Crypto Market Summary – 17/9/2025: Bitcoin Steady, Altcoins Gain, BNB Jumps on DOJ News
Bitcoin (BTC) held firm around $116,236 as of 14:04 UTC, rising roughly 1% over the past 24 hours ahead of the Federal Reserve’s anticipated policy announcement. Analysts point to BTC’s underperformance versus gold and the S&P 500, alongside historical seasonal trends, as bullish factors for the “Uptober” period.
Dean Crypto Trades noted that bitcoin sits about 7% above its post-election peak, compared with 9% for the S&P 500 and 36% for gold. He suggested BTC’s compressed price action could spark the next major move, though a “lower high” may form before a breakout. Ether (ETH) could follow once it breaks $5,000.
Lark Davis highlighted BTC’s historical September FOMC performance, noting that every decision since 2020—excluding the 2022 bear market—has preceded strong rallies. He emphasized that seasonal dynamics, rather than Fed rate choices, tend to drive gains.
Technical View
CoinDesk Research shows BTC consolidating between $116,000–$116,500 after reaching $117,317. A late-session breakout briefly lifted BTC to $116,551 on higher volume, confirming a modest consolidation-breakout pattern. Over the past month, BTC has climbed from $108,000 to above $117,000.
Altcoins are benefiting from BTC’s muted volatility. Bitcoin dominance fell to 57%, the lowest since January, indicating capital rotation into speculative tokens. The average crypto RSI of 45.47 suggests many altcoins are approaching oversold territory.
BNB Surges on DOJ Deal News
BNB jumped nearly 3% to trade near $950, peaking at $963 after Bloomberg reported Binance is nearing a DOJ deal that could end a compliance requirement from its 2023 $4.3 billion settlement. The agreement would require stricter internal reporting, though the Treasury Department’s monitor remains. This follows a broader DOJ trend releasing other firms from oversight after enhanced reporting agreements.
BNB outperformed the broader market, while the CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index rose 0.8% over 24 hours.
