Bitcoin slips below US$80,000 after Kevin Warsh’s inflation vow

Bitcoin's value fell below US$80,000 on Friday (Aug 28) following Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's promise to bring inflation back to target. This move, while modest, dampened some of the risk-on momentum of the week. Warsh stated that financial conditions are not restrictive and emphasized that inflation needs to move clearly towards the Fed's target, suggesting potential for tighter policies.

Bitcoin followed the trend of other rate-sensitive assets but remained above earlier this month's lows. The crypto market remains uncertain, with no clear direction after a significant liquidation last week. Bitcoin futures open interest has not rebounded much, according to Coinglass data. Despite a slight hawkish tone from Warsh, the market has handled the situation well, according to Jasper De Maere, an OTC trader at Wintermute.

Bitcoin's price dropped as much as 4% to US$76,871, and is now only slightly up for the week. It has seen a 23% increase over the previous week and is still down about 40% from its October all-time high of around US$126,000. Traders are considering longer-term metrics to assess the crypto rebound's health. According to a Galaxy Digital report, once the 50-week moving average is broken upward, the bottom of a bear market is confirmed.

For Bitcoin to stay bullish, the 50-week moving average needs to hold on a weekly close. Crypto options traders are cautiously optimistic about the medium to long term. After Bitcoin's surge from US$62,000 to US$80,000 in a week, Deribit's $6.4 billion in Bitcoin options expiry leaves market makers with crucial decisions that could increase volatility.

A majority of Bitcoin options seen are $85,000 calls expiring in September and $90,000 calls in November and December.