Bitcoin shoots to $44,000 as US inflation hits 7.8% in December

The latest figures from the United States Bureau of labor statistics show that the (Consumer Price Index) CPI hit 7% in December.ย 

Bitcoin (BTC) was volatile prior to the announcement, fluctuating over $2,000 from lows of $41,000 to $43,000 on Wednesday morning. Upon release of the figures, the price continued its upward climb, touching $44,000.ย 

Prior to the announcement, Twitter was rife with speculation. According to a poll by @coinbureau, 53% of his 580,000 followers expected CPI to overshoot the consensus estimation of 7% inflation.

Macroeconomic specialist and cryptocurrency soothsayer Lyn Alden was on the money.

The graph for inflation from the FED over the past 10 years is eye-opening. Since the pandemic, marked in grey, the inflation level plummeted before beginning a dizzying climb to 7%.

Related: Bitcoin crash ahead? Expert warns higher inflation could whip BTC price to $30K

Castle Island Ventures’ Nic Carter was more tongue-in-cheek prior to the data update. In anticipation of more inflation rises, he joked that he was โ€œlooking forward to the inflationista cope if CPI prints double digitsโ€.ย 

Inflation rates have become of paramount concern to developed countries around the world, but particularly for the United States. 7% is the highest inflation rate since the 1980s.ย 

Traditional markets including the S&P kicked off in the green, up 0.36%, while BTC was up 2.8% during the morningโ€™s action.