Bitcoin held near $81,000 after the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.75% to 4% in a 10-2 vote on Wednesday.
The decision marked an unusual split. Fed Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack dissented, both pushing for a quarter-point increase. This marks the first time since 1992 that a Fed governor and regional bank president have dissented together on the same side.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh stated that politics played no role in the decision, made days before midterm elections.
The Fed's policy statement removed language about when a rate hike might support a return to 2% inflation, replacing it with a statement that more information will guide policy. The committee also upgraded its description of growth to "strong" from "solid."
The signals point toward eventual tightening. Fed funds futures and the Fed's own dot plot lean toward a rate increase by December, with some pricing putting odds near three in four.
Bitcoin spiked to about $81,700 immediately after the announcement, then fell below $80,500 before recovering toward $81,000. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $110 million in net inflows on October 26 and $176 million on October 27.
Bitcoin trades about a third below its October 2025 record near $126,000. The $80,000 level has held as support in recent sessions, with a break below it potentially exposing the next support floor.
The crypto industry spent about $176 million on more than 100 midterm races to build bipartisan congressional support. Voters head to the polls on November 3.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin traded at $81,478.