Bitcoin Price Outlook as U.S.-Israeli Strike Fears Grow: Will $81K Hold?

Bitcoin price hovered near $81,800 after falling below $82,000, as forced liquidations erased gains from a brief rally. The overall value of cryptocurrencies fell to around $2.74 trillion as the market dipped 1.21% in 24 hours of selling.

Ethereum hovered at around $2400, while XRP dipped to $1.30, a trend seen throughout the market’s top assets. Liquidations on bitcoin surged 80% in 24 hours to $119.1 million, while funding rates indicated that leveraged bitcoin positions unwinded.

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US and Israel Weigh New Iran Strikes After November Midterms

The U.S. and Israel are said to be considering “options” for a new strike on Iran following the midterm elections in November. But President Donald Trump has not signed off on the planned operation, and could yet change his mind.

BREAKING: Bitcoin falls below $83,000 and Ethereum below $2,500 as growing signs point to renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. https://t.co/yWuL1rNmrM

— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) October 22, 2026

Targets might include nuclear facilities, energy plants, and Iranian missile and drone bases, the reports said. Military preparations have been ongoing, and officials are mulling on whether additional strikes would force Tehran to make concessions. Iranian officials have threatened that if the attacks were repeated, then there could be a response throughout the region.

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Bitcoin ETFs Attract $528 Million as BlackRock Leads Inflows

Data from SoSoValue shows that $528 million flowed into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs on October 21. BlackRock’s IBIT was the top-performing Bitcoin fund, accounting for the highest daily inflows, with $235 million.

U.S. Bitcoin ETFs Draw $528 Million, Ether ETFs Add $15 Million

According to SoSoValue, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $528 million in net inflows on October 21, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $235 million. Spot Ethereum ETFs attracted $14.96 million, with Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust (ETH) posting the largest inflow at $28.07 million. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, while Grayscale is a leading crypto-focused asset manager.

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) October 22, 2026

Overall, spot Ethereum ETFs have accumulated $14.96 million in inflows, with Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust seeing the biggest inflow of all. The trust, whose ticker is ETH, saw $28.07 million coming in, more than the total net inflows of all the Ethereum funds.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Will BTC Hold $80,500 or Fall Toward $78,000?

At the time of writing, the BTC price stood at $81,760.79 on the supplied four-hour chart. 

Bitcoin had fallen below $82,000 following its last recovery which failed to break the $85,000 resistance level.

The relative strength index (RSI) showed that decline, dropping to 43.41. The indicator is below the 50 midpoint and below the average shown for it of 55.64. 

The MACD line was at -231.22, while the signal line was at -315.76. It was displaying a bearish crossover with a negative histogram of minus 84.54. Both lines were positive, but a negative histogram indicated that the current upward trend was losing strength.

That is the closest support zone on the chart, having repeated rebounds around $80,500. The potential for a move closer to the $78,000 level may be increased if the 4-hour chart trades below this support.

However, holding $80,500 would keep a rebound toward the nearby $82,000 level possible, per the future Bitcoin outlook. It would take a recovery to over $82,000 for the recent selling pressure to be meaningfully reduced. If a break above $83.5k is sustained, the next marked resistance is $85k.