Bitcoin Breaks Below $80,000 as Traders Cut Risk Ahead of the Fed Meeting

By Kevin · 2026-10-26 · News

Oct. 26 (CandyPulse) — Bitcoin lost a big round number on Monday. The world's largest cryptocurrency slipped below $80,000, touching roughly $79,300 to $79,800 depending on the exchange, as traders cut risk ahead of this week's Federal Reserve decision.

Key takeaways

Bitcoin fell below $80,000 on Oct. 26, its fifth straight daily loss by some counts
Traders are reducing risk before the Fed's rate decision on Oct. 28
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw about $772.4 million of outflows on Thursday and Friday
Leveraged long liquidations added to the selling, alongside a wider AI-stock selloff
Key levels: $82,500 to reclaim, with support around $78,000 and $75,000 to $76,200

What's driving the drop

Factor	What happened
Fed meeting	Decision due Oct. 28; markets watching for hints of a December hike
ETF flows	~$772.4M pulled from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Thursday and Friday
Liquidations	Leveraged long positions forced to close as price fell
Wider markets	Worries about the AI trade weighed on risk assets

All eyes on the Fed

Markets widely expect the Fed to hold rates this week, with some estimates above 90%. The bigger question is December. Minutes from September's meeting showed most officials thought another increase before year-end could be appropriate. Any hint of tighter policy tends to hit risk assets like Bitcoin first.

The levels traders are watching

Analysts say Bitcoin needs to win back $82,500, the floor it lost last Thursday, to calm nerves. On the downside, $78,000 is the next support ahead of a large options expiry, with a broader zone at $75,000 to $76,200.

How we got here

Last week brought a $1.08 billion three-day ETF inflow streak, then sharp outflows. See Bitcoin ETFs pull in $1.08 billion, then hit a $635 million outflow and earlier moves: Bitcoin reclaims $82,000 and Bitcoin nears $84,000 after the Fed's Williams.

What's next

The Fed's Oct. 28 decision and press conference are the next big test. Track the live price on our Bitcoin price today page and follow our Bitcoin topic page.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile and can lose value. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.