Top 3 catalysts for Bitcoin and altcoins this week

Bitcoin and most altcoins remained in a tight range last week, despite rising exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows and top US indices, such as the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500, reaching a record high.

Bitcoin (BTC) rose above $110,000 for the first time in a month and then pared back those gains, ending the week at $108,000. The market capitalization of all coins ended the week at $3.30 trillion. Here are some of the top catalysts for Bitcoin and most altcoins.

Tariff deadline

The most important catalyst for the stock and crypto markets will be the end of President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs, slated for July 9.

The US has reached preliminary trade agreements with a few countries, including Vietnam, China, and the U.K. Other top trading partners — Canada, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea — may revert to the high tariffs he announced in April.

A restart of his “retaliatory tariffs” will likely be bearish for Bitcoin, altcoins, and the stock market. For example, Bitcoin price plunged to $74,000 after the Liberation Day speech, and then bounced back after he announced the 90-day pause.

FOMC minutes

Bitcoin and altcoins are also expected to react to the Federal Open Market Committee minutes, scheduled for release on Wednesday. These minutes, for the May 6-7, 2025 meeting, will provide more information about the last meeting, in which officials left interest rates unchanged between 4.25% and 4.50%. 

The Fed minutes will provide hints on when officials expect to cut interest rates, which would be bullish for Bitcoin and altcoins. Still, the odds of a rate cut in July have decreased recently due to the strong nonfarm payrolls data. 

The data showed that the economy added over 147,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate dropped to 4.1%. Most traders anticipate the bank to cut rates in September if inflation data continues falling.

Bitcoin price potential breakout

The other key catalyst for Bitcoin and the crypto market will be the potential BTC breakout. The chart below shows that Bitcoin has remained below the all-time high of $111,900 in the past few weeks.

Bitcoin has also formed a bullish flag pattern, shown in black, and a cup-and-handle pattern. These two patterns often result in greater gains over time. 

Therefore, a breakout this week could push it to its all-time high, leading to further gains among altcoins. 

The other top catalysts in the crypto market include upcoming token unlocks by prominent altcoins such as Aptos (APT), Flare (FLR), and Ethereum Name Service.