Bitcoin Consolidates Near $80,000 as Traders Await Fed Decision and Derivatives Expiry

Bitcoin traded near $80,215 on Monday, battling to defend the key $80,000 psychological threshold after retreating 9.3% over the past week to a low of $79,100. The pullback triggered hundreds of millions in long liquidations alongside stablecoin contractions and exchange reserve increases. Traders are exercising caution ahead of Wednesday's Federal Reserve interest rate decision, where markets largely anticipate rates holding steady at 3.75%-4.00% while pricing rising odds of a December hike. Broader volatility looms later in the week with U.S. GDP data, the Core PCE inflation gauge, and nearly $11 billion in Bitcoin options expirations.