Bitcoin held above $64,000 into the July 15 session, steadying a crypto market caught between escalating Middle East tensions and a softer-than-expected U.S. inflation print. The total crypto market capitalization slipped roughly 0.8% between the July 14 close and the July 15 open, shedding $16.94 billion as rising friction between the U.S. and Iran rattled traders. Reported casualties and fresh concern over the Strait of Hormuz drove the initial pullback.
The market recovered soon after, with inflows peaking at $35.58 billion as cooling U.S. inflation firmed from forecast into hard data. The Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% in June—its steepest single-month decline since April 2020—dragging annual inflation to 3.5% and core CPI to 2.6%, both softer than analysts had projected.
Bitcoin Emerges as the Biggest Beneficiary of the Inflation Cooldown
Bitcoin absorbed most of the momentum, rallying to $65,577—a high last reached on June 22, roughly three weeks earlier. The move reads bullish, yet Bitcoin still faces defined hurdles on the chart. Price first needs a sustained break above the $64,336 resistance, and without it, BTC stays capped below that ceiling. A decisive move through opens a path toward $67,292, where sellers are likely to mount fresh pressure.
Source: TradingViewSpot markets have yet to confirm the bullish tilt, posting net sales of $59.83 million that point to lingering caution rather than conviction. Even the $303.7 million in net purchases over the past five days has proven too thin to force a decisive rally. U.S. investors remain the primary engine behind the move. Spot Bitcoin net flows from this group showed a $181.08 million inflow, while their total trading volume closed at $2.30 billion on July 14, according to SoSoValue.
Altcoin Season Index Signals a BTC-Led Market
Whether this marks a full bull market with Bitcoin bulls in control remains unconfirmed, as no direct signal yet points to a dedicated Bitcoin season. CoinGlass’ Altcoin Season Index has been sliding, falling from 58 to 46 and reflecting Bitcoin’s growing strength against the broader altcoin field. A declining reading shows capital rotating into Bitcoin, and a level near 20 or below would mark a firmly Bitcoin-dominated market—territory last seen from early to mid-July 2025.
BTC need not reach that threshold before setting new highs, it printed a record in October 2025, months after trading past that level, which marks the index as a proxy rather than a precondition.