The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting commenced on Tuesday, but market data shows investors have been positioning themselves for the outcome of the gathering for more than a week.

An analysis from CryptoQuant showed Bitcoin investors have been moving their assets away from crypto exchanges in anticipation of the gains that could follow the FOMC meeting.

Binance Sees Massive BTC Outflows

One exchange that has recorded massive bitcoin (BTC) outflows is Binance. Typically, coins leaving exchanges signal a rise in buying pressure. On the other hand, selling pressure spikes when coins enter crypto trading platforms.

Since BTC hit a low of $107,500 two weeks ago, it has recovered and reclaimed the $117,000 level. CryptoQuant analysts claim that the movement of coins to and from exchanges has played a significant role in influencing bitcoin’s price fluctuations.

Binance alone has experienced outflows for nine consecutive days, from September 6 to 14. Bitcoin inflows to all exchanges hit a one-year low of 25,000, with the average deposit reducing by 50% compared to July figures. Since increased buying pressure is often a good catalyst for rallies, analysts believe the trend of outflows has significantly contributed to bitcoin’s bounce from $108,000.

Will The Fed Cut Rates?

As investors continue to position themselves, market experts anticipate that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates during the FOMC meeting. The blockchain prediction market Polymarket shows a 91% chance that the Fed will implement a 25-basis-point cut and 8% odds of the rates being slashed by 50 basis points or more.

This month’s FOMC meeting could shape the price trajectory of cryptocurrencies and other risk assets in the coming months. If interest rates are cut as expected, borrowing becomes cheaper, and American consumers have access to more liquidity. This credit usually flows into risk assets like BTC, equities, and precious metals like gold and silver.

Although September has a reputation for bearing negative returns for BTC in the past, the outcome of the FOMC meeting could change that. If September does not experience a surge, October, which marks the beginning of the fourth quarter, has historically been seasonally positive for BTC. In fact, analysts predict that BTC will experience its final leg of this bull run over the next three to four months.