The United States Federal Reserve is starting the process of paring back its $9 trillion balance sheet that ballooned in recent years in a move called quantitative tightening (QT).
Analysts from a crypto exchange and financial investment firm have conflicting opinions about whether QT, starting on Wednesday, will put an end to a decade of unprecedented growth across crypto markets.
Laypeople can consider QT the opposite of quantitative easing (QE), or money printing, which the Fed has been engaged in since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Under QE conditions, more money is created and distributed while the Fed adds bonds and other treasury instruments to its balance sheet.
The Fed plans on shrinking its balance sheet by $47.5 billion per month for the next three months. In September of this year, it plans on a $95 billion reduction. It aims to see its balance sheet reduced by $7.6 trillion by the end of 2023.
Pav Hundal, manager at the Australian crypto exchange Swyftx, believes that QT could have a negative impact on markets. He told Cointelegraph on Wednesday that “it’s very possible thatyou might just see growth in market cap trimmed slightly:”
The Fed is culling assets harder and faster than a lot of analysts had expected and it’s difficult to imagine that this won’t have some kind of impact on investor sentiment across markets.
Initiated in March 2020, the impact of QE on the crypto market was dramatic. CoinGecko data shows that the crypto market cap languished through 2019 and early 2020, but a vibrant bull market began in late March 2020 as the money printer fired up. The total crypto market cap burst from $162 billion on March 23, 2020, to a peak of just over $3 trillion last November.
Over a similar time frame, the Fed balance sheet increased 2.1 fold from $4.17 trillion on January 1, 2020, to $8.95 trillion on June 1, 2022. That is the fastest rate of increase since the last global financial crisis starting in 2007.
Financial advisory firm deVere Group CEO Nigel Green believes market reactions to QT will be minimal because “it’s already priced in.” Green said there may be a “knee-jerk reaction from the markets” because of the unexpected speed with which QT is being rolled out, but he sees it as a little more than a wobble:
Furthermore, we expect a market bounce imminently, meaning investors should be positioning portfolios to capitalise on this.
Wage increases among American workers, especially in the hospitality industry, have already been observed as labor demand remains high. Assuming wages remain high through QT, the U.S. may emerge from the economic downturn with lower income inequality. Crypto market analyst Economiser explained in a Tuesday tweet that if people wind up with more cash in their pockets from their higher wages, “the crypto market could ultimately benefit” from QT.
Hundal added that while markets are experiencing increased volatility lately, Bitcoin (BTC) could benefit as it is now demonstrating its position as a bellwether asset. He noted that Bitcoin dominance is currently at about 47%, up by eight percentage points from the start of 2022. He said, “There are different ways to interpret this,” adding:
It does suggest that market participants are seeking to park value in Bitcoin, meaning we could see weakness continue to trend across alt coin markets if current market conditions continue to play out.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks

Shiba Inu Price Forecast: SHIB holders unload 61.5 billion tokens in the last ten days
Shiba Inu (SHIB) price is hovering around $0.000013 on Tuesday after dropping nearly 12% the previous day. Supply Distribution data shows that whale wallets have decreased SHIB holdings in the last ten days.

XRP eyes further downside as Trump to implement tariffs on Mexico, Canada, in March
Ripple's XRP joined the wider crypto market decline, plunging nearly 10% on Monday following President Donald Trump reiterating that the US will kick off tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

Raydium drops 35% on speculation of PumpFun’s Automated Market Maker development
Raydium (RAY) price trades around $3 on Tuesday after dropping almost 35% the previous day. This price crash was due to the rumors of a competing Automated Market Maker being developed by PumpFun and losing $334 million in market capitalization

Crypto Today: USDC approved in Dubai, SOL, ETH and BTC in turmoil, as Trump tariffs spark $200B losses
Cryptocurrency markets declined 7% on Monday, as cascading $208 billion liquidations shaved $80 billion off the sector’s aggregate valuation.

Bitcoin: BTC demand and liquidity conditions remain weak
Bitcoin price has been consolidating between $94,000 and $100,000 since early February, hovering around $98,000 at the time of writing on Friday. Despite this consolidation, US Bitcoin spot ETFs data recorded a total net outflow of $489.60 million until Thursday, hinting signs of weakness among institutional investors.

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD
SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.