Powell Fed Bitcoin outlook after Powell’s term ends
Jerome Powells second term as Fed chair ended on May 15, 2026, and that immediately sharpened the Powell Fed Bitcoin outlook as traders weighed what a leadership handoff could mean for rates, liquidity, and risk assets. Powell is not leaving the Federal Reserve entirely, however. He will stay on in a temporary capacity until Kevin Warsh is sworn in, and he will continue serving on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors until January 2028. That unusual in-between period matters because markets dislike uncertainty almost as much as they dislike inflation surprises. Powells final stretch as chair came under political pressure from President Donald Trump, who criticized him for being too slow to cut interest rates. Powell, meanwhile, kept to a data-driven approach that repeatedly moved equities, the U.S. dollar index, and crypto. Now the focus shifts to what changes, if anything, under Warsh. For Bitcoin and broader crypto markets, the key question is whether the next phase of U.S. monetary policy brings relief or more turbulence. Powells Fed chair term ends, but the transition is not over The formal date is clear: Powells second four-year term as Fed chair ended on May 15, 2026. Still, the transition itself is not finished. For now, Powell remains