How Bitcoin reacted to the Personal Consumption Expenditures on 28 February 2025

The short answer

An ordinary reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin's price swung 1.81 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For a PCE release, 2.03 times is usual. An hour later the price was 1.38% higher.

1.81x

Ordinary

Trading (volume ratio)
2.48x
usual for PCE: 2.52x
Price at 8:30 AM
$80,747.93
15 minutes later
+0.93%
One hour later
+1.38%
range 2.06%, hour before 1.65%
BTC/USDT, 10 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

The dashed orange line is the release. Chart data from Binance.

Open
83,177.27
Close
83,981.12
24h change
0.96%
24h high
85,120.00
24h low
78,258.52
24h volume
82,602 BTC

The release

Released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on 28 February 2025 at 8:30 AM EST. The Personal Consumption Expenditures came in at 0.4% for January 2025, against 0.3% in December 2024. Prices are rising faster than before.

It arrived at the same moment as Personal Income and Outlays and Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, so the reaction measured on this page belongs to all of them together.

How Bitcoin moved

Bitcoin was at $80,747.93 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.93% higher, and an hour later 1.38% higher. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 2.06% of its price, against 1.65% in the hour before.

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin's volatility ratio was 1.81x, against 2.03x for a typical PCE release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 2.48x, against a typical 2.52x. That is about what this release usually does. Both compare the quarter hour of the release with an ordinary quarter hour that same day, where 1.00x is no change: volatility is how far the price ranged, volume how much traded.

What made it matter

Since 2021, PCE releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Bitcoin more than those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 2.13x across 18, against 1.81x across 52. This one was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 1.81x compares with 1.81x for those, about what its circumstances would suggest.

Its record

Across 70 PCE releases since 2021, Bitcoin's median volatility ratio is 2.06x.

What it means

Bitcoin rose 0.93 percent in the fifteen minutes after the release and 1.38 percent within the hour. Its high-to-low range widened to 2.06 percent of price from 1.65 percent in the prior hour. The measured volatility ratio of 1.81 times sat below the 2.09 times median recorded for PCE across 69 releases since 2021, while the volume ratio of 2.48 times matched the typical 2.55 times.

The print arrived eighteen days before the March Federal Reserve decision and therefore outside the two-week window in which PCE has historically produced larger Bitcoin moves. Releases in that window carry a median volatility ratio of 2.13 times, against 1.81 times for the fifty-one releases at other times. This release produced exactly the 1.81 times ratio that the timing alone would suggest.

Clometrix classifies the reaction as ordinary for PCE. The outcome aligns with the broader record that proximity to a policy decision has coincided with greater volatility more consistently than the size of the surprise itself. Traders watching the next PCE may note that its placement on the calendar relative to the Federal Open Market Committee remains the factor most associated with Bitcoin's response magnitude.

How it compares

Across 69 PCE releases since 2021, Bitcoin's usual price swing is 2.03x. This one was 0.89 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: PCE's usual, 2.03x. Thick line: this release, 1.81x.

Minute by minute

Each row is the time after the release, with the same length of time before it for comparison.

After High Low Close Change Range Range before Volume
1 minute 81500.00 80716.98 81295.84 0.67% 0.96% 0.20% 345 BTC
5 minutes 81500.00 80716.98 81215.68 0.58% 0.96% 0.33% 701 BTC
10 minutes 81764.94 80716.98 81339.80 0.73% 1.28% 0.61% 1,210 BTC
15 minutes 81764.94 80716.98 81501.42 0.92% 1.28% 0.61% 1,756 BTC
30 minutes 81764.94 80716.98 81512.42 0.94% 1.28% 0.96% 2,465 BTC
1 hour 82380.51 80716.98 81864.59 1.36% 2.02% 1.63% 4,443 BTC
2 hours 84330.00 80716.98 84311.88 4.23% 4.28% 1.63% 10,291 BTC
4 hours 84920.00 80716.98 84179.86 4.08% 4.95% 2.29% 16,820 BTC
6 hours 85120.00 80716.98 84498.44 4.44% 5.17% 3.87% 21,182 BTC
8 hours 84920.00 79544.71 84179.86 4.47% 6.33% 5.99% 25,547 BTC
12 hours 85120.00 80716.98 83981.12 3.85% 5.17% 5.99% 27,166 BTC

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for PCE Reaction
Bitcoin 1.81x 2.03x Ordinary
Ethereum 2.15x 1.77x Ordinary
XRP 2.50x 1.81x Strong
BNB 2.05x 1.75x Ordinary
Solana 1.80x 1.57x Ordinary
Dogecoin 2.36x 1.52x Strong
TRON 1.72x 1.43x Ordinary
Cardano 2.51x 1.90x Strong
Chainlink 2.62x 1.62x Strong
Sui 2.99x 1.53x Strong
Bitcoin Cash 2.93x 1.69x Strong
Hedera 2.69x 1.51x Strong
Avalanche 2.34x 1.55x Strong
Litecoin 2.14x 1.64x Strong
Gram 2.41x 1.32x Strong
Shiba Inu 2.43x 1.75x Strong
Uniswap 2.43x 1.49x Strong
Polkadot 2.48x 1.50x Strong
Aave 2.27x 1.58x Strong
Bittensor 2.87x 1.68x Strong
NEAR Protocol 2.33x 1.43x Strong
Aptos 1.91x 1.73x Ordinary
Internet Computer 2.35x 1.50x Strong
POL (prev. MATIC) 2.51x 1.60x Strong
Filecoin 2.64x 1.51x Strong

What is the Personal Consumption Expenditures?

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is a measure of the prices people in the United States pay for goods and services. PCE accounts for about two-thirds of domestic spending and is a significant driver of gross domestic product (GDP). An estimated total of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) is compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as one way to measure and track changes in the prices of consumer goods over time.

Every PCE release for Bitcoin

Questions about this page

Is 1.81x a lot?

For a PCE release it is ordinary: the usual is 2.03x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next PCE do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Bitcoin moved in after past PCE releases, so you can plan for the likely size of the move.

What is PCE, and why does the Fed watch it?

PCE is the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Federal Reserve measures its 2 percent inflation goal with the PCE price index. PCE, Core PCE and Personal Income are released together at 8:30 a.m. ET and share one reaction. Their median Bitcoin price swing since 2021 is 2.03x, which places them in Tier 2.

More questions · Glossary

Disclaimer

The data analysis, forecasted results and projections provided herein are based on historical price action and market trends. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, these predictions are speculative and should not be considered a guarantee of future performance. Market conditions can change rapidly, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading and investing involve significant risk, and you should conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. We do not assume any liability for any losses that may result from reliance on this information.