Jerome Powell and Christopher Waller supported cautious approach toward future interest rate decisions.
The latest Fed minutes news released on February 18, 2026, show that Federal Reserve officials remain cautious about cutting interest rates, signaling that a rate cut in March is unlikely.
While some members support future rate cuts if inflation falls further, others prefer to keep rates unchanged for longer and closely watch economic conditions.
According to the Fed meeting minutes, officials decided to keep interest rates unchanged in the 3.50% to 3.75% range after several cuts in late 2025. All 19 governors and regional presidents attended the meeting, but only 12 had voting rights.
Out of them, the FOMC voted 10-2 in favor of holding rates steady, showing that most members prefer to pause and watch economic conditions instead of rushing into more rate cuts.
Based on current Fed guidance and market expectations, analysts now believe there will likely be no rate cut in March.
The CME FedWatch Tool also shows a 94% probability that rates will remain unchanged.
Even though the Fed decided to keep interest rates unchanged, officials are still divided about the next move. Some policymakers, including Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller, disagreed in favor of a 25-basis-point rate cut.
Christopher Waller said the central bank should avoid cutting rates too early, as inflation could rise again if financial conditions loosen too quickly
At the same time, the newly appointed next Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, has shown support for lower rates, while other officials remain cautious and have not ruled out possible rate hikes if inflation stays high.
Based on current Fed guidance, most analysts believe rate cuts are more likely in mid-2026 rather than March. As the current Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s term is going to end this year in May.
The Fed minutes news had an immediate impact on crypto markets. However, Bitcoin price dropped 1% to now trading around $67,150. Similarly, other altcoins, including XRP, SOL, and Doge, have seen a slight price drop to around 5% today.
Eventually, higher interest rates reduce liquidity, which often slows demand for risk assets like Bitcoin and altcoins.
When the Fed delays rate cuts, investors tend to move capital into safer assets like bonds, reducing demand for Bitcoin and altcoins.
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