New York, January 13, 2026, 07:15 EST
- Bitcoin hovered near $92,000 ahead of U.S. inflation data that could reset rate-cut bets.
- Analysts said the market is stuck in a tight band, with $90,000 watched as a key psychological level.
- Safe-haven demand has stayed firm as geopolitics and Fed independence questions hang over markets.
Bitcoin dipped in Asian trade on Tuesday, last around $91,900, as traders held back ahead of a U.S. inflation report and a run of geopolitical headlines that has dulled appetite for risk. U.S. headline consumer inflation is expected to hold at 2.7% year-on-year, while core inflation — which strips out food and energy — is seen edging up. 1
The consumer price index is the week’s main macro trigger for crypto. A surprise could jolt Treasury yields and the dollar, pushing traders to reprice how fast — or whether — the Federal Reserve can cut rates in coming months.
That caution has shown up across markets. Gold pushed above $4,600 an ounce this week, while oil firmed on worries about Iranian supply after unrest and fresh tariff threats added to the “wall of worry” mood, even as global shares stayed mostly higher. 2
Some analysts still see scope for a breakout if bitcoin can clear nearby resistance. Riya Sehgal, a research analyst at Delta Exchange, said the market opened the week on a “positive note” and pointed to $92,000 as a level to watch, adding that sustained closes above that mark could help confirm a broader recovery. 3
Technical analysts have been less impressed. In a daily chart alert on Monday, Kitco’s Jim Wyckoff flagged “sideways and choppy” trading, echoing the lack of follow-through that has frustrated dip-buyers since the start of the year. 4
But the next move may hinge on the inflation print. “A softer reading could lift risk sentiment and support Bitcoin, while a higher print may lead to brief volatility around the $90,000 zone,” said Akshat Siddhant, lead quant analyst at Mudrex. Analysts in India said spot bitcoin ETF flows have steadied but remain too light to force a clean break higher; ether held above $3,000, while XRP and Solana were little changed. 5
Macro politics has also crept into the crypto tape. In Washington, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said he was not involved in Justice Department conversations about its probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell and said he “respect[s] the independence of the Fed,” while Powell has argued the investigation is a “pretext” to pressure the central bank on rates. 6
For now, traders are watching whether bitcoin can keep the $90,000 area intact through the CPI release — and whether the data, and the mood around the Fed, is enough to break the market out of its narrow range.
