The newest major plot twist in crypto occurred in the wee hours of the morning, when most people were asleep. A subtly seismic signal has emerged from the Federal Reserve: they are investigating blockchain technology as a potential solution for their settlement system. A mere mention sent shockwaves through the whole crypto industry; no fireworks, no press tour—just that. Click our recommended reading about this page!

It was all or nothing when the news broke on Twitter. Prices of Bitcoin and Ethereum spiked, memecoins skyrocketed, and hypotheses, memes, and small meltdowns erupted in Telegram channels. Could this be a positive indication or the beginning of a regulatory crackdown? Seems to depend on whom you inquire.

Panic? Would you say optimistic? Perhaps it’s both. In a panic, some investors locked in profits, while others rushed to get in on the crypto revival they were so sure was about to happen. A digital artwork depicting Jerome Powell launching Dogecoin into space was even mint-minted by an NFT artist—it sold out in less than twenty minutes. It did, of course.

Much conjecture ensued. Redditors argued about whether the Federal Reserve was aiming to be seen as technologically superior to tech-savvy fintech businesses or whether it was a swipe at China’s digital yuan. At the same time, Discord servers were as bright as Vegas at midnight, and hardware wallets were selling like hotcakes.

There was a mad dash for opinions from financial analysts. While some saw it as a sign of acceptance from the general public, others saw it as a hoodie-clad regulator coming soon. No one anticipated this, that much is obvious.

Crypto, nothing is static for very long. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow it will be someone else, like Apple, Amazon, or a lazy billionaire with an excess of tokens. Today it’s the Fed. The next twist is likely now loaded, so fasten your seatbelt.