Bitcoin Drops Below $74,000 After Core Inflation Beats Forecasts

The reaction is a clean reminder that bitcoin's near-term tape still trades off macro data rather than crypto-native catalysts, with the inflation surprise doing the work. The speed of the move — a sharp swing within minutes of the release — points to thin liquidity and positioning around the print rather than a reassessment of bitcoin's longer-term case. The open question is whether this macro sensitivity persists through the next data cycle, or whether crypto-specific flows reassert themselves as the dominant driver.