Rate Hike and CLARITY Roadblock: Why Did Bitcoin Rise Instead of Fall Amid the Double Negative Factors?
In September 2026, the crypto market experienced a textbook case of inverse pricing.
Amid the double shock of the Federal Reserve announcing its first 25-basis-point rate hike since July 2023 and the U.S. Senate rejecting the procedural motion for the CLARITY Act by 49 votes to 50, Bitcoin not only held above the key support level of 76,000 USD but instead launched a short squeeze rally on September 18, gaining approximately 6% and climbing back above 81,000 USD. As of September 20, 2026, based on Gate market data, BTC was fluctuating within a narrow range around 81,000 USD, with an intraday price range of approximately 81,088 USD to 81,156 USD.
This was not a simple oversold rebound. Rising interest rates pushed up risk-free yields, and by traditional estimates,
Amid the double shock of the Federal Reserve announcing its first 25-basis-point rate hike since July 2023 and the U.S. Senate rejecting the procedural motion for the CLARITY Act by 49 votes to 50, Bitcoin not only held above the key support level of 76,000 USD but instead launched a short squeeze rally on September 18, gaining approximately 6% and climbing back above 81,000 USD. As of September 20, 2026, based on Gate market data, BTC was fluctuating within a narrow range around 81,000 USD, with an intraday price range of approximately 81,088 USD to 81,156 USD.
This was not a simple oversold rebound. Rising interest rates pushed up risk-free yields, and by traditional estimates,









