Bitcoin Slips Below $80K as Trump-Xi Talks, Inflation Shock Shake Global Markets

Crypto markets turned volatile Thursday as Bitcoin dropped below the key $80,000 level while traders reacted to rising geopolitical tensions, hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data, and the closely watched Trump-Xi summit in Beijing.

Bitcoin briefly fell near $79,200 during Asian trading hours after losing the $80K support zone that had held for most of the week. Moreover, the immediate watch area at this point is the $78,000 region as the next major support level.

At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping officially began bilateral talks in Beijing. Xi warned that the world is entering “a transformation not seen in a century” and questioned whether both countries could avoid future conflict over global power dynamics.

Crypto Market Sentiment Turns Fearful

Broader crypto sentiment dropped sharply as traders moved into risk-off mode.

Ethereum fell around 2% near $2,250, while XRP slipped toward $1.43. Solana led major losses with a drop of over 5%.

Among meme coins, Dogecoin remained one of the few majors trading slightly positive.

Moreover, crypto market sentiment has shifted back toward fear after two consecutive inflation surprises reduced expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts later this year.

The latest U.S. producer price index reportedly came in at 1.4% month-over-month versus expectations of 0.5%, while CPI inflation earlier this week rose to 3.8%, the highest reading in nearly three years.

Oil Prices Climb on Global Tensions

Oil markets also stayed elevated as investors monitored the Trump-Xi summit and rising geopolitical concerns around Taiwan and global trade routes.

Brent crude traded above $105 per barrel, while WTI crude hovered near the mid-$90 range as traders priced in potential supply disruptions and broader geopolitical instability.

Stocks Stay Strong Despite Crypto Weakness

Despite weakness across crypto markets, AI-related tech stocks continued outperforming.

NVIDIA remained one of the strongest-performing companies globally and is now worth more than the GDP of every country except the United States and China. Meanwhile, Cisco surged after issuing stronger-than-expected guidance, helping Nasdaq futures remain positive even as crypto markets corrected.