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In case you didn't get the memo, there's a crucial Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting coming up this week. People who trade crypto stocks like Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), Marathon Digital (NASDAQ:MARA) and Riot Blockchain (NASDAQ:RIOT) are on edge today. These stocks are in the red as investor await a crucial Federal Reserve decision.
This month's FOMC meeting actually starts tomorrow, but the sense of anxiety is likely to persist until Wednesday. That's because the Fed will almost certainly announce a federal funds rate increase on Sept. 21.
At this point, it's not a question of if, but rather how much. Will the Federal Reserve raise the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points or 75? The odds seem to weigh in favor of 75, and higher bond yields could put negative pressure on high-risk and growth assets.
Among those assets, of course, is cryptocurrency. Yet, the price damage could spread to a number of crypto stocks. Some of them will get hit harder than others, though.
What's Happening With Popular Crypto Stocks Today?
Each company and stock will be impacted differently by the looming Fed decision. To a certain extent, it's a function of how much exposure each company has to cryptocurrency tokens such as Bitcoin (BTC-USD).
For instance, Coinbase's business depends heavily on Bitcoin trading. So, it shouldn't be too surprising that COIN stock tumbled 5% this morning. MicroStrategy owns some Bitcoin, but it's an analytics software and services company that isn't entirely tied to crypto. MSTR stock fell 1.5% in early trading today.
Interestingly enough, shares of Marathon Digital and Riot Blockchain held up relatively well this morning. In fact, MARA stock and RIOT stock only declined around 1% in the first half-hour of the trading session.
Are Marathon Digital's and Riot Blockchain's investors not concerned about Wednesday's Fed decision? Did they not notice Bitcoin's under $20,000?
Don't jump to any hasty conclusions. The nervousness could build until 2:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, when the big announcement will be made. Get ready for any possible outcome — you never know what the Fed might do, or where crypto stocks might go.
On the date of publication, David Moadel did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
David Moadel has provided compelling content – and crossed the occasional line – on behalf of Motley Fool, Crush the Street, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, TipRanks, Benzinga, and (of course) InvestorPlace.com. He also serves as the chief analyst and market researcher for Portfolio Wealth Global and hosts the popular financial YouTube channel Looking at the Markets.
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