New York, Jan 14, 2026, 06:15 (EST) — Premarket
- Bitcoin climbed roughly 3%, reaching about $94,900 after peaking at $95,929 earlier.
- Premarket trading saw Coinbase and Strategy spearheading gains among U.S.-listed crypto-linked stocks.
- Thursday’s Senate Banking Committee markup on the CLARITY Act is drawing traders’ attention, especially regarding its impact on stablecoin rewards.
Bitcoin jumped almost 3% to $94,883 on Wednesday, while U.S.-listed crypto-linked stocks gained in premarket trading as investors responded to renewed efforts in Washington to establish clearer regulations for digital assets.
Why this matters now: Late Monday, U.S. senators rolled out draft legislation aiming to clarify whether crypto tokens fall under securities or commodities. The bill would boost the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s authority over spot crypto markets—those where assets change hands instantly, not through futures contracts. It also addresses the contentious issue of stablecoin payouts, a hot-button topic for banks and exchanges. “What is threatening progress is not a lack of policymaker engagement, but the relentless pressure campaign by the Big Banks,” said Summer Mersinger, chief executive of the Blockchain Association. (Reuters)
Macro factors lent support as well. U.S. consumer prices climbed 0.3% in December, while the annual core inflation rate eased to 2.6%, according to Tuesday’s data. That bolsters expectations the Federal Reserve can keep interest rates unchanged this month yet still leave the door open for cuts later. “This should give the Fed some breathing room to cut rates in Q1 if the trend continues,” noted Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. (Reuters)
Bitcoin’s surge coincided with gains in the usual suspects. Coinbase climbed roughly 4% before the open, and Strategy jumped 6.7%. Miners Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms also edged higher.
Strategy, once known as MicroStrategy, revealed in a Jan. 12 filing that it bought 13,627 bitcoins between Jan. 5 and 11, spending $1.247 billion at an average of $91,519 per coin. The company said it paid for the purchase using funds from sales of common and preferred stock under its at-the-market program. (SEC)
Traders often view bitcoin as a high-beta macro play. It gains traction when yields drop and concerns over rates ease, but when yields spike, its lack of cash yield quickly turns into a drawback.
The policy backdrop remains unsettled. The Senate text is still a draft, amendments could hit hard, and disputes over stablecoin rewards and compliance wording might drag out the process or alter it in ways the market hasn’t priced in yet.
If rates turn, the rally could quickly unravel. A hotter-than-expected inflation reading, a stronger dollar, or a widespread risk-off mood might push bitcoin down toward the bottom of this week’s range.
Thursday’s Senate Banking Committee markup on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act kicks off at 10 a.m. Eastern. This session will be a crucial moment to see if lawmakers can push the bill forward and how strictly they’ll regulate stablecoin yields and rewards. (America’s Credit Unions)
