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# Bitcoin Slips 0.89% on Oct 25, 2026 Ahead of Fed Meeting
- URL: https://bullquill.com/crypto-daily-brief-2026-10-25/
- Published: 2026-10-26T00:18:52.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T00:18:52.000Z
- Description: Bitcoin ended a quiet Sunday at $80,053.16 on Coinbase after briefly dipping below $80,000 again, while ether fell 1.21% and liquidations eased ahead of the Fed's October 27–28 meeting.
- Author: Rowan Ashby
- Tags: Crypto, Daily Brief, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin ETF, Federal Reserve, Iran, #lang-en, #tr-crypto-daily-brief-2026-10-25

Bitcoin slipped 0.89% to $80,053.16 over the UTC day of October 25, 2026, according to Coinbase daily data, as a quiet Sunday followed Saturday's sharp sell-off and traders turned their attention to the Federal Reserve's October 27–28 meeting.

*Data as of: Coinbase Exchange daily candles for the UTC day of October 25, 2026 (00:00 to 24:00 UTC); CoinGecko global data at 00:13 UTC on October 26\. ETF flows run through October 23, the latest US trading day.*

## Key takeaways

- Bitcoin fell $716.51 (−0.89%) to $80,053.16 on Coinbase, trading between $79,732.29 and $80,925.00 during the UTC day.
- Ether fell $28.61 (−1.21%) to $2,326.75, with a daily range of $2,307.71 to $2,368.50, according to Coinbase.
- Bitcoin dominance rose to 59.98% at 00:13 UTC on October 26 from 59.49% a day earlier, CoinGecko data show, as most large altcoins lost slightly more than bitcoin.
- Liquidations cooled: PANews, citing CoinGlass, put 24-hour futures liquidations at $109 million on October 25, down from the more than $810 million Investing.com reported for the window that included Saturday's drop.
- US spot bitcoin ETFs lost about $137.9 million on October 23, according to Farside Investors data cited by crypto.news, after a $635.5 million outflow on October 22.

## Session recap

Sunday was a consolidation day after Saturday's fall below $80,000\. Bitcoin opened the UTC day at $80,769.67 on Coinbase, climbed to $80,925.00, and then drifted lower into the evening, briefly dipping back below $80,000 before closing just above it. For the wider picture, see [Asian and global markets today](https://bullquill.com/markets/) and our [October 24 crypto brief](https://bullquill.com/crypto-daily-brief-2026-10-24/), which covers the Middle East headlines and $837 million in liquidations behind Saturday's slide.

__Crypto market, UTC day October 25, 2026__
| Instrument        | Close/Level | Change   | % change | As of (UTC)      | Source               |
| ----------------- | ----------- | -------- | -------- | ---------------- | -------------------- |
| Bitcoin (BTC)     | $80,053.16  | −$716.51 | −0.89%   | 2026-10-26 00:00 | Coinbase daily close |
| Ether (ETH)       | $2,326.75   | −$28.61  | −1.21%   | 2026-10-26 00:00 | Coinbase daily close |
| Solana (SOL)      | $101.23     | −$1.00   | −0.98%   | 2026-10-26 00:00 | Coinbase daily close |
| XRP               | $1.29       | −$0.0032 | −0.25%   | 2026-10-26 00:00 | Coinbase daily close |
| Bitcoin dominance | 59.98%      | +0.49 pt | +0.82%   | 2026-10-26 00:13 | CoinGecko global     |

Changes are calculated from Coinbase's previous UTC daily closes on October 24: bitcoin $80,769.67, ether $2,355.36, solana $102.23 and XRP $1.2978 (October 25 XRP close: $1.2946). Dominance is compared with CoinGecko's 59.49% reading at 00:09 UTC on October 25\. CoinGecko valued the total crypto market at $2.68 trillion at 00:13 UTC on October 26, with ether's share at 10.61% and 24-hour trading volume at $42.02 billion. Coinbase recorded 2,077.13 BTC traded on its BTC-USD market during the day, compared with 3,705.20 BTC on Saturday.

Prices on individual exchanges differ slightly from aggregated indexes. CoinGecko's hourly data put bitcoin at $80,810.57 at 00:00 UTC on October 25 and $80,082.83 at 00:14 UTC on October 26, a move consistent with the Coinbase figures above.

## What drove it

### After-effects of Saturday's sell-off

The main event of the weekend happened on Saturday, when reports of US evacuations in the Middle East pushed bitcoin to about $79,146, its weakest level in more than a month, according to Investing.com. On Sunday, Investing.com said thin weekend liquidity had intensified the earlier selling and noted that bitcoin was on track for a fourth straight daily decline and its first monthly drop since June. No single new trigger was reported for Sunday's late slip; the cause of the evening drift has not been confirmed.

