Crypto news this week will center on monetary policy and U.S. regulatory developments as Bitcoin trades near $63,500. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with crypto executives on Wednesday, and Federal Reserve minutes are expected later the same day.

The events come as Bitcoin remains well below its previous peak. Sentiment has also been pressured by regulatory delays after the Senate entered recess without advancing the CLARITY Act. Together, the two threads underline how much of crypto's near-term outlook currently runs through the Federal Reserve and Washington.

FOMC Minutes to Provide Color on Interest Rates

One of the most closely watched crypto news items this week will come from Washington, where the Federal Reserve will publish minutes from its latest meeting. The minutes, released on the customary three-week lag after each policy meeting, are the fullest public record of the debate behind the Fed's decisions.

They are expected to offer more detail on the meeting at which officials left interest rates unchanged at 3.50% and 3.75%. Three Fed officials voted for a rate hike, citing elevated inflation that has stayed above 2% for more than five years.

The release follows a run of weaker U.S. macroeconomic data. A report published earlier this month showed that the economy lost 23,000 jobs last month. Another report indicated that U.S. inflation softened slightly last month. U.S. retail sales have also declined sharply in recent months. For officials, the minutes will show how that weakening growth picture was weighed against inflation that remains above target.

Against that backdrop, the odds that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates anytime soon have fallen to 47% from a year-to-date peak of more than 80%. Bitcoin and the broader crypto market have tended to perform better when expectations for higher rates ease.

Trump to Meet With Top Crypto Executives

President Donald Trump has been openly supportive of the crypto industry. He has said he wants the United States to become the crypto capital of the world.

Trump also has financial exposure to the sector. Trump Media is one of the largest Bitcoin holders, he holds a stake in World Liberty Financial, and he launched the Official Trump memecoin. His family also owns substantial stakes in other companies, including American Bitcoin.

Trump is expected to meet with top crypto executives from companies including Coinbase, Robinhood, Ripple, and Gemini. Paul Atkins, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Michael Selig’s CFTC will attend. The presence of both regulators is notable given that the two agencies sit at the center of the industry's main legislative fight.

The meeting comes as the CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate, with odds that Trump will sign it by the end of the year. If the bill does not pass before the midterms, Republicans could lose control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats are also unlikely to support the bill unless their ethical concerns are addressed.

Crypto Regulation Remains a Major Market Catalyst

The CLARITY Act remains one of the industry’s most important legislative priorities. The proposal is designed to create clearer federal oversight of digital assets and trading platforms, dividing responsibilities between the SEC and the CFTC over which tokens and platforms each agency supervises.

The White House meeting could offer additional clues about the administration’s regulatory priorities. However, discussions between executives and officials do not themselves move legislation through Congress.

That distinction has become more important after the Senate failed to act before its August recess. Lawmakers are expected to return in September, leaving a narrower legislative window before the November midterm elections.

Prediction markets have already reflected that risk. Polymarket odds for CLARITY Act passage in 2026 have fallen sharply from earlier levels.

U.S. Economic Data Adds Another Crypto News Catalyst

Several U.S. economic releases could also affect crypto markets this week.

The U.S. Census Bureau will publish July housing starts and building permits on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with both figures scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Housing is among the most rate-sensitive parts of the economy, so the data feeds directly into the rate outlook that has framed crypto trading this year.

S&P Global will release preliminary August manufacturing and services Purchasing Managers’ Index readings on Friday. Economists expect those reports to provide another read on U.S. business activity, and the flash PMI figures are typically among the earliest signals available for each month.

Additional signals will come from industrial production, jobless claims, and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve manufacturing index.

The Federal Reserve minutes remain the more direct monetary-policy catalyst. A hawkish reading could push rate expectations and bond yields higher, while softer language could ease financial conditions.

For crypto markets, Wednesday carries the heaviest concentration of events this week. Trump’s meeting will bring regulation back into focus, while the Federal Reserve minutes could reset expectations for September monetary policy. Beyond Wednesday, attention shifts to September, when lawmakers return with a limited window before the November midterms and the Fed's next policy decisions come back into view.