Bitcoin fell to $112,956.17 on October 28 while Ethereum dropped to $3,982.26. The moves came with $552.27 million in positions liquidated across 150,568 traders. Total crypto market capitalization declined to $3.84 trillion.

The session opened with Bitcoin near $114,250 and closed the day around $113,836 after touching lower levels. Ether underperformed, falling between 2.6 percent and 3.7 percent depending on the venue. The Fear and Greed Index settled at 50 after dropping one point.

The Setup

Traders had already priced in a 25 basis point cut to the 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent range for the October 29 meeting. Spot Bitcoin ETFs had posted $149.30 million in net inflows the prior day while Ethereum ETFs added $133.95 million. Open interest had not yet recovered from the more than 30 percent drop recorded during the October 7-10 liquidation wave.

That earlier episode saw Bitcoin decline 17.2 percent between October 7 and October 10 amid the largest single-day liquidation event on record at $19 billion. The market entered October 28 still carrying reduced leverage and a neutral sentiment reading, setting conditions for modest downside pressure rather than an outsized move.

The inflows reflected ongoing accumulation by institutional vehicles that supplied persistent bids capable of absorbing spot selling without requiring fresh leverage to maintain price levels. Reduced open interest meant fewer margin positions stood ready to amplify any softening in risk appetite into forced exits, thereby muting the usual feedback loop from macro signals into crypto deleveraging. A neutral sentiment reading left participants without crowded directional exposure, so adjustments to positioning occurred through measured rebalancing rather than rapid unwinds that would otherwise pressure the dollar's influence on funding costs.

The ETF flows transmitted steady capital into the market that offset some of the drag from lower leverage, allowing prices to absorb the softer tone without deeper breaks as institutional demand continued to support bids ahead of the decision.

The Move in Detail

Bitcoin traded as low as $112,956.17 before recovering toward $113,831 by the close. Ethereum led the losses, declining between 2.6 percent and 3.7 percent to finish near $4,090. Global market capitalization fell between 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent to the $3.84 trillion to $3.93 trillion range.

Volume remained moderate while the liquidation total of $552.27 million concentrated in long positions. No single level acted as a hard floor; price drifted lower through the session without a sharp cascade beyond the recorded liquidations.

Long-heavy liquidations transmitted the softer risk tone directly into reduced leverage, which in turn kept dollar strength from amplifying further outflows as the policy path remained the dominant variable. The contained price action showed that liquidity channels from ETF inflows continued to support bids even as broader risk appetite moderated ahead of the decision.

Higher-beta assets absorbed more of the adjustment because their sensitivity to shifts in risk appetite transmits policy uncertainty faster through funding markets and margin requirements. The gap between current liquidations and the historical peak underscored how lower leverage dampens transmission from macro signals into crypto volatility, allowing the dollar's influence to stay muted rather than triggering broad deleveraging.

Reading the Volatility

The session produced contained downside rather than the violent expansion seen earlier in October. Liquidations stayed well below the $19 billion peak recorded on October 10. Cross-asset performance showed Ethereum underperforming Bitcoin, consistent with higher-beta behavior when risk appetite softens ahead of a policy event.

With open interest still depressed from the prior liquidation wave, the market lacked the leverage fuel for a larger move. The neutral Fear and Greed reading of 50 reflected this cautious positioning.

The contained reaction relative to earlier extremes illustrated how prior deleveraging had already cleared excess positioning, so the move registered mainly as a recalibration of exposure rather than a full risk-off cascade. This setup favored traders who could add to core holdings on dips without fighting crowded long books, while the neutral sentiment left room for volatility to compress once the policy path clarified without requiring aggressive repositioning.

What Comes Next

Attention now turns to the Federal Reserve statement and press conference scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET on October 29. Options markets are likely to see implied volatility compress if the outcome aligns with current pricing, while futures funding rates may stabilize once the event passes.

Traders face a setup where neutral sentiment and ETF demand together limit downside follow-through, as the path of policy now hinges more on liquidity conditions than on crowded directional bets.

The cut's transmission into crypto occurs primarily through expected improvements in dollar liquidity and risk-asset funding, which the recent inflows already previewed by demonstrating institutional willingness to absorb supply even during periods of reduced leverage. Lower open interest further isolates price action from margin-driven feedback, allowing any post-decision stabilization in risk appetite to flow directly into spot bids rather than being absorbed by forced covering. For traders this means the market can absorb incremental positioning shifts without the amplification seen when leverage was elevated, reducing the likelihood that modest policy surprises would produce outsized volatility beyond the levels already observed.