Kevin O'Leary, the host of a popular TV show and the president of O'Shares Investments and O'Leary Ventures, predicts a prolonged banking crisis in the USA due to the Federal Reserve's actions. He believes that more regional banks, which support 60% of the economy, will fail because of the ongoing cycle of interest rate hikes by the Fed.
In a conversation with CNBC, O'Leary vividly described the central bank's policy as continuously squeezing a toothpaste tube, raising interest rates, and knowing that everything will eventually break, but not knowing when and where. He points out that these regional banks are struggling with higher interest rates, which discourage people from taking out loans, ultimately reducing the banks' profits.
O'Leary warns that the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates to a level above 6%. He cautions that we need to consider the long-term and short-term effects of such a move. Currently, interest rates in the USA are in the range of 5.25% to 5.5%. While market participants don't expect the Fed to raise rates in the next meeting, there are concerns about the impact of further rate hikes on smaller banks.
As for the impact on cryptocurrencies, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has indicated that the monetary policy will remain restrictive for some time due to current economic conditions. This situation may lead to challenges for smaller banks, as seen with recent bank failures like Heartland Tri-State Bank.
The cryptocurrency market is also waiting for potential rate cuts, which could occur in the spring and possibly coincide with Bitcoin halving. This could potentially provide digital assets with a double boost for growth.
In summary, Kevin O'Leary's warning about the banking crisis and potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve has implications not only for traditional banks but also for the cryptocurrency market. Market participants are closely monitoring the central bank's actions and its potential impact on various sectors, including digital assets.
