Bitcoin and Ether Creep Up Following Mixed Inflation Data

Bitcoin and Ether caught a light bid Friday. New economic data landed showing core inflation is still cooling down—just enough relief to convince traders the Federal Reserve won't suddenly pivot on interest rates.

Sure, headline inflation heated up thanks to pricey energy. But look at the core metric—the one stripping out volatile food and fuel—and you'll see prices are still falling back to earth.

A Split in the Numbers

Bitget analyst Lewis Huang pointed straight to this split. Soaring energy pushed up the main headline number, but that quiet, steady drop in core inflation proves the bigger price pressures are still melting away.

Central bankers care way more about core inflation when mapping out the long game. That means this energy-driven jump in headline CPI barely ruffled the Fed's broader policy game plan.

Why it matters

Follow the money: crypto ticks right along with macro sentiment and where interest rates are heading. When core inflation keeps sinking, traders start betting the Fed will hand out rate cuts or easy money—and that's pure fuel for risk assets like Bitcoin and Ether.