Crypto markets stayed under pressure ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee decision on Sept. 16 after U.S. August CPI data came in above expectations, lifting expectations for a 25 basis point Federal Reserve rate hike. Bitcoin slipped back toward the $76,800 area, SOL fell below $100, and total liquidations across the market reached $278.54 million over the past 24 hours. The Fear and Greed Index also eased to 57 from 61 a day earlier.
Bitcoin and Ether move lower before the FOMC meeting
BlockTempo said the market remained under strain on Sept. 14, with Bitcoin trading near $76,840 in early hours, down 0.58% over 24 hours. Its intraday high was $77,450 and its low was $76,388. Based on CoinGecko data for the past 14 days, Bitcoin has pulled back noticeably from the period high of $81,731 recorded at 4:00 on Sept. 4.
Ether weakened at the same time, trading at $2,483, down 1.69% over 24 hours. It had previously reached a 14-day high of $2,626 at 22:00 on Sept. 11.
$278.54 million in liquidations hit 114,337 traders
According to CoinGlass, 114,337 traders were liquidated across the market in the past 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching $278.54 million. Long liquidations came to $195.98 million, while short liquidations totaled $82.56 million, leaving bullish positions with the heavier losses.
The largest single liquidation took place on Binance’s ETHUSDT trading pair and was valued at $4.46 million.
Inflation data raised expectations for a Fed hike
The report said the latest pullback was driven mainly by monetary policy expectations. U.S. August CPI rose 3.4% year over year and 0.4% month over month. Core CPI rose 0.3% on the month, above the market expectation of 0.2%. With disinflation progressing more slowly than expected, market pricing for a 25 basis point hike at the Sept. 16 FOMC meeting rose quickly. BlockTempo cited prior reporting saying that probability had climbed to 87%.
On the flow side, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted cumulative net outflows of about $462.7 million between Sept. 8 and Sept. 11, reflecting a more cautious institutional stance ahead of the rate decision.
Stocks rebounded, but crypto did not follow
U.S. equities rebounded on Friday, Sept. 11. The S&P 500 rose 0.86% to 7,656.98, the Nasdaq gained 0.96% to 26,333.04, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 509 points, or 0.98%, to close at 52,573. The source attributed the move to a pause in the rise of oil prices and U.S. Treasury yields. Even so, the recovery in equities did not lift crypto assets at the same time.
SOL falls below $100 while XRP also retreats
Other major tokens also traded lower. SOL changed hands at $99.56, down 2.52% over 24 hours, after breaking below the $100 round-number level. Its intraday low was $99.00. Over the past 14 days, SOL had reached $107.08 at 22:00 on Sept. 6.
XRP traded at $1.3448, down 1.58% over 24 hours, with an intraday low of $1.3325. That was below its period high of $1.4715 recorded at 5:00 on Sept. 4.
Technical levels show Bitcoin near the lower Bollinger Band
Using the latest completed daily candle on Sept. 13, Bitcoin closed at $76,842, with RSI14 at 53.3, placing it in neutral territory. The close was below the 20-day simple moving average at $78,491, but above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages at $71,193 and $70,171. MACD was in bearish alignment, with DIF below DEA, and the histogram widened from the previous day. The close was near the lower Bollinger Band.
For Bitcoin, nearby resistance levels were the 20-day simple moving average at $78,491 and the upper Bollinger Band at $80,988. Support levels were the lower Bollinger Band at $75,994 and the 50-day simple moving average at $71,193.
Ether’s latest completed daily candle closed at $2,477. Its RSI14 was 58.5, described in the source as relatively strong. The close remained above the 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day simple moving averages. MACD was also in bearish alignment, the histogram widened from the previous day, and the close sat near the middle Bollinger Band.
For Ether, nearby resistance levels were the upper Bollinger Band at $2,544 and the 30-day high at $2,666. Support levels were the 20-day simple moving average at $2,471 and the lower Bollinger Band at $2,397.
Fear and Greed Index drops to 57
On the sentiment side, the Alternative.me Fear and Greed Index stood at 57 on Sept. 14, 2026, still in greed territory but down from 61 on Sept. 13. Over the past eight days, the index moved within a range of 56 to 71.
BlockTempo said the Sept. 16 FOMC rate decision and the dot plot would be key events for the near-term direction of risk assets. The market is also watching how Fed officials describe the inflation outlook and the policy path ahead.