Bitcoin Plunges Below $81K Amid Global Market Turmoil
Bitcoin dropped below $81,000 as U.S. inflation data and Asian market declines triggered widespread crypto sell-offs.
Bitcoin dropped below $81,000 as U.S. inflation data and Asian market declines triggered widespread crypto sell-offs. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $81,239.00, up 0.5% since this brief published. This is an original Token Times brief synthesising 2 outlets (Crypto.news, The Block), with their figures cross-checked, plus live market data, as of Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:15:01 UTC.
The drop highlights Bitcoin's vulnerability to macroeconomic factors and its correlation with traditional markets, raising concerns about its safe-haven status.
- Bitcoin fell below $81K as $483M in crypto futures were liquidated.
- U.S. inflation data and Asian market declines fueled the sell-off.
- Bitcoin's 24-hour loss stands at 3.09%, with Ethereum down 5.94%.
Crypto.news and The Block both report Bitcoin's price dropping below $81,000, attributing the decline to U.S. inflation data and its impact on global markets. While Crypto.news focuses on the $483 million in crypto futures liquidations, The Block emphasizes the significant downturn in Asian equities, such as South Korea's Kospi losing 8% and Japan's Nikkei 225 declining 5% during morning trading. Both outlets highlight the broader market impact but differ slightly in their emphasis on the contributing factors.
Bitcoin's price dropped below $81,000 on Thursday, marking a significant downturn amid a broader market sell-off triggered by U.S. inflation data. The decline resulted in $483 million in Bitcoin and 
Ethereum futures being liquidated, as reported by Crypto.news.
The sell-off was exacerbated by turmoil in Asian equities, with South Korea's Kospi losing 8% and Japan's Nikkei 225 declining 5% during morning trading, according to The Block. This indicates a growing correlation between crypto markets and traditional financial systems.
The broader crypto market also experienced a downturn, with the total market cap dropping to $2.78 trillion. Ethereum, in particular, saw a sharper decline of 5.94% over the past 24 hours, reflecting increased volatility across the sector.
The decline comes after a period of relative stability, with Bitcoin's 7-day performance showing a 2.20% loss. The Fear & Greed Index remains at 53, indicating a neutral sentiment despite the recent price action.
The current market conditions underscore the challenges Bitcoin faces in maintaining its value amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Investors will be closely watching whether $80,000 can serve as a support level, with further declines potentially leading to a test of the $65,000 mark, as warned by analysts.
Since this brief published about 2 hours ago, Bitcoin (BTC) has moved from $80,839.00 to $81,239.00 — +0.49%.
The chart plots BTC's price: grey is the move before this brief published, the vertical dashed line marks the moment it published, the horizontal dashed line is the price then, and the coloured area is the move since — from Token Times's market data (daily resolution). It shows what happened after the news, not that the news caused it; many factors move prices. Not financial advice.
Will Bitcoin dip to $80,000 in October?
Crowd-implied probability on Polymarket, $77.55K 24h volume, resolves Nov 1 — snapshotted when this brief published (Oct 15 07:05 UTC). A market price reflects what traders collectively expect; it is not a forecast by Token Times and will have moved since. View the market ↗
At today's peer-to-peer rate, 1 BTC ≈ ₹8.49M (about $81,239.00), down 3.2% over 24 hours. The rupee itself trades about 9.7% above the official rate on the P2P market, so a Indian buyer's effective cost differs from the headline dollar price.
Live market data
Current prices for the assets in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
1 key figure independently matched across 2 outlets reporting this story.
Token Times extracts the figures each outlet reports and flags the ones that agree. Numbers cited by only one outlet are attributed in the brief, not shown as corroborated.
Bitcoin Plunges Below $81K Amid Global Market Turmoil — questions & answers
What caused Bitcoin's price to drop below $81K?
The drop was primarily caused by U.S. inflation data and a downturn in Asian equities, leading to widespread market sell-offs.
How much was liquidated in crypto futures?
Approximately $483 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum futures were liquidated.
What is the current market sentiment?
The Fear & Greed Index is at 53, indicating a neutral sentiment despite the recent price decline.
How much is 1 Bitcoin worth in rupee today?
About ₹8.49M at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Indians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $81,239.00. The rupee price moves with both BTC's US-dollar price and the USDT/INR rate; use our Bitcoin in rupee page for any amount.
Has Bitcoin's price moved since this brief was published?
BTC is up 0.49% since this brief first published — trading at $81,239.00 now versus $80,839.00 at publication. Token Times re-checks this figure against CoinGecko and Binance every 15 minutes.
Which outlets reported this story?
This is an original Token Times brief that synthesises reporting from Crypto.news, The Block, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.
Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Token Times brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.