According to Fixygen, the cryptocurrency market is ending the week of October 12–16, 2026, amid heightened volatility and declining investor interest in risky assets. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading near $82,000, while Ethereum (ETH) is trading around $2,450. The main factors putting pressure on the market were accelerating inflation in the U.S., capital outflows from cryptocurrency ETFs, and MSCI’s decision to revise the criteria for including companies that hold digital assets in international stock indices.
According to market quotes as of October 16, Bitcoin has partially recovered after falling to a four-week low of around $79,800 the previous day. Earlier in the week, the largest cryptocurrency traded mostly above $82,000, but the release of U.S. macroeconomic data intensified selling pressure.
Ethereum showed weaker performance, falling to approximately $2,440–$2,450 from $2,500 at the end of the previous week. Other major digital assets were also under pressure, notably Solana, which traded at around $105.
The most significant event for financial markets was the release on October 14 of U.S. Department of Labor data on September inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6% month-over-month and 3.7% year-over-year. Additional pressure came from producer price data released on October 15: the PPI rose by 1.3% month-over-month, marking the largest monthly increase since March 2022. Annual producer inflation reached 6.3%.
The acceleration in inflation has heightened market participants’ concerns regarding the future policy of the U.S. Federal Reserve. For cryptocurrencies, this implies the risk of persistently high interest rates, which limit the availability of liquidity and investment demand for highly volatile assets.
This negative trend has impacted U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on digital assets.
According to statistics from Farside Investors, over four trading sessions from October 12 to 15, net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs totaled approximately $146 million. The largest outflow was recorded on October 14, when investors withdrew $261.4 million. Meanwhile, on October 13, the funds attracted $175.7 million, and on October 15, another $5.1 million.
From spot Ethereum ETFs, investors withdrew approximately $250.4 million over the same period. The largest single-day outflow occurred on October 14 and totaled $129.5 million, while on October 15, the funds lost another $60.3 million.
Thus, the total net outflow from U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum funds over four trading days reached approximately $396.4 million. The results of Friday’s trading session have not yet been included in these calculations.
A notable event of the week was the decision by international index provider MSCI, announced on October 15, to change the methodology for including non-operating companies in global stock indices.
The new rules provide for the exclusion of companies whose financial characteristics make them comparable to investment funds and other passive investment structures. The changes will take effect following the November index review, which is scheduled to conclude on November 30.
Public companies whose activities are largely related to the accumulation of Bitcoin and other digital assets fall under these potential restrictions. Among them are Michael Saylor’s U.S.-based Strategy and Japan’s Metaplanet.
MSCI intends to publish the final list of affected companies on November 11. The decision itself does not mean the automatic exclusion of all companies with cryptocurrency reserves: classification will depend on established financial criteria.
According to Reuters, Strategy had previously estimated the potential volume of sales of its shares by index funds in the event of exclusion from the indices at approximately $2.8 billion. Against the backdrop of this news, the company’s shares fell by more than 4% on October 16.
Meanwhile, corporate purchases of Bitcoin continue.
U.S.-based Strive Inc., whose shares trade on the Nasdaq, announced on October 13 that it had purchased 3,311 BTC between October 5 and 9 at an average price of about $84,500. The total value of the purchase was approximately $279.8 million, and the company’s total cryptocurrency reserve increased to 32,773 BTC.
On October 14, Strive announced the additional purchase of 2,822 BTC between October 12 and 13 at an average price of $83,270. The total value of this batch is estimated at approximately $235 million.
Thus, taking into account the two announced purchases, the company’s Bitcoin reserves are estimated to have reached 35,595 BTC.
At the same time, Strive reported the exercise of stock warrants, which is expected to raise approximately $369.2 million before deducting related expenses.
These transactions indicate that demand for Bitcoin from certain public companies remains strong, even amid downward pressure on prices and a decline in investments in exchange-traded cryptocurrency funds.
At the same time, the infrastructure for servicing digital assets by traditional financial institutions is developing.
On October 16, Deutsche Bank confirmed plans to launch its first cryptocurrency custody service for institutional and corporate clients in the coming weeks. Initially, the platform will operate in Germany, after which the bank expects to expand its presence to Asia’s major financial centers by 2027.
In the initial phase, the service will focus on storing Bitcoin and Ethereum. Going forward, Deutsche Bank plans to add transactions involving stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and digital securities.
The German bank views blockchain infrastructure as a complement to traditional financial services, rather than a replacement for them.
On the regulatory front, a document published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the U.S. Federal Register on October 13 drew particular attention; it outlines the development of comprehensive rules for certain retail transactions involving cryptoassets.
The initiative was initially announced by the regulator on October 5. It aims to establish a legal framework for cryptocurrency markets, increase transaction transparency, and protect retail investors. The public comment period for the document will run until December 14, 2026.
At this stage, the focus is on drafting regulations, not on the new requirements taking effect.
Thus, the main theme of the week was the divergence between short-term cryptocurrency price movements and the development of industry infrastructure. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets came under pressure from macroeconomic factors, yet traditional banks continued to develop new products, and some public companies continued to expand their cryptocurrency reserves.
Next week, investors will be watching the performance of U.S. Treasury bonds, changes in expectations regarding the Fed’s interest rates, capital flows into cryptocurrency ETFs, and the implications of MSCI’s decision.
For the corporate sector, preparations for the November 11 announcement of the final list of companies that may be removed from international stock indices will be particularly important.
