It was a week dominated by inflation data. Hot US CPI and PPI numbers rattled risk assets, $BTC briefly dipped below $80K, and then recovered. By the weekend, Bitcoin was holding around $81.5K while most altcoins stayed under pressure.
Here is the full weekly picture.
The scoreboard (7-day change)
- $BTC: about $81.5K, down roughly 1.4%
- $ETH: about $2,425, down roughly 2.7%
- $XRP: down roughly 7%
- $ADA: down roughly 10.7%
- Total crypto market value: around $2.8T, with Bitcoin dominance near 59.5%
The pattern is clear: Bitcoin fell the least, while the further you go out on the risk curve, the harder the hit.
What moved the market this week
1. Hot inflation data
US CPI came in at 3.7% for September, above forecasts, and producer prices (PPI) also surprised on the upside. That raised fears the Fed could hike rates again at its October meeting.
2. A liquidation wave
When prices dropped midweek, nearly $1B in leveraged long positions were liquidated. Forced selling pushed prices down further, which is why the move felt so sharp.
3. ETF outflows
Bitcoin ETFs saw more than $500M in net outflows in October through Oct 15, and Ethereum products also saw outflows, which added to the pressure.
4. A Friday recovery
Markets steadied on Friday as expectations for an October Fed rate hike declined. $BTC bounced from a weekly low near $79.7K and finished the week back above $81K.
How $ETH did
$ETH slid from an early-week high around $2,540 to $2,580 to a low near $2,320, then recovered to about $2,425. It underperformed Bitcoin for much of the week, and outflows from Ethereum investment products weighed on sentiment.
Other headlines worth knowing
- Ledger tightened its reseller rules after a hardware implant attack. The lesson: only buy hardware wallets from the official store.
- Standard Chartered introduced direct Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible professional clients in the UAE, a sign institutions keep building in the background.
Key levels to watch
- Support: around $80K (this week's low was just under it)
- Resistance: around $84K
- Levels can fail, so use them as guides, not guarantees.
What's next
The next big event is the FOMC meeting on October 28. Watch how expectations for the Fed's decision change, because they have driven most of this week's moves.
3 takeaways from this week
1. In risk-off weeks, bigger coins tend to fall less than smaller ones. Holding only high-risk altcoins can hurt more than expected.
2. Big data days bring fast swings. A ~$1B liquidation wave shows what leverage can do. Keep it low or skip it.
3. Security matters as much as price. Buy hardware wallets only from official sources, and never share your seed phrase.
Final thought
You don't need to predict every move. You need a plan, a stop-loss, and the discipline to stick to it.
Did you stay calm or trade the volatility this week? Share your lesson in the comments.
Not financial advice. Do your own research.
