Bitcoin and Ethereum rise ahead of US CPI data

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices climbed on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, as cryptocurrency markets rallied ahead of the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. The movement follows a disappointing US jobs report released last week, which has led market observers to scale back expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate increase in September.

Bitcoin opened the day at $63,547.05, representing a 0.6 per cent decline from Tuesday’s opening price. By 8:00 a.m. ET, the leading cryptocurrency had recovered to trade at $64,194. Ethereum followed a similar trajectory, opening at $1,881.10, up 0.5 per cent from the previous day, before rising to $1,915.50 by the same morning timestamp.

Analysts anticipate that the upcoming CPI report will indicate that inflationary conditions eased slightly in July compared to June. This expectation, combined with the weak employment data, has shifted sentiment regarding monetary policy. Rate increases typically act as a headwind for risk-based assets such as cryptocurrency, which do not pay interest, making the prospect of a pause or slowdown in tightening measures a positive catalyst for digital assets.

The broader market context also reflected these shifting expectations. US stock futures rose on Thursday morning following inflation data that further eased concerns about a September rate hike. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gained ground, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped slightly, reinforcing the market’s focus on cooling inflation metrics.

Historical performance data provides context for current valuations. Bitcoin’s all-time high was recorded at $126,198.07 on 6 October 2025, while its all-time low was $0.04865 on 14 July 2010. Ethereum reached its peak of $4,953.73 on 24 August 2025, with a historical low of $0.4209 on 21 October 2015. As the CPI data is released, the actual impact on crypto prices remains to be seen, with market expectations subject to change based on the incoming figures.