0645 GMT - Risk assets including bitcoin could be pressured in the short term if there is a hawkish shift in the Fed's dot plot, especially if the central bank signals greater concern about oil-driven inflation stickiness, says IG's Tony Sycamore. However, if Chair Jerome Powell leans dovish and looks past the energy blip, the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields could ease further from recent highs, driving cryptocurrency prices higher. The Middle East conflict remains a significant wild card. "Any de-escalation would likely lift sentiment across the board, which would in turn be beneficial to bitcoin," he says in a note. (amanda.lee@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 18, 2026 02:45 ET (06:45 GMT)

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