TLDR
- Bitcoin fell nearly 2% to about $79,800 on Monday as traders reduced risk ahead of the Fed meeting.
- The Fed announces its decision Wednesday, and traders are watching Chair Kevin Warsh for hints of a December rate hike.
- More than $810 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, mostly bullish bets.
- Bitcoin dropped to $79,146 on Saturday, its lowest level in over a month, and is on track for its first monthly loss since June.
- Bitcoin needs to retake $82,500 before buyers can call this week’s dip a pause.
Bitcoin fell nearly 2% to about $79,800 during Monday’s Asian morning hours. Traders cut risk ahead of this week’s Federal Reserve meeting, and another drop in AI-linked stocks weighed on markets across the region.
Selling hit almost every major token. Ether dropped nearly 3% to just above $2,300, and XRP lost about 3% to $1.28. SOL slid 2% and is barely holding $100, according to CoinDesk data.
DOGE, ZEC, HYPE and BNB each fell 1% to 2%. TRX was the only major token in the green, up less than 1%.
The weekend was rough for Bitcoin. It fell as low as $79,146 on Saturday, its weakest level in more than a month, before reclaiming $80,000. On Sunday it traded near $80,400, according to Investing.com.
More than $810 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, per Coinglass data. About $689 million of that was bullish bets. Thin weekend liquidity added to the selling pressure.
Bitcoin is on track for a fourth straight daily decline. It is also headed for its first monthly drop since June.
What the Fed Could Do
The Fed meets October 27-28 and announces its decision Wednesday. Traders will listen to Chair Kevin Warsh’s press conference for any sign of a December hike. Higher rates make borrowing more expensive and tend to pull money out of riskier assets like crypto.
Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE, said the Fed probably won’t change rates this week. “We’re watching how strongly the chair hints at a December hike — that’s what matters for crypto,” he told CoinDesk.
Mei added that record oil prices, the US-Iran conflict and inflation could push the Fed toward an aggressive tone. That would mean higher rates and less liquidity for crypto and stocks.
Analyst Daan Crypto Trades said Bitcoin saw another weekend flush, much like last week. Price tapped the .618 level from the recent leg up and swept the local lows again. He called the roughly $80,000 local range low the key area to watch this week.
$BTC With a flush during the weekend just like last week.
Price tapped the .618 from the recent leg up and swept the local lows again.
Now price is back above the ~$80K local range low. That is the key area to watch in the week ahead.
All markets have been very shaky last week… https://t.co/RugwnYrlzq pic.twitter.com/nckvkzMwlh
— Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) October 25, 2026
He also said markets have been shaky ahead of big earnings, the FOMC meeting, midterms and geopolitical headlines. Many of those uncertainties should be over in one to two weeks, which he called the key timeline.
Analyst Ted Pillows was more cautious. He said Bitcoin looks like it wants to go lower, and that any pump is likely from shorts closing rather than spot demand. He warned that a loss of the $80,000 zone on the weekly timeframe could bring capitulation.
$BTC looks like it wants to go lower.
Any pump is just because of shorts closing rather than spot demand.
If Bitcoin loses the $80K zone on the weekly timeframe, we could see a capitulation soon. pic.twitter.com/OWP3N1JoKJ
— Ted (@TedPillows) October 25, 2026
Chart Levels and Markets
Bitcoin also slipped below its 50-day moving average near $81,700. Traders are watching possible support at $78,400 and $77,876.
In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1% after Goldman Sachs cut its 12-month target for the index by 25%. Chip stocks led losses on Japan’s Nikkei. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.1% and has now lost four straight weeks.
Oil offered some relief. Brent crude fell 2% from a six-month high to about $114 a barrel after President Donald Trump said it is “getting to be decision time” on a deal with Iran.
Corporate buyers face pressure too. Fidelity Digital Assets says preferred stock offerings have funded about 136,000 Bitcoin purchases since 2025. Strategy recently spent $193 million repurchasing preferred shares while buying just 267 Bitcoin.
Bitcoin needs to climb back above $82,500, the floor it lost last Thursday, before buyers can call this week’s dip a pause.
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