Weekly Crypto Break September 18

Weekly Newsletter

4 min read time

|Updated: 2026-09-18

In the cryptocurrency market, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, spot Bitcoin ETF flows, a new stablecoin-focused blockchain infrastructure, and crypto asset regulations in the United Kingdom were among the main topics between September 11 and September 18.

The Fed raised its policy rate by 25 basis points, while U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded their largest daily net outflow since June. On the stablecoin side, Circle launched the public mainnet of the Arc network. The UK Financial Conduct Authority also published its final authorization guidance ahead of the new crypto asset regulatory regime scheduled to take effect in 2027.

Fed Raised Its Policy Rate by 25 Basis Points

The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%- 4% at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting held on September 16. The decision was approved unanimously by all 12 members. In its statement, the Fed said economic activity continued to expand at a solid pace while inflation remained elevated.

The rate increase marked the Fed’s first interest rate hike since July 2023. Following the decision, Bitcoin continued to trade close to the approximately $76,000 level seen before the announcement. According to Cointelegraph data, Bitcoin was trading at approximately $76,663 at the time the report was published.

Why is it important?

With the decision, the Fed raised the target range for the federal funds rate from 3.50%–3.75% to 3.75%- 4%. This marked the first interest rate increase in U.S. monetary policy since July 2023.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Recorded $450.4 Million in Net Outflows

U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a total net outflow of $450.4 million on September 15. On the previous trading day, the funds had recorded $159.9 million in net inflows.

The movement across 13 spot Bitcoin ETFs represented the largest daily net outflow since June 24. On September 16, when the report was published, Bitcoin was trading at approximately $75,700.

Why is it important?

The $450.4 million daily net outflow represented the largest daily withdrawal from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in approximately three months. Spot ETF flows therefore returned to negative territory following the net inflow recorded on the previous trading day.

Circle Launched the Arc Mainnet

Circle launched the public mainnet of its Layer-1 blockchain network, Arc, on September 16. The network was developed for financial markets and stablecoin-based payments, with transaction fees payable in USDC.

Arc is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine and offers transaction finality in under one second. The network supports stablecoins linked to more than 20 fiat currencies and connects with more than 20 blockchain networks for interoperability. According to Circle, Arc launched with more than 100 applications and over 100 institutional and ecosystem participants.

Why is it important?

With the launch, Arc moved from its testing and private mainnet phases to a public mainnet. The network developed for stablecoin transfers, tokenized assets, and other blockchain based financial applications is now available in a production environment.

FCA Published Final Authorization Guidance for the New Crypto Regime

The UK Financial Conduct Authority published its final guidance on September 16 outlining which activities may require authorization under the country’s upcoming crypto asset regulatory regime.

The guidance covers activities including the issuance of qualifying stablecoins, operating crypto asset trading platforms, executing or arranging crypto asset transactions, custody of crypto assets, and arranging staking services. Authorization applications can be submitted between September 30, 2026 and February 28, 2027. The new regulatory regime is scheduled to take effect on October 25, 2027. Existing registrations and permissions will not automatically transfer to the new system.

Why is it important?

The FCA’s final guidance sets out which crypto asset activities may require authorization under the new regime and defines the application period for companies. The publication of the guidance does not mean the new rules are already in effect; The new regime is scheduled to begin on October 25, 2027.

Bitcoin Price Chart

Bitcoin was trading at approximately $77,571 on September 18. BTC’s seven-day price change was approximately a 2.51% decline.

Ahead of the Fed’s September 16 interest rate decision, Bitcoin was trading around $76,000 and remained close to the same area following the announcement.

Ethereum Price Chart

Ethereum was trading at approximately $2,483 on September 18. ETH’s seven-day price change was approximately a 1.30% increase.

Ethereum closed at approximately $2,516 on September 11. During the week, ETH approached levels below $2,360, while intraday prices above $2,653 were also recorded on September 11.

2026-09-18

Legal Notice

The information, comments, and evaluations contained in this content do not constitute investment advice. This content is not intended to be prescriptive in any way and is intended to provide general information. It does not constitute investment advice. CoinTR cannot be held responsible for any transactions made based on this information or any losses that may arise.

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