Bitcoin Hits Intraday High of $87,470 Amid Fed Meeting, Political Support

Bitcoin reached an intraday high of $87,470 at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, amid heightened market optimism driven by political, regulatory, and macroeconomic factors.

Bitcoin Bulls Return

The leading cryptocurrency briefly touched the milestone during a volatile trading session, with real-time data showing bitcoin hovering around $87,357 at 8:08 p.m. EDT, with its intraday peak recorded at $87,470.

Market observers linked the surge to the Federal Reserve’s March 19 policy meeting, where officials were expected to hold interest rates steady. While no immediate rate changes were announced, bitcoin’s sensitivity to macroeconomic shifts likely contributed to the day’s volatility.

BTC/USD 4H chart via Bitstamp on March 19, 2025. BTC dipped below the $87,000 range at 8:30 p.m. (ET) down to $86,745 per coin.

Political developments also buoyed crypto markets, including President Donald Trump’s plans to speak at the Digital Asset Summit in New York City tomorrow. Institutional adoption remained a key driver, with U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs logging $209 million in net inflows on March 18.

Trump is said to be speaking at the Digital Asset Summit in New York City on March 20.

Some speculators estimate these funds could hold over 1.5 million BTC by 2026. Meanwhile, North Carolina lawmakers proposed a bill allowing state funds to allocate up to 10% to bitcoin, signaling growing acceptance among public institutions.

Bitcoin currently anchors a $1.73 trillion valuation, commanding 60.7% of the total cryptocurrency market—a testament to its unrivaled gravitational pull. Global trading activity expanded sharply in the past 24 hours, leaping 42% to $102 billion, with BTC claiming $35 billion of that sum as its own.

While the asset hovers at $87,357 globally, a premium persists in South Korea, where traders fetch $88,072 per coin. Binance leads today’s exchange activity, serving as the epicenter of BTC transactions, trailed by Coinbase and Bybit in a high-stakes race for liquidity.

By 8:50 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, BTC was once again below the $87,000 range at $86,396 per unit. The crypto asset now stands 20.1% below its all-time high recorded on Jan. 20, 2025, when Trump was sworn in.

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