FX option expiries for Mar 31 NY cut

The EUR/USD pair trades flat around 1.1625 during the early European session on Wednesday. Markets turn cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve interest rate decision later on Wednesday, in which a 25 basis points rate cut is almost fully priced in.

GBP/USD eased back toward the midrange on Tuesday, shedding around one-fifth of one percent after facing an intraday technical rejection from the 1.3350 level. Price action has slumped back into the 1.3300 handle and is holding just north of the long-term 200-day Exponential Moving Average near 1.3250 as markets hunker down for the last Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision of 2025.

Gold edges higher during the Asian session and touches a fresh weekly top on Wednesday, though it lacks follow-through buying. The growing acceptance that the US Federal Reserve will lower borrowing costs at the end of a two-day policy meeting later today fails to assist the US Dollar in capitalizing on its recent recovery from the lowest level since late October. 

Dogecoin holds steady on Wednesday after a nearly 4% rise on Tuesday. Derivatives data indicate a surge in bullish bets and retail interest as the broader cryptocurrency market recovers on hopes that the US Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates by 25 basis points.

The global and European economies have been resilient in recent years even accounting for the modest global slowdown of 2025. But risks for the recovery are rising, underscoring a negative medium-run global macro and credit outlook.

Bitcoin is trading above $90,000 at the time of writing on Tuesday amid sticky risk-off sentiment in the broader crypto market. Altcoins, including Ethereum and Ripple, are paring losses, holding above key support levels.