Bitcoin fell below $81,000 on October 15 as stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation, falling Asian stock markets and nearly $483 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum futures liquidations pressured crypto markets. The token was trading near $80,664 during Thursday’s Asian session, down about 3.21% over 24 hours.
Inflation data rattles risk markets
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 3.7% year over year in September, up from 3.4% in August. Monthly inflation increased 0.6%, while core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3% for the month and reached 2.6% annually.
Gasoline prices increased 9.1% during September and accounted for more than half of the overall monthly rise in consumer prices. The broader energy index rose 5.2% during the month.
The hotter-than-expected report renewed concern that the Federal Reserve could keep monetary policy restrictive for longer, or even raise interest rates. Higher rates can make risk assets less attractive because they increase borrowing costs and can reduce demand for speculative investments.
Bitcoin had already slipped below $82,000 on October 14 after failing to hold a recovery toward $84,000. Thursday’s move extended that weakness and put the $80,000 support area back in focus.
$483 million in futures liquidations
Derivatives data from CoinGlass showed about $483 million in forced liquidations across Bitcoin and Ethereum futures over 24 hours. Ethereum accounted for roughly $286 million, while Bitcoin contracts represented about $197 million.
A liquidation happens when a trader using borrowed funds no longer has enough collateral to maintain a leveraged position. The exchange can then automatically close the position to prevent further losses.
The reported figures measure the notional value of closed positions, not the exact cash loss for every trader. Still, liquidations can amplify a selloff because forced sales can push prices lower and trigger additional margin calls.
Ethereum traders faced larger liquidations despite the smaller size of its futures market. Outstanding Ethereum futures contracts were near $30 billion, compared with about $52 billion for Bitcoin. Ether fell roughly 6.4% to about $2,356, while Bitcoin declined around 3.2% toward $81,000.
The selloff spread beyond the two largest cryptocurrencies. Solana fell about 5.5%, Zcash dropped around 13%, and XRP and Dogecoin lost roughly 5% and 6%, respectively.
Asian equities add to selling pressure
The crypto decline came alongside a sharp drop in Asian equities. South Korea’s Kospi fell about 8% during Thursday morning trading, while shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined more than 9%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost about 5%, with technology companies among the biggest decliners. The weakness followed a lower close on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.88%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.11% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.09%.
Technology stocks were especially sensitive to the inflation report because investors reassessed the outlook for interest rates. When investors expect rates to stay higher for longer, they often reduce exposure to growth-heavy stocks and speculative assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Is $65,000 a realistic downside target?
Crypto analyst Crypto Patel said Bitcoin was testing a key technical level near $80,108 after falling from about $87,360 to $80,200. He described that move as a 7.5% decline and warned that a clean break below $80,108 could open a path toward the $70,000 to $65,000 range.
The forecast is conditional. Bitcoin has not confirmed a move toward $65,000 simply by trading near $80,000. A confirmed breakdown would generally require a sustained move below the support level and a higher-time-frame candle close beneath it.
Another market commentator, Crypto Lens, suggested the broader crypto market had lost more than $140 billion in value during the downturn. He named $75,000, $70,000 and $57,000 as possible downside targets, although those are opinions rather than confirmed outcomes.
What Bitcoin’s chart shows
Bitcoin’s daily chart showed weakening momentum. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator, or MACD, remained below its signal line, while its histogram was near -629, indicating negative short-term momentum.
The Relative Strength Index, or RSI, stood at 43.92, below the neutral 50 level and its moving average of 54.87. However, it remained above 30, the level often used to identify oversold conditions.
The immediate technical focus is the $80,000 area. A sustained move below it could expose Bitcoin to lower support levels, while a recovery above the $83,000 to $85,000 zone would suggest improving short-term momentum.
What traders should watch next
Bitcoin’s next move will likely depend on whether the $80,000 support holds, how leveraged positions are cleared, and whether investors continue to react to inflation and interest-rate expectations. A recovery would need to reclaim the $83,000 to $85,000 resistance area.
If support breaks, the analyst’s $70,000 to $65,000 scenario becomes a possible downside path—but only if further confirmation follows. For now, Bitcoin remains in a fragile position after a week of falling prices, rising liquidations and broader risk-market weakness.
