Economists Predict December Rate Hike as Bitcoin Holds Steady
A Reuters survey of 100 economists forecasts a December rate hike by the Federal Reserve.
A Reuters survey of 100 economists forecasts a December rate hike by the Federal Reserve. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at ₹78,62,744 ($82,720.00), up 0.2% since this brief published. This is an original Token Times brief based on reporting by Bitcoin Sistemi, with live market data added, as of Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:00:01 UTC.
The potential December rate hike could impact Bitcoin's price trajectory and investor sentiment, given the historical inverse correlation between interest rates and crypto markets.
- 100 economists surveyed by Reuters unanimously predict a December Fed rate hike.
- Bitcoin's price remains resilient, up 0.86% in the last 24 hours.
- Market cap holds steady at $2.83T amid anticipation of Fed's next move.
- Bitcoin Recovers Above $82K Amid Easing Rate Hike Fears
- Economists Predict December Rate Hike as Bitcoin Holds Steady — this brief
A recent Reuters survey of 100 economists indicates a unanimous expectation that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in December after a pause in October.
This prediction comes amid a period of relative stability in the cryptocurrency market, with 
Bitcoin's price showing a modest 0.86% increase over the past 24 hours.
The survey results suggest that the Fed's monetary policy will remain hawkish, which could influence investor sentiment and potentially impact Bitcoin's price in the coming months.
Bitcoin's market cap currently stands at $1.66 trillion, contributing to the overall crypto market cap of $2.83 trillion, which has remained relatively flat despite the anticipation of the Fed's next move.
The Fear & Greed Index remains in 'Greed' territory at 55, reflecting a cautious optimism in the market.
Since this brief published about 1 hour ago, Bitcoin (BTC) has moved from ₹78,44,018.37$82,523.00 to ₹78,62,743.71$82,720.00 — +0.24%.
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 $50,000 by December 31, 2026?
Crowd-implied probability on Polymarket, ₹13.95M 24h volume, resolves Jan 1 — snapshotted when this brief published (Oct 20 16:05 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 ≈ ₹8.64M (about $82,720.00), up 1.0% over 24 hours. The rupee itself trades about 9.9% 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 asset in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
Economists Predict December Rate Hike as Bitcoin Holds Stead — questions & answers
What did the economists predict about Fed rate hikes?
All 100 economists surveyed by Reuters predict a December rate hike by the Federal Reserve.
How has Bitcoin's price reacted to the survey results?
Bitcoin's price has increased by 0.86% in the last 24 hours, showing resilience despite the predicted rate hike.
What is the current state of the overall crypto market?
The total crypto market cap is $2.83 trillion, with the market remaining relatively flat.
How much is 1 Bitcoin worth in rupee today?
About ₹8.64M at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Indians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $82,720.00. 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 0.24% since this brief first published — trading at ₹78,62,744 ($82,720.00) now versus ₹78,44,018 ($82,523.00) 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 Bitcoin Sistemi. 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.