Bitcoin falls to $81,667 today despite the intraday rebound

The crypto market is holding up, but without overconfidence: bitcoin today

Bitcoin today is trading at $81,667.00 at 12:29 (4:29 in Mexico City) and is down 0.36% over 24 hours. The data tells me something simple: there is a rebound within the session, but not a clean recovery. With the dollar somewhat firmer and European PMIs weaker than expected, the market is still buying time, not conviction.

Prices as of 12:29 (Madrid time) on October 23, 2026.

Bitcoin: intraday rebound, but still stuck below the weekly highs

In today’s session, bitcoin is at $81,612.57 at 12:29 (4:29 in Mexico City), up 0.37% from Thursday’s close on October 22 and trading in an intraday range between $81,046.80 and $81,891.01. Over five sessions it is down 0.49%, and over the month it is down 3.28%. In other words, it is rebounding in the short term, but it still has not corrected the weakness of recent weeks.

Added to that is an important nuance: U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs took in $524.8 million on Wednesday the 21st, with $235 million for IBIT and $212.7 million for FBTC, but on Thursday the 22nd they posted net outflows of $635.6 million (Farside Investors data). Institutional money is going in and out, and the price is not responding energetically. To me, that usually points to a market that is absorbing buying while waiting for a clearer signal from global liquidity. This afternoon, the U.S. flash PMIs at 15:45 (7:45 in Mexico City) and the University of Michigan sentiment revision at 16:00 (8:00 in Mexico City) could move risk appetite if they alter expectations for the Fed on October 28 at 19:00 (12:00 in Mexico City).

Ethereum: improves intraday, but remains weak over 24 hours

Ethereum is up in the session to $2,397.90 at 12:29 (4:29 in Mexico City), 0.49% above the previous close, although over 24 hours it is down 0.43%. The contrast neatly sums up the tone of the market: there are tactical buys, but not a decisive rotation into more risk.

What it means. The most interesting data point for me is not just the price, but the context. Ethereum is down 10.68% over the month and 19.18% on the year, so any rebound needs more than intraday relief to be credible. Spot ether ETFs broke a five-session streak of outflows on Wednesday with net inflows of $14.9 million, but on Thursday they again lost $110.6 million (Farside Investors). The relief lasted a day and does not change the broader picture. If the market keeps favoring defense within the crypto universe itself, bitcoin may hold up better than ether. That would not be a sign of broad strength, but of a more cautious selection of risk.

BNB: stands out on the upside in a session of modest gains

BNB is up to $747.13 at 12:29 (4:29 in Mexico City), with a 2.28% gain on the session and 1.73% over 24 hours. It is the clear exception among the major assets today, well ahead of bitcoin, ethereum or solana.

What it means. When an asset clearly outperforms the rest on a morning without a favorable macro catalyst, I pay more attention to the composition of the flow than to the drama of the move. BNB had been relatively less punished over the past month, with a 2.62% decline, and that helps. It also matters that the market is discriminating: it is not buying everything, only what comes into the session less damaged. The risk is confusing relative resilience with a trend change. If global money starts demanding more from risk assets again because of firm U.S. PMIs or a stronger dollar, these isolated gains usually lose their shine quickly.

Dollar and macro: the wind is not in favor of multiple expansion

The dollar index is up to 101.74 and the euro is down to $1.1202. At the same time, preliminary eurozone PMIs disappoint: manufacturing comes in at 52.4 versus 52.7 expected, and services at 51.7 versus 52.6. France misses in both, while Germany only improves in manufacturing.

What it means. For the crypto market, this cross-current matters more than it seems. A somewhat stronger dollar tightens financial conditions at the margin and usually takes some oxygen away from assets that depend on abundant liquidity. In addition, weaker European PMIs on their own are not enough to justify the idea of rapid rate cuts; rather, they feed the old problem of weak growth with money still expensive. I distrust stretches in which the market celebrates economic cooling as if it were automatically bullish for everything. In crypto, that interpretation usually does not last long if real liquidity does not follow.

Altcoins: spot gains, but a mixed 24-hour tally

Solana rises to $104.12 and XRP to $1.3191 in the session, while Cardano and Dogecoin also rebound from the previous close. However, over 24 hours CoinGecko paints a different picture: solana is down 0.32%, XRP 0.90% and Cardano 0.02%; only BNB and Dogecoin remain in positive territory.

What it means. That divergence between the intraday picture and the 24-hour change suggests a market with little trend. There are rebounds, yes, but they are still scattered and shallow. To me, that reinforces a basic idea: we are not in a phase of broad risk appetite, but in a selective search for relief after several weeks of digestion. It is worth remembering because crypto assets are very volatile and can lose much of their value. When the market rises in a disorderly way, the first duty is not to chase it, but to assess whether the move has continuity in price, flows and monetary context.

My take

I see a crypto market that is holding up better than one might expect after Thursday’s recent drop in the Nasdaq session, but I still do not see it as free and clear. Bitcoin is holding near $81,600, ETFs are alternating inflows and outflows, and some altcoins are rebounding, but price is still far from a serious acceleration. To believe more strongly in the move, I would need to see bitcoin recover and hold the area of today’s intraday high at $81,891.01, and do so with an orderly reaction after the U.S. PMIs at 15:45 (7:45 in Mexico City) and the Michigan reference at 16:00 (8:00 in Mexico City).

What would make me change my mind is twofold. On the upside, an improvement in the macro tone without a new rebound in the dollar. On the downside, U.S. data reinforcing the idea of higher rates for longer before the Fed meeting on October 28 at 19:00 (12:00 in Mexico City). For me, the main risk remains the same: that the market is pricing monetary relief too early. In crypto, when liquidity does not confirm, price eventually reminds you of it with rather poor manners.

To go deeper

• My previous analysis: Bitcoin and Ethereum today: the key crypto drivers
• How to know your risk profile — before trading any asset

This article provides general financial information and does not constitute investment advice. Investing involves a risk of loss of the capital invested. Crypto assets are highly volatile and are not covered by deposit or investor compensation schemes.