Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the U.S. central bank may soon reach the end of its balance sheet reduction program. However, Bitcoin continued to trade lower around $112,600, extending its weekly decline by more than 7%. The weakness in BTC has led traders to look for the best altcoins to buy, as capital begins rotating toward smaller and more active tokens.

The Federal Reserve’s quantitative tightening, which began in 2022, has reduced the balance sheet from $9 trillion to $6.6 trillion.

Our plan is to stop balance sheet runoff when reserves are somewhat above the level we judge consistent with ample reserve conditions

Powell said during his speech at the National Association for Business Economics conference in Philadelphia.

He added that the Fed could reach that point “in the coming months,” as policymakers monitor liquidity conditions and short-term funding rates. The QT program, launched in 2022 to unwind the stimulus from the COVID-19 era, has already reduced the Fed’s holdings by $2.4 trillion.

Despite the cautious macro backdrop, several altcoins are showing relative strength. Solana rose 6.4% in the past 24 hours to around $207, while Dogecoin gained over 4%. rebounded from the $2.40 support zone, where buyers continue to defend against further downside.

According to CoinMarketCap data, the global crypto market cap stands at $3.79 trillion. The Fear and Greed Index remains in the “fear” zone at 37, while the average crypto RSI of 48.1 suggests the market is near oversold territory.

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Among altcoins, ZORA, COAI, and have stood out with notable resilience. ZORA and USELESS each gained about 20% in the past day, with USELESS hitting a new all-time high and now trading at $0.41.

(Source: Coingecko)

COAI, the AI-linked token, has shown extreme volatility — recently jumping from $7.46 to $44 before correcting to around $15.96.

The contrast between Bitcoin’s consolidation and these smaller-cap gains suggests traders are positioning for potential altcoin outperformance.

If the Fed confirms the end of quantitative tightening later this year, improving liquidity conditions could favor coins like SOL, XRP, and fast-rising meme tokens such as ZORA, COAI, and USELESS — some of the best altcoins to buy for Q4 2025.

Read original story [LIVE] Crypto News Today, October 15 – Powell’s QT Comment Fails To Lift Bitcoin Price As ZORA, COAI And USELESS Show Strength: Best Altcoins To Buy by Fatima at 99bitcoins.com