Bitcoin recovered above $80,000 after a 25-basis-point Federal Reserve rate increase, rising 8.1% from its recent low of $75,064 and reclaiming its yearly moving average for the first time since November 2025. The cryptocurrency reached approximately $81,330, with an intraday high near $81,741, while separate market snapshots recorded highs of $80,935 and $81,253. More than $250 million in short positions were liquidated over a day, including over $183 million of roughly $192 million in leveraged crypto liquidations within one hour. BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes argued that monetary flows mattered more than the Senate's rejection of CLARITY Act cloture, saying the Federal Reserve's higher rates could put more income in the hands of wealthy asset owners. Bitcoin still faces technical resistance near $82,800-$83,000, while Hayes' longer-term outlook spans a $50,000 downside case and a possible $1 million target after an artificial-intelligence credit collapse and government response.