Bitcoin drops below $78K on inflation data

Bitcoin fell below $78,000 on August 26, 2026, after US July PCE inflation data came in slightly above expectations. The move was not isolated to crypto. Stocks and gold sold off simultaneously, pointing to a broad risk-off reaction to the inflation print rather than any crypto-specific catalyst. Bitcoin had already been struggling to clear $80,000 before the data dropped.

The simultaneous selloff across Bitcoin, equities, and gold is the key signal here. When all three move together on a macro data release, it confirms Bitcoin is trading as a macro asset, not as an uncorrelated store of value. For operators and platforms in the Philippines and broader APAC, this matters because user sentiment and deposit volumes tend to follow Bitcoin price direction, even when the cause is a US policy data point with no direct regional relevance.