On May 12, 2026, the cryptocurrency market recorded a local cool-down and consolidation.

The rally stalled amid the release of fresh US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which climbed to a three-year high of 3.7%, lowering market expectations for an early Federal Reserve rate cut.

Main market indicators:

- **Market capitalization:** The market holds key positions. Bitcoin’s total capitalization is $1.61 trillion, while Ethereum is $273.6 billion.
- **Institutional inflow:** Crypto funds show strong momentum. Over the week, inflows into crypto funds amounted to $858 million, with only spot Bitcoin funds attracting about $700 million in the last 24 hours.

## Analysis of the largest cryptocurrencies:

- **Bitcoin (BTC) ~ $80,000 – 80,800:** During the day, it briefly fell below $80,000 on the back of US macro data. The bullish/bearish cycle indicator turned green for the first time since March 2023.
- **Ethereum (ETH) Consolidation:** The ETH/BTC pair dropped to a 10-month low; Ether continues to lag Bitcoin in short-term performance.
- **XRP ~ $1.40 – 1.50:** It tested strong resistance at the $1.50 level, then corrected. Meanwhile, spot XRP ETFs in the US recorded a record inflow of $25.8 million (the highest since January).
- **Solana (SOL) ~ to approach ~$97:** It hit a key supply-and-resistance zone. Network activity is supported by the hype around AI tokens.

## Key events and trends of the day:

**Regulatory breakthrough in the US:** The US Senate Banking Committee introduced a 309-page Clarity Act bill, outlining the jurisdiction boundaries between the SEC and CFTC. The document prohibits banks from paying interest on stablecoins (only transaction rewards are permitted) and is aimed at fully integrating the crypto ecosystem into the US legal framework by the summer of 2026.

**AI infrastructure in mining:**

Major miner MARA (Marathon Digital) announced the sale of BTC worth $1.5 billion to reorient its capacity and finance artificial intelligence infrastructure.

**Web3 security:**

Analytics firm Elliptic secured $120 million from Nasdaq and Deutsche Bank to implement AI monitoring, and the Ethereum Foundation introduced a new Clear Signing standard to protect users from malicious transactions.

**Altcoin movers:**

Among smaller-cap tokens, SKYAI (+49.6%) and Telcoin (+27.9%) posted explosive gains, while MegaETH (-10.5%) led the decline list.