Bitcoin Jumps Past $80,000 as Fed Rate Hike and CFTC News Trigger Short Liquidations
Bitcoin surged above $80,000 on September 18 after a Fed rate hike and CFTC news, triggering hundreds of millions in short liquidations.
Why it matters
The rally reverses a sharp sell-off triggered by the Clarity Act's Senate setback and reflects how rate-policy and regulatory signals continue to drive sharp, leverage-fueled price swings in Bitcoin.
Where the sources disagree
Main driver of the rally
$80,846
Decrypt
$75,000
Bitcoin.com News
Decrypt attributes the surge to a dovish Fed rate outlook while Bitcoin.com News attributes it to news of CFTC draft rules reaching the White House.
Total value of liquidations over 24 hours
$192 million (CryptoPotato)
CryptoPotato
$445 million market-wide, $230 million in Bitcoin shorts (Decrypt)
Decrypt
$238 million in Bitcoin shorts (Bitcoin.com News)
Bitcoin.com News
$547 million total, $243.54 million in Bitcoin (The Daily Hodl)
The Daily Hodl
Outlets cite very different total liquidation figures from CoinGlass and other data, likely reflecting different snapshot times during the ongoing rally.
Figures that do not reconcile
Found by comparing the numbers in the reports automatically. They are differences, not yet confirmed to be about the same thing.
reported value
$180
CryptoPotato
$238
Bitcoin.com News
CryptoPotato reports $180, Bitcoin.com News reports $238 (24% apart).
reported value
$192 million
CryptoPotato
$547 million
The Daily Hodl
CryptoPotato reports $192 million, The Daily Hodl reports $547 million (65% apart).
reported value
$81,000
Bitcoin Magazine
$76,000
Crypto.News
Bitcoin Magazine reports $81,000, Crypto.News reports $76,000 (6% apart).
reported value
$81,000
Bitcoin.com News
$76,000
Crypto.News
Bitcoin.com News reports $81,000, Crypto.News reports $76,000 (6% apart).
reported value
$76,000
Crypto.News
$81,000
The Daily Hodl
Crypto.News reports $76,000, The Daily Hodl reports $81,000 (6% apart).
size of the move (surged)
5.88%
Decrypt
5%
Crypto.News
Decrypt reports 5.88%, Crypto.News reports 5% (15% apart).
size of the move
$75,000
Bitcoin.com News
$80,000
Crypto.News
Bitcoin.com News reports $75,000, Crypto.News reports $80,000 (6% apart).
Key facts
Bitcoin rose above $80,000 on September 18 after trading near $75,000-$75,560 earlier in the week.
80,000 USDDisputed figureReported by CryptoPotato
Bitcoin reached an intraday high around $81,238-$81,258 on September 18.
81,258 USDDisputed figureReported by Bitcoin.com News
The US Senate blocked the Clarity Act crypto market structure bill in a procedural vote.
Reported by CryptoPotato
The Bank of Japan raised rates to a 31-year high, which coincided with Bitcoin's move above $78,000.
Reported by CryptoPotato
The CFTC sent draft crypto market rules to the White House for review.
Reported by Bitcoin.com News
Total crypto liquidations over 24 hours were reported variously as $192 million, $445 million, and $547 million by different outlets.
Disputed figureReported by CryptoPotato
What happened
Bitcoin broke back above $80,000 on Friday, September 18, days after falling near $75,000-$75,560 following the Senate's failure to advance the Clarity Act and a Federal Reserve rate hike. Decrypt and Bitcoin.com News say Bitcoin hit intraday highs around $81,238-$81,258, while Bitcoin Magazine and Crypto.News cite similar highs near $81,055-$81,258; the move represented roughly a 5-6% 24-hour gain. Sources differ on the trigger: Decrypt attributes the rally to a dovish Fed dot plot projecting a 4.1% policy rate through 2027, while Bitcoin.com News points to reports that the CFTC sent draft crypto market rules to the White House. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, quoted by Bitcoin Magazine, said inflation remains too high and has not meaningfully improved. Liquidation totals vary widely by outlet and timeframe: CryptoPotato reported $192 million wiped out, Decrypt cited $230 million in Bitcoin shorts and $445 million market-wide, Bitcoin.com News said $238 million in Bitcoin shorts, and The Daily Hodl cited CoinGlass data putting total liquidations at $547 million, including $243.54 million in Bitcoin and $469.19 million in shorts overall.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by CryptoPotato
Bitcoin Price Suddenly Rockets Past $80K Leaving $180M in Shorts Liquidated
- Update
Senate blocks Clarity Act, Bitcoin falls toward $75,000
A failed procedural vote on the Clarity Act sent Bitcoin down before the Fed decision.
- Update
Bank of Japan raises rates to 31-year high
BOJ's move coincided with Bitcoin climbing past $78,000.
- Update
Bitcoin breaks above $80,000 and then $81,000
A rapid rally pushed Bitcoin through $80,000 and to intraday highs above $81,000, triggering large short liquidations.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Decrypt
Bitcoin Blasts Past $80K and a Fresh Short Squeeze Is On
- Official statement
Federal Reserve hikes rates with dovish forward guidance
The Fed's 25 basis point hike came with a dot plot signalling only modest further tightening through 2027.
- Official statement
Official statement from Bitcoin.com News
Bitcoin Price Hits $81K on Renewed Spot Demand, Leverage Reset
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 18 Sept 2026, 14:06 UTC: CryptoPotato — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 15:22 UTC: Decrypt — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 16:46 UTC: Bitcoin Magazine — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 17:24 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 17:44 UTC: Crypto.News — 5 independent sources, 5 reports
- 18 Sept 2026, 18:55 UTC: The Daily Hodl — 6 independent sources, 6 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: XRP, Solana, U.S. Congress, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Hyperliquid, Polkadot, Donald Trump
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin.com News Company, official | Bitcoin Price Hits $81K on Renewed Spot Demand, Leverage Reset | Independent | |
| CryptoPotato Crypto media | Bitcoin Price Suddenly Rockets Past $80K Leaving $180M in Shorts Liquidated | Original | |
| Decrypt Crypto media | Bitcoin Blasts Past $80K and a Fresh Short Squeeze Is On | Independent | |
| Bitcoin Magazine Crypto media | Bitcoin Price Surges Over $81,000 Despite Clarity Act Fail and Interest Rate Hike | Independent | |
| Crypto.News Crypto media | Bitcoin price breaks channel as RSI climbs to 63 | Independent | |
| The Daily Hodl Crypto media | $547,000,000 in Bitcoin and Crypto Liquidated As BTC Price Crosses $81,000 | Syndicated |
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