The crypto market retreated after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates at 3.5% to 3.75% on March 18. The source said Chair Jerome Powell warned that progress on inflation had stalled, and the hawkish tone triggered a broad selloff that wiped out leveraged positions across major exchanges. The article framed the move as a sharp reset in risk appetite.
According to CoinMarketCap data cited in the piece, Bitcoin fell 3.36% to $69,265, while Ethereum dropped 6.98% to $2,160. The Fear and Greed Index slid to 23. The report also said whale wallets added 4,200 BTC during the decline, while exchange reserves hit a six-year low.
Regulatory and ETF figures featured in the market narrative
The article said the SEC and CFTC signed joint guidance on March 18, 2026, creating a unified regulatory framework for digital assets. It also pointed to the Fed dot plot, which still signals one rate cut in 2026. Spot Bitcoin ETFs were described as having absorbed 1.3 million BTC, while meme coins accounted for more than 30% of daily crypto trading volume.
Pepeto presale and listing approach draw attention
The same piece gave significant space to Pepeto. It said the project’s latest presale stage sold out in under 15 hours, and that a former Binance executive had joined the team. Total funds raised were reported at more than $8.1 million, during a period when the Fear and Greed Index ranged from 15 to 23.
Based on the source, Pepeto is building an exchange-focused ecosystem that includes PepetoSwap, zero-fee execution across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, a zero-cost cross-chain bridge, and AI screening for tokens before listing. The article also said the project’s contracts were verified by SolidProof and described a revenue-sharing model tied to trading activity.
The story ties macro stress to early-stage token positioning
Overall, the material linked the Fed decision, the market drop, and meme-coin infrastructure projects into a single investment narrative centered on Pepeto’s presale momentum and approaching listing. It also referenced Dogecoin’s move from $0.007 to a $90 billion market cap, using that example to compare community-driven growth patterns. The article closed by saying the Pepeto presale remained open on the project’s official website.