Top Crypto News Today August 12 – US Inflation Data, ETF Flows, SEC Rules

One of the biggest events on this week’s crypto calendar has just happened.

Fresh U.S. inflation data has landed, Bitcoin is reacting around $64,000, institutional money is beginning to return to Bitcoin ETFs, and the SEC could be days away from unveiling another major change to U.S. crypto rules.

Here is what matters for the crypto market today.

U.S. Inflation Cools to 3.4% as Bitcoin Holds Near $64,000

The inflation number crypto traders have been waiting for has finally arrived.

The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in July, while annual inflation fell from 3.5% to 3.4%.

Core inflation, which removes food and energy prices, rose 0.2% for the month and slowed from 2.6% to 2.5% annually.

Both readings were exactly in line with economists’ expectations.

Bitcoin traded around $64,000 following the release, after falling as low as roughly $63,200 earlier in the day.

The important part is what happens next.

Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, but it is moving in the right direction.

That could reduce pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates again in September.

For crypto, lower interest rates are generally positive because investors become more willing to put money into riskier assets such as Bitcoin.

Bitcoin ETF Money Starts Flowing Back In

There is another potentially encouraging signal underneath Bitcoin’s price.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $7.8 million of net inflows on Tuesday, according to Farside Investors.

That came immediately after $144.6 million left the funds on Monday.

BlackRock’s IBIT led Tuesday’s buying with $50.2 million of inflows, helping offset withdrawals from several competing funds.

The numbers are still relatively small, but the reversal matters.

Bitcoin ETFs provide one of the clearest windows into how traditional investors are positioning around crypto.

If inflows continue while inflation cools, Bitcoin could receive support from both the economic backdrop and institutional demand.

The SEC Could Make Its Next Big Crypto Move on Friday

Crypto’s next major catalyst could come from Washington.

The SEC is expected to discuss a potentially important new crypto proposal at a public meeting on Friday -14 August.

The plan could create a separate regulatory framework for certain crypto projects raising money through token sales.

That could eventually allow qualifying projects to raise capital without automatically facing the same registration requirements applied to traditional securities offerings.

Nothing has changed yet.

Friday’s meeting concerns a proposal, and any new framework would still have to move through the regulatory process.

But after years of uncertainty over how U.S. securities laws apply to crypto, it could represent another major step toward clearer rules.

CPI Moved the Market Today. What Could Drive the Next Decade?

Today, investors are watching a single inflation number for clues about Bitcoin’s next move.

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