Crypto Market Rebounds after Fed Cut, Congress Presses SEC on Crypto Access to 401(k)

Following the initial price drop after the Fed rate cuts, the crypto market saw a strong rebound on Dec. 12. The total market cap grew by about $70 billion in the past 24 hours. 

Bitcoin BTC $92 178 24h volatility: 2.0% Market cap: $1.84 T Vol. 24h: $50.82 B recorded a 2.45% daily gain and stayed comfortably above the $92,000 mark. Ethereum ETH $3 242 24h volatility: 1.1% Market cap: $391.02 B Vol. 24h: $24.49 B traded near $3,240, showing a 1.68% jump during the same period.

The meme sector saw the strongest activity. According to CoinMarketCap, the total market cap of top meme coins climbed 8%, led by Fartcoin FARTCOIN $0.38 24h volatility: 10.4% Market cap: $383.79 M Vol. 24h: $167.50 M with a 10% daily gain. Meanwhile, the layer 1 cryptocurrencies moved up by an average 1%, with Zcash ZEC $452.2 24h volatility: 7.9% Market cap: $7.43 B Vol. 24h: $1.01 B surging over 8%.

Meanwhile, Santiment data shows that most top altcoins sit in a neutral zone at the moment. XRP XRP $2.03 24h volatility: 0.5% Market cap: $122.26 B Vol. 24h: $2.86 B , which has recently been mostly flat around $2.02, stands out as “mildly undervalued.” 

Popular market watcher Jason Pizzino stated on X that Bitcoin and altcoins appear to be in a relief rally. He noted that his invalidation levels for Bitcoin remain steady at around $108,000 to $116,000. 

Pizzino believes that the potential near-term rally could increase investor interest before the market faces its next pullback.

Congress Pushes SEC on 401(k) Access

This market optimism comes after a major crypto-related development in Washington. On Dec. 11, the House Financial Services Committee sent a letter to the SEC to update rules so that Bitcoin and other digital assets can be included in 401(k) plans.

Lawmakers argue that the current rules are old and keep millions from reaching newer asset types, like cryptocurrencies. 

Their request follows an August 2025 order from President Donald Trump titled Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors. The order told federal agencies to widen the selection of assets available to retirement planners. 

The Congress urged the SEC to follow the policy and work with the Department of Labor on related matters. Members also pushed for broader access by easing the accredited investor definition, which usually limits certain markets to wealthy individuals.

The crypto community believes that adding cryptocurrency to 401(k) programs could boost demand for the market.

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