FOMC Holds Rates Steady in 8-4 Vote, Sending BTC to $78K as Cut Hopes Plunge

The FOMC held rates at 3.50%-3.75% on May 2 in an 8-4 vote, slashing 2026 rate-cut odds to ~1% and pushing Bitcoin to ~$78,300 amid mixed signals from macro strength. This caps volatility from a March 19 hold that dropped BTC ~5.4% to test $70,000 support due to sticky inflation, followed by Dallas Fed's Lorie Logan shocking markets on May 1 with cut-or-hike warnings that lifted yields and DXY while BTC ranged $95,000-$105,000. Meta's USDC payments launch on Solana and Polygon boosts adoption prospects despite rising US gasoline to $4.22/gal.