Bitcoin (BTC) and the wider crypto market moved lower on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, as traders continued to prepare for the Federal Reserve’s policy decision later this month. BTC slipped to $78,300, down 1.4% over the last 24 hours, while the total crypto market cap fell 0.54% to $2.68 trillion. ETH traded at $2,470, off 0.75% on the day but still up 0.3% on the week, and the Fear and Greed Index remained elevated at 72.

Behind the cautious mood is a growing belief that US interest rates could move higher again. Futures markets now show a 60.4% chance of a quarter-point increase when the FOMC announces its decision on September 16. In simple terms, higher rates can make riskier assets like crypto less attractive, which helps explain why prices have stalled after August’s rally.

That pressure is also showing up in leveraged trading. Open interest in crypto derivatives has climbed 2.19% to $414.24 billion, while 24-hour derivatives volume rose 4.51% to $611.83 billion. Over the same period, $155.93 million in positions were liquidated, including $108.48 million in longs.

Friday’s US employment report remains the main macro driver after traditional markets returned from the Labor Day break. August payrolls increased by 162,000, comfortably above expectations for 55,000, while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%. That stronger-than-expected reading pushed Treasury yields and the US dollar higher, and Bitcoin gave back ground after briefly moving above $82,000 last week.

The federal funds target is still set at 3.50% to 3.75%. If the Fed delivers a 25-basis-point hike on September 16, that range would rise to 3.75% to 4.00%. Even so, the path ahead is not fully decided. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said at Jackson Hole that inflation remains too high, citing a preferred measure near 3.7% versus the central bank’s 2% target. That leaves the September 11 consumer price report as the next key data point, since a hot reading could strengthen the case for a hike, while a softer one may support a pause.

Bitcoin Stays Trapped Between Key Levels

Market Cap

For now, Bitcoin has mostly remained range-bound since its mid-August surge, fueled by short squeezes and the US Treasury’s announcement of an expansion of its bond buybacks. Since then, uncertainty around the FOMC has taken over.

Analyst Daan Crypto has urged patience during this multi-week chop, highlighting $74,000 and $83,000 as the range boundaries that matter most. A clean break below or above those levels could shape the market’s next major move.

For newer investors, this kind of sideways market can be frustrating. Prices move, but not enough to create a clear trend, and sudden swings can trigger losses quickly. That is one reason some market participants have continued looking at presales, where pricing follows a set schedule instead of reacting minute by minute to macro headlines.

LiquidChain’s Pitch: Make Three Big Blockchains Work Together

One project benefiting from that attention is LiquidChain (LIQUID), whose presale is closing in on the $1 million mark. Rather than focusing only on price action, the project is marketing a practical idea: making Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana feel less like separate islands and more like one connected system.

LiquidChain (LIQUID) is a Layer 3 network scheduled to launch later this year. It aims to combine Bitcoin’s capital base, Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem, and Solana’s speed into a single market. The network is designed to represent assets from all three chains using trust-minimized proofs that verify Bitcoin UTXOs, Ethereum states, and Solana accounts, with atomic settlement built into the system. It will also use a Solana-class virtual machine to support fast applications while drawing liquidity from the three Layer 1 networks.

For beginners, the basic promise is straightforward: instead of moving funds through the usual bridge setup and dealing with fragmented liquidity, users and developers would be able to access deeper pools and broader network reach from one place. Developers could deploy once and connect with users across the linked chains, while traders would avoid relying on a conventional wrapped-asset bridge model.

LIQUID Token Details as Presale Approaches $1 Million

The native LIQUID token is used for gas and network participation, can be staked for high-APY rewards tied to network security, and unlocks access to Layer 3 features. LIQUID has a total supply of 11,800,000,100 tokens. Of that amount, 35% is allocated to development, 32.5% to LiquidLabs for growth work, 15% to AquaVault for business development and community programs, 10% to rewards, and 7.5% to listings and expansion.

Tokens will be claimable on Ethereum once the claim window opens, and exchange listings are expected after the sale ends. The presale has now raised more than $960,000 and is less than $40,000 away from $1 million. LIQUID is currently priced at $0.014953, and buyers who choose to stake at purchase are being offered a 1,183% APY.

That fundraising progress has come even as Bitcoin trades near $78,000 and rate-hike expectations weigh on large-cap cryptocurrencies. In a market being driven by macro uncertainty, LiquidChain is positioning itself around infrastructure and cross-chain usability rather than short-term price momentum alone.

How to Buy LIQUID

Investors who want to join the presale can visit the official LiquidChain site, connect a wallet, and buy LIQUID at the current price of $0.014953. The token is also available through the Best Wallet crypto app, downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play, where it appears under the “Upcoming Tokens” tab.

Purchases can be made using BTC, ETH, SOL, BNB, USDT, and USDC, and a bank card payment option is available as well. Buyers who stake at the time of purchase receive the current 1,183% APY.

For updates on presale stage changes, listing dates, and network developments, users can follow LiquidChain on X and join the project on Telegram.

Visit LIQUID Here

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Akiyama Felix
Akiyama Felix
Crypto Journalist

Felix Akiyama is a True Veteran, Originating From the Crypto Class of 2018. A former visual effect artist turned to onchain degen and Vitalik Loving ETH maxi. Felix is notable in the VFX world for being one of the few... Read More

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