The cryptocurrency market ended the week on a cautious note, with major tokens trading in tight ranges as investors weighed macroeconomic signals and regulatory developments.

Bitcoin (BTC) closed the week near US$68,400, slipping roughly 1.8%, while Ethereum (ETH) held steady above US$3,600.

Markets saw subdued volatility following the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) mixed inflation signals and anticipation of upcoming rate guidance. Altcoins were mostly flat, with Solana and Avalanche seeing mild gains, while meme coins and lower-cap tokens saw modest sell-offs.

Some of the key themes this week include BTC faced resistance near US$70,000 amid muted volume and profit-taking, ETH outperformed slightly as the cryptocurrency is supported by rising staking activity and network upgrades, the US Securities and Exchange Commission delayed decisions on multiple spot crypto ETFs and Tether and USDC maintained strong dominance amid increasing usage in cross-border settlements.

Market outlook: With macro headwinds and policy uncertainty still in play, crypto markets are likely to remain range-bound in the near term. Institutional allocators are expected to maintain a core-hold approach in BTC and ETH, while selectively increasing exposure to infrastructure and real-world asset protocols showing cash flow potential.

Key watchpoints this upcoming week include the Fed rate guidance and dot plot, the US consumer price index and purchase price index releases, on-chain flows into ETH staking contracts and renewed ETF headlines and regulatory movement.