Ethereum, XRP and Solana slide as hot inflation data rattles crypto

Ethereum, XRP and Solana all dropped on October 15, 2026. The trigger had nothing to do with blockchains and everything to do with a spreadsheet from Washington. The US Consumer Price Index for September showed inflation running at 3.7% year over year. Market analysts cited by Decrypt say macro factors, not crypto-specific problems, are what pushed altcoin prices down. The numbers behind the selloff Economists had expected the September CPI reading to land at 3.6%. Instead it came in a tenth of a point hotter, and it also climbed above August’s 3.4% rate. The concern is simple. If inflation keeps rising, the Federal Reserve has less room to ease, and borrowing costs stay elevated for longer. That tends to drain enthusiasm for anything that sits at the riskier end of the investment spectrum. Ethereum fell below $2,400, a slide of nearly 5-6% on the day. XRP traded in a range of $1.30-$1.31, while Solana hovered between $101-$102. Both of those tokens posted declines close to 5%. Leverage made things worse. Total liquidations across the crypto market reached approximately $972 million over a 24-hour window, with long positions taking most of the damage. ETH accounted for the largest ...