Bitcoin holds near $81,200, Ethereum at $2,415 as institutional inflows cushion global market pressure

Synopsis

Bitcoin and Ethereum fell as hotter-than-expected US inflation data, rising Treasury yields, and weaker global equities weighed on crypto sentiment. Despite the sell-off, spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs recorded fresh inflows, while nearly $944 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours.

Bitcoin traded near the $81,200 mark, while Ethereum hovered around $2,415 on Thursday, despite a difficult session across global markets.

Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin fell 2.66%, and Ethereum declined 5.42%. Among major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Hyperliquid, Dogecoin and Cardano corrected by up to 5.47%.

Nischal Shetty, Founder of WazirX, said Bitcoin traded near $81,000 while Ether held around $2,300, as fresh institutional inflows helped absorb some of the pressure from higher inflation, rising Treasury yields and weaker equities.

Crypto TrackerTOP COINS (₹) Tether95 (-0.2%)Bitcoin7,687,581 (-3.0%)BNB68,252 (-3.23%)XRP124 (-4.57%)Ethereum224,263 (-5.66%)Shetty added that institutional demand remained resilient despite broader market caution. US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $175.62 million in inflows, while Ethereum ETFs recorded $24.84 million, ending a 10-session streak of withdrawals.

Also read: Mutual funds increase cash holdings by Rs 87 crore to Rs 1.83 lakh crore in September, cash allocation rises to nearly 4%

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The global crypto market capitalisation edged down 2.97% to $2.72 trillion, according to data.

Minal Thukral, Executive VP-Growth and Crypto Business Head at CoinDCX, said Bitcoin was facing significant selling pressure after entering a key support zone around $80,500. This had weighed on the broader market, while sentiment remained neutral. The crypto Fear and Greed Index had slipped to 48.

Over the past week, Bitcoin fell 2.09%, and Ethereum declined 7.29%. Among major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, Hyperliquid and Cardano corrected by up to 11.94%.

Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst at Delta Exchange, said crypto markets remained firmly risk-off, with the latest decline extending the weakness following the US consumer price index (CPI) data and developing into a significant liquidation of leveraged long positions.

According to CoinGlass, nearly $944 million worth of positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours. Around $487 million was liquidated in the latest one-hour window alone, highlighting the intensity of forced deleveraging, Sehgal added.

Market perspective

Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder and CEO, Pi42: The latest sell-off in Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies highlights how strongly inflation data continues to influence market direction. For traders, the priority is to watch how Bitcoin responds around $82,000 and avoid excessive leverage during sharp price swings. A sustained recovery needs stronger price confirmation, while a breakdown could extend selling pressure.

Also read: Silver ETFs fall up to 5% as high oil prices weigh on sentiment. What should investors do?

Prateek Gupta, Head of Business, Mudrex: Bitcoin has fallen 2% to around $81,500 after September inflation came in hotter than expected, with headline CPI at 3.7% against the 3.6% forecast and core inflation at 2.6%. On the positive side, spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $175.6 million, their strongest inflow since October 2, despite weak retail sentiment. Markets will watch Warsh’s Friday remarks for further signals ahead of the Fed meeting.

CoinSwitch Markets Desk: BTC edged lower following the release of US September inflation data, with annual CPI rising to 3.7% from 3.4% in August. BTC’s near-term direction will likely depend on how inflation trends evolve and the Fed’s policy signals in the coming weeks.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)

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