Jerome Powell announced at his final FOMC press conference on April 29 that he will remain on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors past May 15, saying Trump’s legal attacks on the institution had “left me no choice” but to stay until the investigation is resolved.
Summary
- Powell cited the DOJ’s criminal investigation into the Fed’s headquarters renovation and DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s public warning that she would “not hesitate to restart” the probe as his reasons for staying on the board.
- The FOMC meeting produced four dissents, the most divided Fed vote since October 1992, with three members wanting the easing bias removed from the statement and one wanting an immediate rate cut.
- Bitcoin dropped from $77,000 to $74,914 following Powell’s announcement, Bitcoin ETFs logged $137.77 million in outflows snapping a nine-day inflow streak, and rate cut odds for 2026 collapsed sharply.
Jerome Powell will stay on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors after his chairmanship ends on May 15, in a decision that would make him the first outgoing Fed chair to remain on the board since Marriner Eccles in 1948. CoinGape reported that Powell made the announcement at his final FOMC press conference, saying: “The things that have happened really in the last three months have, I think, left me no choice but to stay until I see them through at least that long.” Powell said he planned to “keep a low profile” and would not act as a shadow chair once Kevin Warsh is confirmed and sworn in.
Jerome Powell Says Legal Attacks on the Fed Are “Unprecedented in Our 113-Year History”
Powell’s stated reason for staying is the DOJ investigation into the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation, which produced a criminal probe into Powell’s congressional testimony. DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro closed her office’s probe last week but posted publicly that she would “not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” Powell said he would leave “when the investigation is well and truly over with finality and transparency.” Trump responded by posting that Powell “wants to stay at the Fed because he can’t find a job elsewhere.” Treasury Secretary Bessent said it would be “extraordinary” for an outgoing chair to remain as governor, calling it a breach of tradition. As crypto.news reported, the FOMC voted to hold rates at 3.50 to 3.75% for a third straight meeting, but the four dissents were the real story: three members wanted the easing bias removed from the statement, signaling a hike is as likely as a cut, while Stephen Miran voted for an immediate cut.
Bitcoin Falls to $74,900 as the Warsh “Pivot Party” Gets Cold Water
As crypto.news documented, the market entered April 29 pricing in a Warsh-driven pivot narrative, with the assumption that Powell’s departure would clear the path for faster rate cuts. Powell staying on the board, retaining a vote on the 12-person FOMC, and three hawkish dissenters demanding removal of the easing bias collectively broke that thesis in one press conference. Bitcoin fell from $77,000 to $74,914, with $137.77 million in ETF outflows snapping a nine-day inflow streak. Matt Mena of 21Shares said the dissenters “threw a bucket of ice on the market’s pivot party.” As crypto.news tracked, Bitcoin has now fallen after eight of the last nine FOMC meetings, a pattern that continued precisely as analysts predicted entering the day.
Powell’s governor term runs through January 2028, meaning he retains a full vote on rate decisions through Warsh’s first two years as chair. The full Senate confirmation vote for Warsh is expected the week of May 11.
