Bitcoin and Gold Fall in Tandem as Markets Expect Fed to Stay Hawkish

Bitcoin is often cast as digital gold, but its behavior during bouts of market stress remains closer to that of a volatile risk asset. Investors are weighing the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path alongside geopolitical tensions and shifting fund flows. Stronger retail demand for gold-backed exchange-traded funds has sharpened the recent divergence between the cryptocurrency and the traditional safe-haven asset.

Bitcoin fell below $64,000 on Aug. 11 and touched a one-week low as traders reduced risk before the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ July consumer price index release on Aug. 12. Retail investors, meanwhile, stepped up purchases of gold ETFs, helping lift spot bullion to roughly $4,400 an ounce, its highest level in nine weeks, as geopolitical uncertainty reinforced demand for defensive assets.

The annual increase in the U.S. consumer price index rose to 4.2% in May, topping the 4% threshold. Markets responded by reassessing the Federal Reserve's scope to cut rates in the second half of the year and raising expectations of rate hikes. Higher interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, putting Bitcoin, gold and silver under pressure.

Safe-haven and crypto assets faced a selloff after the latest inflation data, with Bitcoin falling below $62,000 and gold and silver prices also tumbling. Attention has shifted to the Federal Reserve's next interest-rate decisions. If the rise in May's 4.2% annual CPI reading persists, monetary policy could remain hawkish in the second half, prompting more conservative capital allocation.

Bitcoin is highly sensitive to interest rates and dollar liquidity. When US Treasury yields rise, non-yielding assets become relatively less attractive to hold. The latest decline coincided with losses in stocks and gold, reflecting traders’ reassessment of the Federal Reserve’s rate-hike path amid inflation concerns. The move was therefore not confined to the crypto market.

Around May 15, Bitcoin fell about 3% in a single day, breaking below $79,000 and touching $78,000 before sliding below $77,000 to a low of about $76,000. Liquidations of bullish crypto positions reached $500 million, while SOL and XRP each dropped about 5%. US Treasury yields neared 20-year highs, although Bitcoin’s implied volatility remained low.

Bitcoin is highly sensitive to interest rates and market liquidity. The U.S. Federal Reserve delivered its most hawkish signal in years through the Federal Open Market Committee, while the U.S.-Iran conflict increased energy and inflation risks. Investors responded by retreating from risk assets including cryptocurrencies, as oil prices climbed to their highest level since 2022.

Market analysis on May 18 showed Bitcoin falling below $76,000 and approaching $75,000, with some traders predicting a possible decline to $65,000. Recent buyers sold $770 million worth of BTC at a loss, reflecting how high oil prices, hawkish monetary policy and geopolitical tensions continue to suppress demand.

Bitcoin is often described by its proponents as “digital gold,” but it typically remains more volatile than physical gold during periods of market stress. On March 18, 2026, the U.S. Federal Reserve held the federal funds rate at 3.50%–3.75% and raised its full-year PCE inflation forecast to 2.7%. With conflict in the Middle East driving up oil prices and inflation concerns, the resilience of both assets came into focus.

On March 19, Bitcoin traded at about $70,235, down 1% on the day, while gold fell 2%, dropping below $4,700 an ounce and retreating 17% from its January peak. Brent crude rose more than 6% in 24 hours to $117. By March 29, CME FedWatch showed a nearly 30% probability that rates would end the year above the current range, while the probability of rates falling below the current level was just 2.9%.

Bitcoin is highly sensitive to expectations for U.S. interest rates and liquidity, while Federal Reserve rate decisions often drive crypto-asset valuations. Markets are now focused on how Chair Jerome Powell will assess changes in inflation and oil prices. His remarks could shape expectations for rate cuts and determine whether capital continues flowing into risk assets.

Bitcoin briefly touched $76,000 ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee's April 29 decision before retreating to around $74,000, including a short-lived intraday drop below $75,000. Ether, meanwhile, approached $2,200. Traders turned cautious and watched for signs of a hawkish tilt in Powell's post-meeting comments.

Bitcoin has characteristics of both a hard asset and a high-risk technology asset. Although growth in global M2 supports its long-term trajectory, speculative capital continues to shape the scale of its gains. Fidelity’s head of global macro, Jurrien Timmer, noted that Bitcoin surged alongside software stocks when the latter rose about 58% in 2017–2018 and 93% in 2020–2021. When software stocks fell about 58% in 2022, Bitcoin also declined sharply.

As of February 27, 2026, gold had gained 153% since the start of 2024, while Bitcoin had fallen 30% over the same period. Binance launched round-the-clock gold futures on January 5, with cumulative trading volume closing in on $35 billion, a daily peak of more than $4 billion and a weekly average of $4.7 billion. CryptoQuant said the total value of assets on the exchange had fallen from $140 billion in August 2025 to $102 billion, its lowest since April of that year, signaling an outflow of capital from the platform.

Bitcoin has long been viewed by some investors as inflation-resistant “digital gold,” but its recent performance has more closely resembled that of a volatile risk asset. Its price has moved closely in line with software-stock benchmarks such as the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV), suggesting that selling pressure in U.S. technology shares and private equity markets is spilling into cryptocurrencies.

During U.S. trading on Monday, July 13, Bitcoin briefly rebounded above $65,000, but the rally failed to hold. It retreated to about $65,400 as the broader stock market and software shares declined. Polymarket showed the probability of Bitcoin falling below $55,000 had risen to 72%, reflecting weakening confidence among holders and increased downside risk.