How Bitcoin Cash reacted to the Personal Income and Outlays on 20 February 2026

The short answer

A strong reaction. In the 15 minutes after the figure came out, Bitcoin Cash's price swung 2.42 times as much as in a normal 15 minutes that day. For a Personal Income release, 1.69 times is usual. An hour later the price was 0.68% lower.

2.42x

Strong

Trading (volume ratio)
11.90x
usual for Personal Income: 2.03x
Price at 8:30 AM
$545.70
15 minutes later
+0.13%
One hour later
−0.68%
range 0.92%, hour before 2.07%
BCH/USDT, 5 minutes candles around the release, 8:30 AM America/New York

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

Open
560.20
Close
559.80
24h change
-0.07%
24h high
570.70
24h low
540.80
24h volume
66,241 BCH

Measured by Clometrix

Bitcoin Cash's volatility ratio was 2.42x, against 1.69x for a typical Personal Income release since 2021. Its volume ratio was 11.90x, against a typical 2.03x. That is a strong reaction by this release's own standard. 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.

How Bitcoin Cash moved

Bitcoin Cash was at $545.70 when the figure came out. Fifteen minutes later it was 0.13% higher, and an hour later 0.68% lower. Its high-to-low range in the hour after was 0.92% of its price, against 2.07% in the hour before.

The release

Released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on 20 February 2026 at 8:30 AM EST. The Personal Income and Outlays came in at 0.3% for December 2025, against 0.1% in October 2025. Personal income is rising faster than before.

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

What made it matter

Since 2021, Personal Income releases in the two weeks before a Fed decision have moved Bitcoin Cash about as much as those at other times: a median volatility ratio of 1.84x across 17, against 1.64x across 52. This one was not within two weeks of a Fed decision. Its own ratio of 2.42x compares with 1.64x for those, so it moved the price more than its circumstances alone would suggest.

Its record

Across 69 Personal Income releases since 2021, Bitcoin Cash's median volatility ratio is 1.69x.

How it compares

Across 69 Personal Income releases since 2021, Bitcoin Cash's usual price swing is 1.69x. This one was 1.43 times the usual.

MutedOrdinaryStrongExceptional

Thin line: Personal Income's usual, 1.69x. Thick line: this release, 2.42x.

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 545.70 544.70 544.90 -0.15% 0.18% 0.16% 53 BCH
5 minutes 545.70 542.30 543.00 -0.50% 0.62% 0.73% 358 BCH
10 minutes 545.70 542.20 543.70 -0.37% 0.64% 0.84% 1,557 BCH
15 minutes 546.90 542.20 546.40 0.13% 0.86% 1.04% 2,026 BCH
30 minutes 546.90 542.20 544.10 -0.29% 0.86% 1.71% 5,057 BCH
1 hour 546.90 541.90 542.00 -0.68% 0.91% 2.04% 9,500 BCH
2 hours 549.60 540.80 546.60 0.16% 1.60% 2.61% 12,271 BCH
4 hours 570.70 540.80 558.90 2.36% 5.24% 2.83% 43,067 BCH
6 hours 570.70 540.80 562.30 2.95% 5.24% 3.63% 46,649 BCH
8 hours 570.70 540.80 558.90 0.27% 5.24% 2.18% 50,693 BCH
12 hours 570.70 540.80 559.80 2.52% 5.24% 4.04% 50,972 BCH

Every coin at this release

Coin Price swing Usual for Personal Income Reaction
Bitcoin 4.93x 2.03x Exceptional
Ethereum 3.68x 1.77x Exceptional
XRP 2.06x 1.81x Ordinary
BNB 3.92x 1.75x Exceptional
Solana 3.44x 1.57x Exceptional
Dogecoin 4.69x 1.52x Exceptional
TRON 2.33x 1.43x Strong
Cardano 3.82x 1.90x Exceptional
Chainlink 3.31x 1.62x Exceptional
Sui 3.55x 1.53x Exceptional
Bitcoin Cash 2.42x 1.69x Strong
Hedera 3.44x 1.51x Exceptional
Avalanche 3.57x 1.55x Exceptional
Litecoin 3.49x 1.64x Exceptional
Gram 1.02x 1.32x Quiet
Shiba Inu 3.70x 1.75x Exceptional
Uniswap 3.64x 1.49x Exceptional
Polkadot 1.04x 1.50x Quiet
Aave 8.44x 1.58x Exceptional
Bittensor 3.19x 1.68x Strong
NEAR Protocol 2.08x 1.43x Strong
Aptos 4.61x 1.73x Exceptional
Internet Computer 3.06x 1.50x Exceptional
POL (prev. MATIC) 3.04x 1.60x Strong
Filecoin 3.06x 1.51x Exceptional

What is the Personal Income and Outlays?

Personal Income measures the change in the total value of income received from all sources by consumers. Income is closely correlated with consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity.

Every Personal Income release for Bitcoin Cash

Questions about this page

Is 2.42x a lot?

For a Personal Income release it is strong: the usual is 1.69x. Each report has its own usual size, and its releases show it.

Will the next Personal Income do the same?

Nobody can say. A forecast shows the range Bitcoin Cash moved in after past Personal Income 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.