$BTC $ETH Federal Reserve officials' latest remarks just came out, and the market is stirring again.

Williams, an important decision-maker at the Federal Reserve, suddenly took a firm stance today: don't expect an immediate rate cut. His logic is quite interesting—November's CPI data looks decent, but he believes there might be "technical factors" at play behind the scenes, and actual inflation could be underestimated by 0.1 percentage points. The implication is that inflationary pressures are greater than what the surface data suggests, so monetary policy won't be adjusted in the short term.

What does this mean for the crypto market? To put it simply, the US dollar will remain strong, and in the short term, Bitcoin and mainstream cryptocurrencies will face some downside pressure, likely entering a phase of consolidation.

But there's a detail worth noting—"hard talk" from Federal Reserve officials is often not the true market turning point. Looking back at history makes this clear. Earlier in 2023, they also emphasized that policy would not loosen, but what happened? Bitcoin rose from just over 20,000 to 40,000. The core purpose of such statements is to manage market expectations and prevent excessive optimism, not to genuinely change the long-term trend.

What should retail investors do now?

First, stay calm. Corrections in a bull market are normal; don't panic and sell just because of a single statement.

In terms of holdings, hold onto your spot positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum; there's no need to rush to sell. If the market indeed drops due to this news, you might consider building positions gradually, but remember—never invest everything at once.

Honestly, moments when officials make statements or data is released are often when market emotions fluctuate the most. Clarifying the situation and distinguishing between short-term volatility and medium-term trends is the foundation for stable gains.