Bitcoin trades at $79,000, next week’s US inflation data to test rate-cut hopes and crypto valuations

Bitcoin hovered near $79,000 as investors awaited US inflation data for clues on Federal Reserve policy. Softer inflation could revive rate-cut hopes, while hotter data may reinforce higher-for-longer expectations. Ethereum and major altcoins also declined, while institutional crypto demand strengthened through ETF inflows despite recent volatility and mixed macro signals.