Bitcoin dips on PCE data as Whalio shows mixed spot flow
Bitcoin (BTC)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
Bitcoin’s rally stalled on Wednesday after U.S. inflation data exceeded expectations ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September meeting, according to cvj.ai. The July PCE price index showed overall inflation rising 0.2% month-over-month and 3.7% year-over-year, slightly above the 3.6% forecast. Core PCE also held at 3.3% annually, matching expectations and suggesting price pressures are easing slowly.
Bitcoin fell to $78,217.50, reversing gains from earlier in the week when it had climbed above $80,000. This pullback reflects concerns that persistent inflation could limit the Fed’s ability to cut interest rates. The recent rally had been driven by the debasement trade, where investors bet on a weaker dollar boosting scarce assets.
Bernstein maintains a long-term target of $125,000 for Bitcoin by the end of 2026, citing fiscal pressures. Other tokens like Ether, XRP, and Cardano also retreated, while BNB gained nearly 1%. Traders are now watching for clues on policy paths, with Nvidia’s earnings and geopolitical developments also in focus.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for BTC, measured when this story was written up on 27 August 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
BTC is trading at $79,023.75 with a 1-hour buy ratio of 50.2%, indicating a slight edge for buyers in the short term. However, the 4-hour buy ratio drops to 43.7%, showing that buying pressure is fading over a slightly longer timeframe. The 24-hour buy ratio sits at 49.9%, nearly balanced, while the 24-hour volume delta is -$903,088, indicating net selling over the day. The cumulative volume delta (CVD) for the 24-hour close is -$117,857,789, confirming that sellers have dominated the day's volume. Spot volume reached $1,148,236,056 with over 4.2 million trades, suggesting active but contested liquidity.
The latest daily buy ratio of 46.7% sits at the 18th percentile of the last 322 days, against a median of 49.2% - weaker buying than most days.
Twenty-four hours later
What BTC did over the 24 hours after the story broke. The market moves for its own reasons; this is what happened, not what the story caused.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for BTC, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the average buy ratio was 51.6%, making today’s 24-hour ratio of 49.9% slightly below the weekly norm. Volume relative to the weekly average is 0.54x, indicating a notably quieter trading day compared to the previous seven days. The coin saw a 14.0% price increase over the eight-day period, with a total volume delta of +$445,688,281. Today’s net selling delta of -$903,088 contrasts sharply with the strong weekly accumulation. This suggests a short-term pause or consolidation after a significant weekly rally, rather than a trend reversal.