Bitcoin +4.8%, XRP +9.3% as Waller Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears

Crypto traders got a convincing macro reprieve on September 3. Fed Governor Christopher Waller's comment that he would prefer to hold rates steady if inflation data cooperates sent Bitcoin up 4.8% and XRP up 9.3%, showing how strongly digital assets trade as high-beta risk rather than inflation hedges.

On September 3, 2026, markets received a two-part risk-on story. Microsoft shares moved higher after the company ended years of limited disclosure and reported Azure's quarterly revenue for the first time: $29.4 billion, up 42% year over year. Almost simultaneously, comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller reduced near-term rate-hike expectations, lifting equities broadly and giving Bitcoin a 4.8% gain and XRP a 9.3% gain. The two catalysts are different in nature—one is a company-specific transparency shift, the other a macro reprieve—but they converged to define a session in which growth-sensitive assets rallied.

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The new numbers show Azure generated $29.4 billion in its most recent quarter, placing it second only to Amazon Web Services, which posted $42.2 billion and grew 37% in the quarter ended June 30.

The Microsoft disclosure is a meaningful change for investors. Until now, the company had revealed little beyond Azure's growth rate, leaving analysts to infer revenue from segment notes and indirect disclosure. The new numbers show Azure generated $29.4 billion in its most recent quarter, placing it second only to Amazon Web Services, which posted $42.2 billion and grew 37% in the quarter ended June 30. Microsoft also guided to 44% to 45% constant-currency Azure growth in the current quarter, citing soaring AI usage. That forward commentary is important because it links Azure's expansion directly to the generative AI buildout. Microsoft is a key investor in and partner of OpenAI and Anthropic, and these model developers rely on Azure for a significant portion of their cloud computing needs. Tens of thousands of other customers use Azure to access AI models, applications, and development tools. The disclosure therefore gives investors a tangible revenue line to evaluate how the AI trade is converting into cloud infrastructure demand.

The macro catalyst behind the crypto and equity moves came from Waller, who said on Thursday he would support leaving interest rates unchanged if August inflation data is positive. Waller told Reuters he would prefer to let prices moderate on their own and 'refrain from prematurely raising rates to allow a cooling process to play out.' That comment pushed U.S. Treasury yields lower from multi-decade highs and reduced the market's expectation for a rate increase at the upcoming Fed meeting. The S&P 500 finished up 1.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose between 1.4% and 1.6% depending on the report. Lower rate fears tend to favor long-duration and higher-risk assets, which includes both cloud software equities and cryptocurrencies.