Wednesday, Dec. 18, Will Go Down in History as a Day of Market Panic Triggered by the 25 Basis Point Fed Rate Cut and Chair Jerome Powell's Hawkish Outlook

Bitcoin (BTC) briefly tumbled below $100,000; U.S. equities dropped around 3%, while the dollar index (DXY) index soared to a two-year high of 108

Markets panicked on Wednesday, Dec. 18, as the 25 basis point Fed rate cut and Chair Jerome Powell's hawkish outlook sent Bitcoin (BTC) briefly tumbling below $100,000.

U.S. equities dropped around 3%, while the dollar index (DXY) soared to a two-year high of 108, continuing to pressure currencies worldwide.

The most significant movement came from the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which skyrocketed by 74%, marking the largest one-day jump in Wall Street's so-called fear gauge since February 5, 2018. It was also the second-largest increase in its history. The VIX serves as a measure of market fear and expected volatility over the next 30 days.

Historically, significant spikes in the VIX have marked local bottoms for both bitcoin and the S&P 500.

Examining the top three one-day changes in the VIX, the first occurred on Feb. 5, 2018, when it surged by 116%. On that day, bitcoin plunged 16% to $6,891, which turned out to be a local bottom. By Feb. 20, prices had rebounded to over $11,000.

The second-largest spike in the VIX occurred on Dec. 18, registering a 74% increase.

The third biggest spike happened on Aug. 5, 2024, during the Yen carry trade unwind, when the VIX jumped 65%. On that occasion, bitcoin dropped 6% to hit a local bottom around $54,000 and climbed back up to over $64,000 by Aug. 23.

A similar pattern has consistently played out in the S&P 500 over the years, data shared by Charlie Bilello, chief market strategist at Creative Planning, show.

“The S&P 500 had a net gain of 1 day after the top 3 1-day spikes in the VIX,” Bilello noted. “The average 1-day return was +1.1%.”

Let's see if history repeats itself. At press time, BTC traded above $102,000 while the S&P 500 futures pointed to a positive open with a 0.37% gain.