Bitcoin falls toward $80,000 after CPI data

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Olga Shendetskaya

12.05.2026

Bitcoin falls toward $80,000 after CPI data — BTC holds above $80,000 after CPI

The crypto market entered the U.S. inflation release in a cautious mood: Bitcoin held above $80,000 but came under pressure. The CPI data was strong enough to bring rate expectations back into focus and raise the risk of renewed selling in risk assets.

Highlights

BTC trades near $80,863, down 0.2% over 24 hours.
ETH fell to $2,288, losing 1.8% on the day.
U.S. CPI rose to 3.8%, above the 3.7% forecast.
The Fear and Greed Index is at 48, leaving the market close to neutral.

BTC and ETH fall after inflation data

Bitcoin’s first reaction to the CPI release was muted: the price slipped about 0.2%, holding near $80,800. For the crypto market, that points to a cautious repricing of risk rather than a panic-driven sell-off.

According to current market data, Bitcoin is trading near $80,863, down 0.2% over 24 hours and almost unchanged for the week, up 0.1%. Ethereum fell to $2,288, losing 1.8% on the day and 3.8% over the past seven days.

U.S. inflation rose to 3.8% year over year in April, above economists’ expectations of about 3.7% and marking the highest level since 2023. The increase was largely driven by energy, with energy prices rising 17.9% and gasoline gaining 28.4% year over year.

Why CPI matters for Bitcoin

A hot CPI reading usually pressures Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP through interest rate expectations. If inflation remains elevated, the Federal Reserve has less room to cut rates quickly, while expensive dollar liquidity limits demand for risk assets.

Monthly CPI rose 0.6% after a 1% jump in March. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.4% for the month and reached 2.8% year over year. That added to concerns that inflation pressure is not limited to oil and gasoline.

Against this backdrop, XRP, ETH and other major tokens remain vulnerable to profit-taking. For Bitcoin, the key question is whether it can hold above $80,000 as the market digests CPI data and waits for further signals from the Fed.

Market signals: Bulls return, but risks remain

The Fear and Greed Index stands at 48, keeping the market near neutral territory, but still far from clear greed. That is an important detail: investors are no longer in extreme fear, but they are not aggressively adding risk after the inflation report.

Another contrast comes from Bitcoin’s bull/bear indicator, which turned green for the first time since March 2023. Such a signal is usually viewed as an improvement in the medium-term trend.

Still, analysts warn that rising exchange reserves and signs of exhaustion may point to a local top. The current setup, therefore, looks less like a confirmed breakout and more like a test of market resilience.

Earlier, we reported that Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin's bottom is in, and sees a major rally ahead.

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