Odds Of 2025 Recession Soar Above 60% On Crypto-Based Polymarket As Tariff Fears Pummel Markets, Bettors Root For Emergency Rate Cut

BY Benzinga | ECONOMIC | 04/06/25 11:25 PM EDT

The odds of the Federal Reserve implementing an emergency rate cut soared dramatically on the prediction platform Polymarket as stocks and cryptocurrencies tumbled over tariff concerns.

What Happened: Bets in favor of the contract titled "Fed emergency rate cut in 2025?" rose from 20% to 36% over the last 24 hours on the Polygon (CRYPTO: POL)-based platform. As of this writing, the odds had fallen to 28%, but they were still significantly higher than the 16% a week before.

Over $149 million has been wagered on the outcome. The market will resolve to "Yes" if the central bank holds an emergency meeting in between its eight scheduled meetings in a year and lowers the federal funds rate.

Emergency meetings happen during periods of economic crisis. The bank held an emergency meeting in March 2020 in reaction to the risk posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the U.S. economy. 

See Also: Bitcoin Reeling From Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Shock But These Gold-Backed Coins Are Killing It This Year

Meanwhile, the odds of a recession in 2025 soared to 63%, up from 39% a week ago. This market will resolve to "Yes" if the National Bureau of Economic Research declares a recession in the U.S. before Jan. 1, 2026. 

Note that Polymarket is not available to U.S. residents due to regulatory hurdles.

Why It Matters: Stock futures and cryptocurrencies recorded a "Black Sunday" as concerns over President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff measures deepened. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), the world's largest cryptocurrency, slipped below $80,000.

Last week, Trump publicly urged Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates. However, the Fed appeared in no rush to move. 

Powell adopted a cautious stance, hinting that slowing economic momentum is not yet enough to ease the Federal Reserve’s inflation concerns.

As of this writing, the Fed's target range remains at 4.25% to 4.50%.?

Image via Shutterstock

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In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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