Bitcoin Slips Below $80,000 as Strategy Pauses Buying Ahead of Fed Decision

Bitcoin has slipped back below $80,000 as traders cut risk ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Wednesday 28 October, with the world’s largest corporate holder, Strategy, pausing its purchases. The cryptocurrency traded at about $79,600 on Tuesday morning, down about 2.6% over seven days, according to CoinGecko data cited by Cointelegraph.

Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, was trading at about $2,310, and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index slipped to 48 from 50, still in “neutral” territory.

Why Is Bitcoin Falling Below $80,000?

Analysts point to three main pressures this week:

• The Fed decision: markets are pricing a roughly 90% chance that the Fed holds rates in its 3.75%–4.00% target range, according to The Crypto Times, but a hawkish message on future policy could weigh on risk assets such as crypto.
• Strategy’s pause: Michael Saylor’s Strategy made no bitcoin purchases from 19 to 25 October, leaving its holdings at 848,517 BTC, and instead spent about $205 million buying back its STRC preferred shares, Cointelegraph reported.
• Big tech earnings: Cointelegraph highlighted a heavy week of US earnings as another source of volatility.

CoinDesk described the move under $80,000 as traders “de-risking” ahead of the Fed meeting. Bitcoin is on course for a second consecutive losing October, Cointelegraph noted, unusual for a month that has historically often been strong for the asset.

What Are Bitcoin ETF Flows Showing?

Institutional flows are mixed. US spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds took in about $110 million of net inflows on Monday 26 October, almost all into BlackRock’s IBIT, after about $774 million of withdrawals over the previous two sessions, according to SoSoValue data cited by Cointelegraph and Crypto Briefing. Despite the rebound, the funds were still about $202 million in net outflows for October.

Spot Ether ETFs fared worse, losing about $88.6 million on Monday. Crypto Briefing reported that their October outflows have passed $1.1 billion, the largest monthly withdrawal for the products this year.

Are Retail Investors Selling?

On-chain data suggests some are. CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost said retail bitcoin deposits to the Binance exchange nearly doubled to $10.8 billion over 30 days, while deposits from large holders fell to $3.8 billion. Darkfost suggested smaller investors might be using recent rebounds as a chance to sell, Cointelegraph reported.

What Should Investors Watch Next?

• Wednesday’s Fed statement and press conference for any signal about a December move.
• Whether $80,000 is reclaimed or turns into resistance after the decision.
• ETF flows for signs that Monday’s inflows become a trend.
• Strategy’s next weekly filing, to see whether buying resumes.

Crypto prices are highly volatile and this article is not investment advice. For background, read our earlier reports on bitcoin’s previous drop below $80,000 and liquidations, bitcoin ETF inflows and BlackRock and JPMorgan’s bitcoin forecast, plus our explainer on bull vs bear markets.

Featured image: Satheesh Sankaran / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. A commemorative bitcoin token; illustrative photo.

Sources

• Cointelegraph — Bitcoin ETFs claw back $110M after $774M exit (27 October 2026).
• Cointelegraph — BTC price risks $80K loss into FOMC, earnings: Three things to know in Bitcoin this week (26 October 2026).
• Crypto Briefing — Bitcoin ETFs pull in $110 million as Ether funds shed $88.58 million (27 October 2026).
• CoinDesk — Bitcoin slips under $80,000 as traders de-risk ahead of Fed meeting (26 October 2026).
• The Crypto Times — Bitcoin price drops below $80K as markets price 90% Fed hold (27 October 2026).