Bitcoin price today is under pressure from two fronts at once: a Federal Reserve rate announcement due Wednesday and a freshly patched security flaw in the long-popular Electrum wallet that already cost at least one user real money. Together, these developments are shaping one of the most closely watched 48-hour windows for Bitcoin in weeks.
At 8 a.m. Eastern Time on October 27, Bitcoin was changing hands at $79,756, a drop of $511 from the morning before.
The coin closed Monday at $80,151, marking its second consecutive daily settle under the 50-day exponential moving average.
Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin ranged from a low of $79,416 to a high of $80,680.
The macro backdrop is the dominant force.
The Federal Reserve’s October 28 interest rate decision, inflation data, third-quarter GDP figures, and major technology earnings are all arriving as Bitcoin struggles to hold $80,000.
The FOMC has held the target range at 3.75% to 4.00% since September 16, when the Fed raised rates for the first time in more than three years.
Traders on the prediction market Polymarket were placing a 94.5% probability on an unchanged rate as of October 25.
That may sound reassuring, but Bitcoin bulls have learned that even a steady decision can move prices sharply if Chair Kevin Warsh signals further hikes are on the table —
the same market gives a quarter-point hike in December a 76.5% chance.
Bitcoin options worth up to $12.2 billion are set to expire on October 30, with $78,000 as a key support level to watch.
One Ontario-based firm noted that Bitcoin spent two weeks between $80,000 and $86,000, and its 30-day range has compressed from 13% to 6% — a volatility squeeze that often ends with a sharp move in either direction.
On the institutional side, the picture is a study in contradictions.
Bitcoin ETFs opened the week with $110.34 million in net inflows, though the entire gain came through BlackRock’s IBIT, while Ether funds returned to sizable outflows.
Trading volume across Bitcoin ETF products reached $1.86 billion, and total net assets closed at $102.84 billion.
The fact that only one fund is driving all the positive flow underscores just how narrow institutional demand has become at this price level.
Meanwhile, Strategy — formerly MicroStrategy — announced something that caught the market off guard.
The firm did not purchase or sell any Bitcoin during the week ending October 25, 2026, leaving its holdings unchanged at 848,517 BTC.
Instead, Strategy directed $204.9 million toward repurchasing 2,068,459 shares of its variable-rate STRC preferred stock.
MSTR shares fell 3.09% on October 26 to $141.50, down $4.51 from the prior close.
For a company that has been Bitcoin’s most vocal corporate buyer, even a single week on the sidelines is a signal traders notice.
The most urgent story for self-custody users is the Electrum wallet exploit.
Electrum, one of Bitcoin’s longest-running lightweight wallets, released version 4.8.3 on October 24 after developers confirmed that a high-severity flaw was already being exploited by malicious servers.
The vulnerability allowed an attacker controlling an Electrum server to intercept a user’s freshly signed payment, suppress its broadcast to the Bitcoin network, and replace it in the wallet’s local history with a conflicting transaction that redirected the same coins to an address the attacker controlled.
A second user contacted developers on October 18 after increasing the fee on a similarly manipulated transaction and losing Bitcoin, though the amount stolen has not been disclosed.
Clients that connect exclusively to servers the user trusts, including self-hosted Electrum servers, are not exposed to this particular technique.
Any Electrum user still running a version older than 4.8.3 should update immediately through the official project channel.
What to watch next: all eyes are on the Fed at 2 p.m. ET on October 28, followed by
September PCE inflation and third-quarter U.S. GDP data scheduled for October 29.
About $33.56 million in Bitcoin positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, including approximately $18.23 million in long positions,
suggesting that the market remains fragile.
Bitcoin has repeatedly found buying support in the $79,400–$79,600 range on sharp dips, with its advance capped near $80,800.
A hold above $79,000 through Wednesday’s announcement would be viewed as a constructive sign; a decisive break below that level could accelerate selling pressure into the end of the month.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto prices are volatile; always do your own research.