Fed’s Waller Says Trump-Era Crypto Euphoria Is Fading

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller has added his voice to the latest crypto pullback. In his view, the Trump administration euphoria after the elections is waning. Markets were boosted on hope. But expectations are now coming into clashes with reality. With the slowing of momentum, investors are reevaluating risk. Headlines are no longer sufficient to bring about confidence. Rather, the outcomes of policies are more important.

🔥FED'S WALLER: TRUMP CRYPTO EUPHORIA IS FADING

"Some of the euphoria that came into the crypto world with the current administration is fading."

"The lack of passing of the Clarity Act had put people off."

He argued TradFi likely drove recent selloff as “firms that got into… pic.twitter.com/mtv2xy24tL

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 10, 2026

Regulatory Delays Strike Market Feeling

In the middle of the disappointment is regulation. Waller singly identified the unsuccessful attempt to enact Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025. It promised legal certainty. It also brought hopes of growth of institutions. Its delay has however shaken the market. Shareholders predicted a quicker development. Where clarity could not come in, sentiment grew feeble.

Capital flows are determined by regulation. Big players are anxious without clear instructions. As a result, enthusiasm cools. Waller says that this reluctance has made people off. The market responded in that manner. Notably, Waller is not a critic of retail panic. Rather, he is referring to conventional finance companies. These companies have entered into crypto aggressively. At this point, exposure is being adapted. Large positions unwind more quickly according to the movement of risk appetite. This increases the speed of prices. Therefore, volatility becomes high without negative fundamentals.

Why the Clarity Act Matters

In recent times, Bitcoin dropped to approximately 63,000. That seems to be painful on the surface. Yet Waller adds perspective. The levels such eight years ago would have been unimaginable. In the long-term perspective, Bitcoin is traditionally powerful. The fluctuations of a short-term do not eliminate structural growth. With the infiltration of crypto into mainstream finance, volatility reforms. Increased institutions translate to bigger trades. Greater trades imply more acute moves. Thus, fluctuations in prices are not an aspect of failure. They are rather indicative of market maturation. Crypto is currently responding to the macro forces, similar to equities and bonds.

A Neutral Fed Stance on Crypto

The message that Waller is sending is clear. Federal Reserve is not ad marketing crypto. It is not opposing it either. His terse words put it all in a nutshell: “Don’t participate unless you like it, it is risky. Volatility is not a bug. It is a feature. In the end, the waning euphoria has a transition. Rallies based on hype are being scored out in favor of fundamentals. It is policy developments rather than political discourses. Until there is regulatory certainty, uncertainty will continue. Nonetheless, it is not an indicator of collapse. It signals consolidation. And in the case of long term participants that could be a healthy shift.