Insider Newsletter - US Banks Can Now Hold Crypto & the Fed Plays Freeze Tag with Rates

Welcome to this week’s edition of our Insights Newsletter! 

A summary of this week's highlights: U.S. banks can now buy, sell, and hold crypto — a major regulatory shift. Ethereum showed signs of recovery, while the Fed held rates steady, offering market stability. Bitcoin and Ethereum saw outflows as investors locked in gains.

Confidence rose on the back of a U.S.–U.K. trade deal, even as EU regulations pressured crypto firms. Recession fears eased with improving U.S.–China trade talks.

As for our weekly webinars, Ben and Roman looked back on the bullish period from November 2024 and analyzed liquidity and Fair Value Gaps on daily charts, proving why it’s important to trade with the trend, not against it. 

Yesterday’s Q&A with Ben and Cata talked about the real differences between day trading and swing trading.

And, next week we’ll be at The Better Traders Summit in Toronto from May 15th! 

Join us for a live, interactive workshop where we’ll walk you through how to level up your trading skills with automation tools like Altrady. You can still grab a ticket here!

We’ll keep you posted with more details.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

• Weekly Webinars:  Live educational webinar with Ben & Roman doing another backtest and analyzing the bullish period of November 2024, and Ben and Cata zoomed in on day trading vs swing trading
• Breaking News of the Week: U.S. Banks Can Now Buy, Sell & Hold Crypto
• Technical Analysis Highlight: Ethereum Wakes Up from Hibernation!
• Crypto Paper Trading: Simple Paper Trading for Altcoins
• Tutorial: Trading Platform vs Crypto Exchange
• Macro-Economic Update: Fed Holds Rates Steady Again in May
• Wallet Inflows & Outflows Report: Bitcoin and Ethereum See Outflows as Investors Lock In Gains After Price Surge
• Economic Trends Affecting Crypto Markets: Fed Holds Rates, U.S.–U.K. Trade Deal Boosts Confidence, and EU Cracks Down
• Key Macroeconomic Insights: U.S. Economy Remains Resilient, Recession Fears Drop as U.S. and China Talk Trade

Weekly Live Educational Webinars—Smart Money Backtesting + Day Trading vs Swing Trading

In this week’s Smart Money webinar series, Ben and Roman took a deep dive into smart money backtesting, this time checking the November ‘24 period, combining order flow analysis and liquidity sweeps to confirm market shifts.

In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here 👇

Yesterday, Ben & Cata took a deep dive into the differences between day trading and swing trading strategies, including the pros and cons of each trading style.

For this one too, you can watch the recording here 👇

U.S. Banks Can Now Buy, Sell & Hold Crypto for You

The OCC confirms U.S. banks can now offer crypto custody services — including buying, selling, and managing crypto for clients!

• Execution
• Settlement
• Recordkeeping
• Tax reporting
• Outsourcing allowed (with oversight)

The U.S. crypto-banking door is officially open!

Leave your thoughts about this on X!

Technical Analysis Highlight

Ethereum Wakes Up from Hibernation!

Fueled by Bitcoin’s energy, $ETH blasts out of the sideways zone with a fat +6% green candle this morning!

Dynamic support (yep, the one we posted here) held perfectly — now eyeing that $1952 resistance.

👉Let us know your opinions on Discord!

Altcoin Paper Trading Made Ridiculously Simple with Altrady

You don’t need nerves of steel or a PhD in crypto to start trading smarter. You just need a free paper trading account that doesn’t judge your early mistakes.

With Altrady, you can test drive real strategies in a fake market that feels very real – minus the "my-wallet-is-crying" part. Automate trades, track your history, juggle multiple exchanges, and hit reset like a boss anytime things go sideways.

The benefits:

• Automated trading: let the platform handle orders with speed and precision.
• Performance tracking: Altrady calculates your profits and losses automatically—no manual math needed.
• Multi-exchange access: trade across several exchanges from one dashboard, saving time and effort.

👉Get all the details here about altcoin paper trading.

Tutorial: Trading Platform vs Crypto Exchange

Still hopping between crypto exchanges like it’s a part-time job? 

There’s a better option that saves you a lot of time.

In this quick video, we unpack the real difference between basic exchanges and a full-blown trading platform like Altrady. Spoiler: one just sells coins, the other helps you trade like you actually know what you’re doing.

From automation to asset syncing—watch how Altrady gives your trading game a serious glow-up, plus it helps you plan and manage your trades by spending just a few minutes per day.

Get all the details in this video tutorial 👇

Macro-Economic Update

Fed Holds Rates Steady Again in May

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at 4.25%–4.50% for the third straight time, signaling caution as concerns rise over Trump’s tariffs, inflation, and economic slowdown. Powell says it’s too early to act — the Fed is staying patient and watching the data.

Event: Federal Funds Rate
Date: 08/05/2025

Wallet Inflows & Outflows Weekly Report

Top 2 Cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH)

Bitcoin and Ethereum See Outflows as Investors Lock In Gains After Price Surge

Despite strong price action — with Bitcoin up 6% and Ethereum soaring over 20% on Thursday, May 8 — both BTC and ETH wallets continue to see net outflows this week. But don’t let that fool you: this isn’t a sign of panic.

• Bitcoin wallets recorded two notable outflow events, while
• Ethereum flows showed a more balanced picture, with inflows and outflows nearly matching.

The takeaway? Investors appear to be taking profits after recent price surges, not fleeing the market. These calculated moves suggest a mature, composed trading environment — not one driven by fear or uncertainty.

The trend shows a temporary pause in the bullish momentum, but the lack of volatility signals confidence, not concern.

Economic Trends Affecting Crypto Markets

Fed Holds Rates, U.S.–U.K. Trade Deal Boosts Confidence, and EU Cracks Down

Bitcoin surged past $100,000 this week, buoyed by institutional inflows and optimism surrounding a new U.S.–U.K. trade agreement. Spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $5.3 billion over the past three weeks, and Strategy Capital announced plans to invest $84 billion in Bitcoin. 

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.5%, signaling no immediate pivot despite lingering inflation. On the policy front, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve using 200,000 BTC held by the U.S. Treasury. 

In Europe, crypto firms are retreating under pressure from MiCA regulations, with only 11 licensed providers remaining from over 2,700 last December.

Key Macroeconomic Insights

U.S. Economy Remains Resilient, Recession Fears Drop as U.S. and China Talk Trade

Signs of renewed trade negotiations between the U.S. and China have eased market concerns, prompting some analysts to lower the probability of a U.S. recession from 45% to 35%. During his initial months in office, President Trump significantly disrupted not only the U.S. economy but also the global economic landscape, prompting substantial pressure from various state departments, so he is under pressure to resolve trade tensions without triggering an economic slowdown.

Despite ongoing global uncertainty, U.S. economic data remains resilient, with stable employment and consumer spending figures. This strength, combined with the Federal Reserve’s patient stance on interest rates, creates a supportive backdrop for risk assets.

For crypto markets, this shift matters. Reduced macro stress may lower immediate demand for crypto as a safe haven, but improved sentiment and liquidity conditions favor long-term growth. Trade stability could also benefit crypto adoption in global finance.

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is here to educate, not to tell you where to put your money. It’s not investment advice or a sales pitch—just solid info to help you think smarter. Always do your homework and research carefully!