#Gate广场五月交易分享 Powell steps down but does not retire—first time since 1948
More interesting than the FOMC itself is what Jerome Powell said at his last press conference as chairman:
"After my term ends on May 15th, I will continue to serve as a director for a period of time. I plan to stay low profile."
What does this mean?
Powell’s 14-year term as a director doesn’t end until January 2028. He chose to remain as a director after stepping down as chairman, which is the first time a Federal Reserve chairman has done so since 1948.
Historically, almost all Fed chairmen resign from the board after stepping down. Powell has broken this 78-year tradition.
Why?
The answer lies in the DOJ investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice previously launched a criminal investigation into the Fed’s headquarters renovation project—Powell himself proactively submitted this matter to the Fed Inspector General. On April 24th, the criminal investigation was just closed. Powell explicitly stated: "I will not leave the board until the investigation is fully and thoroughly concluded."
This is a stance. He is safeguarding the independence of the Federal Reserve.
Meanwhile, Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the Senate Banking Committee on April 29th with a vote of 13-11, and is expected to receive full Senate confirmation during the week of May 11th, officially becoming the next Fed chair.
This means that starting from mid-May, the Fed will present a rare pattern: new Chair Warsh making decisions, while former Chair Powell remains on the table as an ordinary director.
Will the new chair curse repeat?
Crypto analyst CRYPTOWZRD reminded us of a historical pattern: every time a new Fed chair takes office, Bitcoin usually retraces for several months.
What happened when Powell was reappointed in 2022?
In May 2022, the Fed began a rate hike cycle, and BTC fell from about 40k to 16k by the end of the year.
And in 2018, when Powell first took office? BTC dropped from 17k to around 3k.
Of course, history doesn’t repeat exactly. The context when Warsh takes over is different—interest rates are already high at 3.5%-3.75%, and the market generally expects rate cuts to begin in the second half of the year. But the pace and timing remain uncertain.
Warsh was confirmed by the Senate Banking Committee with a 13-11 vote, which itself indicates controversy over his policy stance. The market will closely watch his first statement after taking office—whether he continues Powell’s cautious approach or signals a more dovish or hawkish stance.
Willy Woo’s recent assessment of BTC’s trend is: it needs to close above 79k (the average cost basis of recent investors) to confirm a rebound trend. The probability he gives is only 30%.
More interesting than the FOMC itself is what Jerome Powell said at his last press conference as chairman:
"After my term ends on May 15th, I will continue to serve as a director for a period of time. I plan to stay low profile."
What does this mean?
Powell’s 14-year term as a director doesn’t end until January 2028. He chose to remain as a director after stepping down as chairman, which is the first time a Federal Reserve chairman has done so since 1948.
Historically, almost all Fed chairmen resign from the board after stepping down. Powell has broken this 78-year tradition.
Why?
The answer lies in the DOJ investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice previously launched a criminal investigation into the Fed’s headquarters renovation project—Powell himself proactively submitted this matter to the Fed Inspector General. On April 24th, the criminal investigation was just closed. Powell explicitly stated: "I will not leave the board until the investigation is fully and thoroughly concluded."
This is a stance. He is safeguarding the independence of the Federal Reserve.
Meanwhile, Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the Senate Banking Committee on April 29th with a vote of 13-11, and is expected to receive full Senate confirmation during the week of May 11th, officially becoming the next Fed chair.
This means that starting from mid-May, the Fed will present a rare pattern: new Chair Warsh making decisions, while former Chair Powell remains on the table as an ordinary director.
Will the new chair curse repeat?
Crypto analyst CRYPTOWZRD reminded us of a historical pattern: every time a new Fed chair takes office, Bitcoin usually retraces for several months.
What happened when Powell was reappointed in 2022?
In May 2022, the Fed began a rate hike cycle, and BTC fell from about 40k to 16k by the end of the year.
And in 2018, when Powell first took office? BTC dropped from 17k to around 3k.
Of course, history doesn’t repeat exactly. The context when Warsh takes over is different—interest rates are already high at 3.5%-3.75%, and the market generally expects rate cuts to begin in the second half of the year. But the pace and timing remain uncertain.
Warsh was confirmed by the Senate Banking Committee with a 13-11 vote, which itself indicates controversy over his policy stance. The market will closely watch his first statement after taking office—whether he continues Powell’s cautious approach or signals a more dovish or hawkish stance.
Willy Woo’s recent assessment of BTC’s trend is: it needs to close above 79k (the average cost basis of recent investors) to confirm a rebound trend. The probability he gives is only 30%.












