Bitcoin Surges Past $82,000 as US CPI Data Shows Inflation Cooling to 2.4%

In a swift market reaction to the latest US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, Bitcoin (BTC) has skyrocketed beyond $82,000, fueled by slowing inflation and renewed investor optimism. The March CPI report revealed a 2.4% inflation rate—below the anticipated 2.5%—coinciding with President Trump’s 90-day tariff pause. This development has injected fresh momentum into crypto markets, though questions linger about the sustainability of this rally. Meanwhile, significant Bitcoin inflows to Binance prior to the CPI release suggest strategic positioning by institutional players.

US CPI Data Released: Inflation Drops to 2.4%

The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March has dropped to 2.4%, lower than the expected 2.5%. This comes right after President Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs, bringing new hope to the market. With inflation slowing down, financial markets are reacting fast. Bitcoin (BTC), which was struggling, has now surged past $82,000. But will this rally last, or is it just a short-term boost?

Massive Bitcoin Inflows to Binance Ahead of CPI Report Spark Price Crash Concerns

Over the past 12 days, over 22K Bitcoin (BTC), worth approximately $1.82 billion, have been transferred to Binance, bringing the exchange’s total BTC reserves to around 590,874 BTC. CryptoQuant’s Maarten Regterschot noted this strong acceleration in BTC inflows to Binance, suggesting that investors are actively moving funds due to macro uncertainty and ahead of the upcoming CPI announcement by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics set for April 10, which is expected to show a 2.6% increase year-on-year.

Pakistan Plans to Power Bitcoin Mining with Surplus Electricity

Pakistan intends to utilize its surplus electricity to power Bitcoin mining and AI data centers. These initiatives aim to address energy issues and promote technological and cryptographic growth in the country. The government has engaged with several Bitcoin mining firms to devise plans for the project’s success. Bilal Bin Saqib, head of Pakistan’s Crypto Council and adviser to the Finance Minister, clarified that Bitcoin mining facilities will be established in regions with excess power. The project seeks to harness the country’s energy resources effectively while fostering innovation in the blockchain and digital sectors.

Babylon Genesis Launches as First Layer-1 Secured by Bitcoin

Babylon Labs has officially launched Babylon Genesis, marking it as the first-ever Layer-1 blockchain secured by Bitcoin. Following the initial Phase 1 rollout in August 2024, which introduced Bitcoin (BTC) staking through self-custodial contracts, the protocol has already attracted 49678.65 BTC ($4.06B) staked. Babylon currently ranks second in Total Value Locked among restaking protocols, according to DefiLlama. With today’s launch, the project enters Phase 2, including the full release of the Genesis blockchain, activation of CORE infrastructure, and debut of the BABY token, now available for transfers.

Umoja Releases Product Allowing cbBTC Holders to Earn 6% APY on Base

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Umoja has introduced a new product enabling holders of Coinbase wrapped BTC (cbBTC) to secure a 6% annual percentage yield (APY) on the layer-2 network Base. Umoja achieves this yield through various centralized and decentralized exchange strategies, such as covered calls and arbitrage. It’s important to note that cbBTC is an ERC-20 token backed 1:1 by Bitcoin held at Coinbase, not Bitcoin itself. The Umoja protocol supports Yield Vault Tokens (YVTs) collateralized by cryptocurrencies, with yBTC being minted when users deposit cbBTC. This development opens up new avenues for earning yields on BTC using DeFi strategies.