Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, has pushed back against a Department of Justice investigation, characterizing it as unwarranted interference in the central bank's autonomous policy-making authority. The critique highlights ongoing tensions between executive oversight and institutional independence in monetary policy decisions. For crypto markets, this friction matters more than it might seem at first glance. Fed policy—interest rates, liquidity conditions, and forward guidance—remains one of the biggest macro drivers for digital asset volatility and institutional capital flows. When central bank autonomy comes under scrutiny, it adds uncertainty to the policy trajectory that traders factor into their positioning. Powell's defense of Fed independence underscores the high stakes surrounding interest rate decisions and inflation management. Any perceived pressure on the Fed's decision-making process could reshape expectations around rate cuts or hikes, subsequently moving capital allocation across traditional and digital assets. Investors monitoring macro headwinds should keep a close eye on how this institutional standoff develops, as it could ripple through broader market sentiment.