Bitcoin dips below $80,000 as rising rates and stablecoin caution weigh on demand

The world's largest crypto now trades near $77,000, a long way from its October 2025 peak above $126,000 Bitcoin is trading at about $77,000, well below the $80,000 line that held up much of its recent range. The slide puts Bitcoin back near levels last seen during its 2025 low. The causes look less like a crypto scandal and more like a macro squeeze. Inflation is sticky, bond yields are high, and the Federal Reserve is in no mood to help. From record highs to a rate-driven hangover At its October 2025 peak, Bitcoin had roughly doubled over the prior 12 months. Over two years, it had climbed 350%. That rally had help. Strong institutional demand, much of it routed through spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), lifted the price. So did companies adding Bitcoin to their corporate treasuries. Then the momentum faded. For much of late 2025, Bitcoin moved mostly between $80,000 and $90,000. It broke below $80,000 several times, including in November 2025. The current price of about $77,000 sits just above the 2025 bottom. That low came in April, somewhere between $74,500 and $76,300. Bitcoin has now handed back well over a third of its value from the peak. The macro picture explains a lot. ...