Today's main crypto market news points to a local correction and pressure from U.S. macroeconomic factors. Bitcoin has lost ground and is currently hovering around $80,000–$81,000, down approximately 2–3% over the past 24 hours. The main reason for the sell-off was the release of U.S. inflation (CPI) data, which showed inflation rising to 3.7%, heightening investors' concerns about further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.

📊 The state of the largest cryptocurrencies and market trends

  • Bitcoin (BTC): Fell below the psychological threshold of $82,000 and is now trading near $80,800. Despite the pullback, large holders continue to hold their positions, and MicroStrategy chairman Michael Saylor announced the company’s plans for additional BTC purchases ahead of a new bull rally.

  • Ethereum (ETH): Declined along with the market and is trading slightly below $2,500. However, investment giants, including Citi, are publishing long-term price targets for ETH of $5,400 (and $181,000 for BTC) over the coming year.

  • Altcoins: The broader crypto market fell by an average of 3.2%. BNB dropped to $728, while Solana (SOL) is showing resilience and actively expanding its ecosystem through new USDC stablecoin issuances on its network.

🏛️ Regulation, security, and infrastructure developments

  • USDC receives special status in the EU: The European Banking Authority (EBA) officially designated USDC as the first significant electronic money token in the European Union. The regulator’s full oversight of the asset will begin in November.

  • Hardware wallet security alert: Crypto wallet manufacturer Ledger confirmed the discovery of unauthorized spyware chips in devices sold through some resellers in Southeast Asia (including CryptoBilis). Users are urged to purchase devices only through official channels.

  • Tighter oversight: Australia’s financial regulator (ASIC) proposed significantly stricter licensing rules for cryptocurrency exchanges to provide greater protection for users’ assets.

  • Stellar network integrates Chainlink: Chainlink Data Feeds and Data Streams services have officially launched on the Stellar blockchain, which is expected to boost the tokenized real-world assets (RWA) sector.