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Magyar26 Oct 2026
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics collected only 66.3% of targeted consumer price quotes in September, as it rebuilds survey operations cut in 2025. The gap lands just before the Fed's October 27-28 meeting, with Bitcoin sitting near a key $80,000 to $82,000 support zone.
Markets TradeReviewed News Desk
Bitcoin heads into this week’s Federal Reserve decision with an unusual extra question hanging over the inflation numbers that move it. According to figures the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) updated on October 19, the agency collected just 66.3% of targeted price observations in its commodities-and-services survey in September, CryptoSlate reported.
What the BLS data shows
September’s collection rate was a small improvement on August’s 65.9% and June’s 65%, but still below the 67.6% recorded a year earlier and the 67.4% seen in March. The shortfall follows staffing and survey reductions in 2025, when the BLS suspended price collection in Lincoln, Nebraska, Provo, Utah and Buffalo, New York. The agency restarted hiring and training in November 2025 and said on October 22 that collection would expand gradually as new field staff come online.
When prices cannot be collected, the BLS estimates them from comparable products in the same category and area. That works less well if the missing prices behave differently from the observed ones. Two caveats matter, though. The 33.7% noncollection figure is an unweighted count of targeted quotes and excludes housing data, so it does not mean a third of CPI is estimated. And the BLS has not identified any directional bias: there is no evidence September’s CPI was overstated or understated.
Why it matters for Bitcoin now
US consumer prices rose 3.7% year on year in September, up from 3.4% in August, and producer prices jumped 1.3% in a month. Coinbase Institutional noted that Bitcoin dropped from roughly $83,800 to below $82,000 after the hot September CPI print, and said in its October 23 outlook that rate futures implied close to an 80% chance of a December hike.
Coinbase flagged $80,000 to $82,000 as critical near-term support, where the estimated $81,300 average cost basis of US spot Bitcoin ETF buyers overlaps with the 50-day moving average. With two-year Treasuries yielding near 4.8%, the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset is high.
What it means for traders
The Fed announces its decision on October 28. Coinbase data shows one-month implied volatility near 35%, among its lowest readings, while perpetual funding rates have climbed as leveraged longs rebuild. Low expected volatility plus rising leverage is the setup where a hawkish surprise can trigger outsized liquidations, so position sizing and stop placement matter more than usual this week. See our crypto week ahead for the full calendar.
If you trade BTC perpetuals around macro events, fees and liquidation engines differ a lot between platforms. Compare them in our crypto exchange comparison, or read our BingX review and OKX review, both tested using our methodology.
Not investment advice.
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Sources
- CryptoSlate: Bitcoin's next Fed test comes with a hidden problem in America's inflation data
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index
News is for information only and is not financial advice. More crypto news
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