 80 up 4.7%, compared with a 1.2% rise for the bitcoin-heavy CoinDesk 5. Fund flows remained weak: U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs (funds holding Bitcoin directly) recorded $295.98 million in outflows on Wednesday after $450.33 million the previous day. SoSoValue said cumulative outflows since Sept. 8 exceeded $1 billion over seven sessions, reducing total net assets to $95.19 billion. Bitcoin remains 6.9% below its monthly high of $82,284, reached on Sept. 4.