Fed policymaker Barkin just signaled something worth paying attention to: current monetary policy is sitting squarely within the neutral range. What does that mean for crypto traders and macro investors? It's essentially saying the Fed isn't aggressively tightening or loosening right now—a potential sweet spot for market stability. But here's the catch: Barkin is explicitly waiting for 'clean' economic data in the coming weeks before making any fresh moves. Translation? The next few weeks of inflation readings, employment reports, and GDP figures will be pivotal. Markets are already pricing in these expectations. If data comes in hotter than expected, rate hike odds spike. If it shows cooling, we could see a different narrative unfold. The real tension remains balancing progress on inflation without derailing employment gains—a tightrope the Fed continues to walk.