Key Notes
The week will start with the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting.The FOMC Minutes and Powell’s speech are key economic events to move the crypto market.More unemployment claims are expected to be reported, which might trigger a short-term selloff.
The crypto market remained strong last week with Bitcoin (BTC) hitting a new all-time high and Ethereum (ETH) getting very close to its 2021 peak.
Bitcoin reached an ATH of $124,457 on Aug. 14. Ethereum touched the $4,788 zone.
However, financial markets, including crypto assets, are likely to enter a highly volatile zone this week due to four key events that analysts and investors are closely watching.
Peace Talks
The US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, Aug. 18.
After meeting the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump hinted at a potential peace deal instead of a ceasefire. This will end the three and a half year war in Ukraine.
The end of the war will likely boost market sentiment for investing in speculative assets like altcoins and meme coins.
President Donald J. Trump speaks by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aboard Air Force One on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
(Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) pic.twitter.com/xUTh4U63gz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2025
Fed Talks Crypto
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, the Federal Open Market Committee Minutes — a detailed record of the discussions and decisions made during the July 29-30 FOMC meeting — will be released to the public.
Two days later, on Aug. 22, the US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is set to make a speech on the economic situation in the country and disclose the Fed’s plans and framework review.
Powell is also expected to hint at when the next interest rate cut will be.
Usually, the crypto market enters high volatility ahead of the FOMC Minutes and Powell’s speech — two major events for Wall Street and American investors.
Jobless Claims
In between the two Fed events — FOMC Minutes and Powell’s speech — the weekly US Initial Jobless Claims report will be released on Aug. 21.
The jobless claims decreased by 3,000 — from 227,000 to 224,000 — last week. However, the number is expected to rise by 3,000 once again this week, according to data from Investing.com.
If the jobless claims increase, as expected, it will hint at a rise in layoffs due to both macro and micro uncertainty.
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Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Wahid has been analyzing and reporting on the latest trends in the decentralized ecosystem since 2019. He has over 4,000 articles to his name and his work has been featured on some of the leading outlets including Yahoo Finance, Investing.com, Cointelegraph, and Benzinga. Other than reporting, Wahid likes to connect the dots between DeFi and macro on his newsletter, On-chain Monk.
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