### Leverage reset

Forced selling eased. Investing.com, citing CoinGlass, reported more than $810 million in liquidations over 24 hours, about $689 million of them long positions, in a window that included Saturday. A crypto.news snapshot at 08:38 UTC on Sunday put the figure at about $546.88 million across 116,300 traders. By later on October 25, PANews reported only $109 million in futures liquidations over 24 hours, with shorts ($63.43 million) exceeding longs ($45.50 million). Totals vary with the time window and data snapshot; our [guide to crypto liquidations](https://bullquill.com/crypto-liquidations-explained/) explains why.

### ETF outflows

US spot bitcoin ETFs ended the week with two days of withdrawals. According to crypto.news, outflows of about $635.5 million on October 22 and $137.9 million on October 23 (Farside Investors data) followed more than $1 billion of inflows from October 19 to 21\. CryptoTicker reported that BlackRock's iShares fund accounted for $254.1 million and Fidelity's fund for $217.5 million of the October 22 outflow. Our [explainer on bitcoin ETF flows](https://bullquill.com/bitcoin-etf-flows-explained/) covers how these figures are compiled.

### Fed meeting and oil

Investing.com described the Fed's October 27–28 meeting as a key driver for bitcoin, with traders watching whether policymakers hold rates or tighten further. CryptoTicker cited CME FedWatch odds of about 90.6% for no change as of October 22\. Investing.com also noted Brent crude above $117 a barrel, which keeps inflation concerns alive. For background, see [how Fed rate decisions affect bitcoin](https://bullquill.com/how-fed-rate-decisions-affect-bitcoin/).

### Ether and altcoins

Ether lost more than bitcoin for a second day, which lifted bitcoin's share of total market value. Solana fell 0.98% and XRP 0.25% on Coinbase. Earlier in the day, Investing.com reported BNB up 1.49% to $737.80 and Cardano down 0.85% to $0.2032, showing a mixed picture among smaller tokens.

## Political & policy watch

- **US and Iran.** On October 24, Trump told reporters the US could strike Iran "maybe tomorrow" but that a deal was also possible, Anadolu Agency and Middle East Eye reported. No strike had been reported by the end of October 25.
- **Federal Reserve.** The FOMC meets on October 27–28\. The statement is due on October 28 at 18:00 UTC (14:00 ET), per the Fed's calendar.
- **Crypto security.** Hardware wallet maker Keystone disclosed a customer data breach covering names, contact details and shipping addresses, Investing.com reported. The company said private keys and recovery phrases were not affected.
- **US stablecoin rules.** The OCC's final rule under the GENIUS Act takes effect on January 18, 2027, CoinDesk reported.
- **US elections.** The November 3 midterms will shape the next Congress and the outlook for crypto market-structure legislation.

## What to watch next

- **October 26 (Monday):** the first US trading session after the weekend drop; ETF flow data for the session follows on Tuesday. US clocks change on November 1, so US markets open at 13:30 UTC this week, as CryptoTicker noted.
- **October 27–28:** FOMC meeting; statement on October 28 at 18:00 UTC.
- **October 29 (Thursday), 12:30 UTC:** US personal income and outlays for September, including the PCE price index, and the advance estimate of third-quarter GDP, per the BEA release schedule.
- **October 30 (Friday), 08:00 UTC:** Monthly bitcoin options expiry on Deribit, according to CryptoTicker.
- **November 3:** US midterm elections.

## Risk checklist for readers

- **Weekend liquidity is thinner.** With stock and bond markets closed, crypto can move more on less volume, and Monday's open may bring a reaction.
- **Liquidation data depends on timing.** A 24-hour total taken on Sunday can still include Saturday's moves; compare figures from the same provider and window.
- **ETF flows lag.** Daily flow numbers describe the previous US trading day and are often revised between providers.
- **Scheduled events can move prices fast.** The Fed statement, PCE inflation data and options expiry all fall within this week.
- **Geopolitical headlines can reverse.** Reports based on unnamed officials may be updated or denied; check official statements.
- **Exchange prices differ.** Closing prices vary slightly across exchanges and data aggregators, so note which source a figure comes from.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is Bitcoin down today?

On October 25, 2026, bitcoin slipped 0.89% to $80,053.16 on Coinbase. The day followed Saturday's sell-off below $80,000, which Investing.com linked to thin weekend liquidity and forced selling of leveraged positions after Middle East security reports. Investing.com also named the Fed's October 27–28 meeting as a key focus for traders. No single new trigger was confirmed for Sunday's late slip.

### What is bitcoin dominance?

Bitcoin dominance is bitcoin's share of the total value of all cryptocurrencies. It rises when bitcoin holds up better than other coins, as on October 25, 2026, when CoinGecko data showed it climbing to 59.98%.

### Why do bitcoin prices differ between sources?

Each exchange has its own order book, and data aggregators such as CoinGecko average prices across many exchanges at set times. Daily closes also depend on the cut-off time used, so figures from different sources can differ slightly.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.