Samara Asset Group's index prices the standard US consumer basket in Bitcoin, and the monthly and annual readings point in opposite directions
Samara Asset Group’s US Bitcoin Consumer Price Index fell 19.30% month over month in September. Over the past year, the same index rose 43.75%.
What the Bitcoin CPI actually measures
Picture the government’s regular inflation report, but every price tag is written in Bitcoin instead of dollars. That is the basic idea behind the index, known as BTCCPI.
Samara, an asset manager based in Malta, takes the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-U basket and re-prices it in Bitcoin. CPI-U is the standard consumer price measure covering things like food, housing and transportation.
The methodology mirrors the traditional CPI and keeps the basket of goods and services consistent. The difference is the unit of account. Price data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while Bitcoin prices are drawn from sources including Yahoo Finance.
Like any CPI, the index tracks what that basket costs over time. When it falls, the same groceries, rent and gas cost fewer units of Bitcoin. When it rises, they cost more.
A volatile track record in 2026
In April, the index slipped 0.95% month over month while climbing 25.90% year over year. In August, it fell 6.56% on a monthly basis and jumped 90.00% on an annual basis.
The monthly moves have all been negative in the data points available, ranging from a modest 0.95% dip to September’s much sharper 19.30% decline.
The annual readings have all been positive, but they bounce around a lot. They went from 25.90% in April to 90.00% in August, then down to 43.75% in September.
Why Samara built it
Samara launched the BTCCPI in May 2025. The firm pitches it to corporate treasurers and institutional investors who want to track how Bitcoin’s purchasing power stacks up against everyday goods and services.
The traditional CPI, meanwhile, usually shows up in crypto conversations as a macro signal. Samara’s version flips the lens. Instead of asking how inflation affects Bitcoin, it asks how Bitcoin performs as the yardstick for inflation.
What this means for treasurers and investors
The most practical takeaway is about time horizon. The September reading shows how much a Bitcoin-denominated budget can change in a single month.
For investors, the annual readings are worth watching most closely. A positive year-over-year number means the consumer basket costs more Bitcoin than it did twelve months earlier. Three positive annual prints in the 2026 data points available suggest that, over those windows, Bitcoin bought less of the basket than it had a year before.
The monthly readings tell a more favorable short-term story, with every reported month showing the basket getting cheaper in Bitcoin terms.
Because the basket barely moves relative to Bitcoin, the BTCCPI is largely a mirror of Bitcoin’s own price action, expressed in terms of groceries and rent rather than dollars.
