news 
**Bitcoin, Altcoins & Market Trends: What To Watch This Week**
As the cryptocurrency market heads into a critical week, investors are eagerly awaiting key inflation figures from the United States. The February 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) data is set to be released at 8:30 am ET on January 31st.
The previous report in January showed a year-over-year headline inflation rate of 3.0%, with core CPI at 3.3% year-over-year. This time around, analysts predict a slight decrease in both headline and core inflation, anticipating a 0.3% month-over-month increase for each metric.
Should the actual numbers deviate significantly from these forecasts, it could have far-reaching implications for the market. A lower-than-expected reading, particularly below 2.9%, might strengthen optimism regarding mid-2025 Federal Reserve rate cuts, potentially driving up equity and crypto asset values.
Conversely, a surprise upside could generate concerns about persistent inflation and potentially hinder expectations for earlier interest rate relief. As it stands, the Fed is widely anticipated to hold rates steady at its March meeting, making this CPI release an essential barometer of inflation’s trajectory – and by extension, how monetary policy may evolve in the months ahead.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) trades at $82,228.
Source: https://bitcoinist.com/bitcoin-altcoins-what-to-watch-this-week/
