# Bitcoin Tests $81K Support Following Hot US Inflation and Cascading Liquidations Macro headwinds trigger $972M crypto liquidations while on-chain metrics suggest structural resilience. - **Source:** [DailyCoin](https://brifing.si/source/3e9b0f85-cb2f-40ee-ba61-db9410cf0937) - **Published:** 2026-10-15 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/469f44df-159c-4102-a0d0-275f4ecb5368 ## Inflation Resurgence Hits Digital Assets Hotter-than-expected US inflation data sparked a sharp market downturn, pushing Bitcoin down toward $80,500 before stabilizing near $81,000. Ethereum dropped 6.6%, while total crypto market capitalization declined 2.7% to $2.83 trillion. The sudden price slump instantly pressured speculative leverage across major cryptocurrency trading venues. ## Energy Surge Drives CPI Beat The US Consumer Price Index climbed 0.6% in September, pushing annual headline inflation to 3.7% against forecasts of 3.6%. Gasoline prices jumped 9.1%, representing over half the monthly increase. Core CPI, excluding food and energy, rose 2.6% year-over-year, beating expectations and reviving monetary policy uncertainty. ## Shifting Federal Reserve Expectations Following the inflation print, the CME FedWatch tool indicated a 31.6% chance of another interest rate hike at the late October meeting. Cryptonews noted rate hike odds briefly touched 50%. The Federal Reserve previously raised rates in September to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%. ## Cascading Liquidations Erase $972M Market volatility triggered $972.44 million in total liquidations across crypto derivatives within 24 hours, according to Coinglass. Long positions accounted for $891.80 million of the wipeout. Ethereum traders lost $292.78 million, while Bitcoin liquidations exceeded $200 million as prices plunged rapidly through key intraday levels. ## Institutional Outflows Compounds Pressure Macro tightening concerns extended directly to institutional investment vehicles. US spot Bitcoin ETFs registered $150.5 million in net outflows on October 14. Rising yields on cash assets and softening equity markets reinforced broader risk aversion, removing key capital support during the leveraged market flush. ## Technical Range and Key Pivots Bitcoin faces a critical inflection point between support around $80,000 to $81,500 and heavy overhead resistance near $88,000. A daily close below $81,000 could expose the $78,000 level. Conversely, reclaiming $82,500 would stabilize short-term market structure, although macro pressure would remain a lingering headwind. ## On-Chain Cost Basis Signals Resilience Glassnode analysis reveals underlying structural strength despite short-term weakness. Loss-taking has declined significantly, with profitable holders driving most spending. Crucially, Bitcoin has never closed below its Realized Price during this downturn, pointing to a shallower bear market cycle compared to historical drawdowns. ## Prerequisites for Market Recovery A durable trend reversal requires both ETF inflows to return and spot demand to break above the $88,000 resistance barrier. Until institutional buying re-emerges and macro headwinds subside, the market remains vulnerable to choppy consolidation near the $80,000 liquidation cluster. ## Sources covering this story - [DailyCoin — Bitcoin Dips Below $81K Amid Rising Inflation Data](https://dailycoin.com/bitcoin-price-slips-81k-inflation-but-on-chain-recovery/) - [News - Cryptonews — Bitcoin Price Volatility Amid Inflation Data and ETF Outflows](https://cryptonews.com/news/bitcoin-price-prediction-can-btc-recover/) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._