US Inflation Hits New 4-Decade High of 7.5% in January

Bitcoin traders keep track of the inflation rate because some think of the cryptocurrency as an inflation hedge, and the Federal Reserve's expected response to economic conditions often dictates market direction.

AccessTimeIconFeb 10, 2022 at 1:43 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 6:17 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

U.S. consumer price rises accelerated to a new four-decade high of 7.5% in January, just a week after a government employment report signaled a strong jobs market and fast wage growth.

The U.S. Labor Department on Thursday reported last month's increase in the consumer price index (CPI), the most widely followed gauge for tracking inflation, in a statement on its web site. The increase was the fastest since February 1982 and exceeded economists' predictions of 7.3%.

The core CPI, which measures price changes excluding food and energy because they tend to be more volatile, rose to 0.6% month-over-month, the same pace as in December.

Bitcoin (BTC), which some crypto investors believe to be a hedge against inflation because its supply is limited, was down 1.9% in the minutes after the report was released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Thursday. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield peaked over 2% for the first time since 2019.

The biggest driver for overall inflation continued to be used-car prices, with an increase of 40.5% in January from a year ago and 1.5% higher than in December. Food prices surged 0.9% month-over-month, adding up to a 7% increase year-over-year, the highest since 1981. Energy costs advanced 0.9% in January.

What will the Fed do?

With inflation hitting a new high and the labor market hot, many analysts expect the Federal Reserve to be even more aggressive in raising interest rates than previously forecasted. The Fed kept interest rates near zero after the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in January, but hinted at rate hikes starting in March.

"With inflation well above 2% and a strong labor market, the Committee expects it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate,” the Fed said in a statement after the meeting.

The cryptocurrency market has seen a sharp drawdown after a period of all-time highs in November, but it has recovered to some extent over the last couple of weeks, which could be a result of the Fed’s hawkishness as inflation has picked up.

“Inflation still has less influence on bitcoin’s price than other speculative factors," said Scott Bauer, a former Goldman Sachs trader who's now CEO of Prosper Trading Academy. "The idea that bitcoin is an inflation hedge has really not been proven yet, it’s still somewhat theoretical.”

However, the recent price movements in the crypto market have partly been caused by economic factors such as inflation and the likelihood of higher interest rates, according to Bauer.

“The Fed is not going to be as aggressive as some are saying that they will. I don't think we're going to get seven or eight rate hikes. I don't think we're going to get a 50 basis point hike in March,” he said.

Regarding a price prediction for bitcoin this year, he can see it go anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the overall equity market and decisions made by the Federal Reserve.

“If I had to put odds on one of the two, I'd say it's at 80/20 to the upside rather than the downside,” he said.

UPDATE (Feb. 10, 2022, 14:19 UTC): Adds 10-year U.S. Treasury yield price.

UPDATE (Feb. 10, 2022, 14:35 UTC): Adds more information on specific price increases.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Helene Braun

Helene is a New York-based reporter covering Wall Street, the rise of the spot bitcoin ETFs and crypto exchanges. She is also the co-host of CoinDesk's Markets Daily show. Helene is a graduate of New York University's business and economic reporting program and has appeared on CBS News, YahooFinance and Nasdaq TradeTalks. She holds BTC and ETH.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.