Bitcoin starts the week flat while Chainlink flies

Bitcoin opened the week roughly where it finished it, drifting sideways while Chainlink drew the real attention. The oracle token, which feeds real-world data to smart contracts, was the clear riser as traders looked for movement beyond the range-bound leader.

**Weekly price analysis points to a key level**

Price analysis from U.Today calls the current stretch key for the market. Bitcoin, Uniswap, Ethereum and XRP are all hovering near levels that could decide the next direction, and analysts are watching to see whether buyers defend support or let the market slide.

The lack of a decisive move reflects a broader wait-and-see mood. With a Fed decision looming, few traders want to commit before they know what the central bank does.

Bitcoin treasuries keep buying

Corporate buyers are not waiting. Capital B spent $29.4 million on 376 Bitcoin, pushing its treasury to 3,521 coins, according to a report on Bitcoin.com. The purchase is another sign that public companies see the current flat price as a chance to build holdings.

The strategy echoes what others have already done. Building a treasury on a flat market is a bet that Bitcoin is cheap now and worth more later.

**Tether's plan for the dollar, Bitcoin and gold**

Tether's CEO outlined an ambition to grow the dollar network while also buying Bitcoin and gold, as reported by CryptoBriefing. The stablecoin issuer is one of the largest holders of US Treasuries, and the plan ties its reserves strategy to both digital and traditional assets.

For Tether, the split between Bitcoin and gold is a way to hold value beyond the dollar itself. The company is effectively saying its reserves should be as strong as its dollar peg is stable.

**The Liquid attack fallout isn't over**

Hackers returned 85% of the roughly 3,400 Bitcoin stolen in last week's Liquid Network bridge attack, per BeInCrypto. That is good news for a network built to help settle Bitcoin faster.

But the network is not out of trouble. Liquid's native token, L-BTC, faces what analysts describe as serious depegging risks while the recovery plays out, according to CoinPedia. The remaining 15% of stolen funds still being tracked keeps that uncertainty alive.

**The Fed decision is the deciding factor**

Two factors could break Bitcoin out of its range, and the biggest is the central bank. CoinShares puts the chance of a rate hike next week at roughly 60%. A hike would rile risk assets, while a pause could free traders to buy.

That is the concrete level to watch. If the Fed hikes and Bitcoin holds its ground, the range trade may finally have an exit.