NEW YORK, Feb 14, 2026, 12:09 (EST) — Market closed.
- Bitcoin edged up around 1.3%, hovering close to $69,700 over the weekend, following Friday’s steep jump.
- Traders are leaning on rate-cut speculation, ETF inflows, and fresh crypto regulation talk out of Washington to steer the tape right now.
- With U.S. markets closed Monday, investors look to Fed minutes landing Feb. 18 and crucial U.S. data set for Feb. 20.
Bitcoin edged up roughly 1.3% to $69,661 Saturday, lingering just shy of that $70,000 mark after a choppy week driven by U.S. inflation and interest rate moves. Ether also gained 1.3%, trading at $2,079.
That shift is notable. Bitcoin’s price action has started resembling a high-beta macro play once more, traders quick to latch onto inflation data and rate forecasts as signals for risk. U.S. markets head into a weekend pause; now, focus tilts toward what’s on deck next week — specifically, if ETF inflows pick up as screens flicker back on.
Friday’s consumer price numbers handed bulls a bit of optimism, but it wasn’t exactly a green light. The CPI logged a 0.2% gain in January; core CPI, which strips out food and energy, climbed 0.3%, according to Reuters. Over the past 12 months, core inflation cooled to 2.5%—a level not seen this low in almost five years. “Price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort,” said James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones. Still, he noted the trend was pointed down. Reuters
Traders saw the report as sufficient to leave rate cuts on the table. Bitcoin spiked 4.94% Friday, reaching $69,049.69 late in the U.S. session. Treasury yields pulled back, according to Reuters. “A bit of good news” before the long holiday weekend, said Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. Reuters
Policy remains a hot topic. On Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to move ahead with federal digital asset legislation and send it to President Donald Trump this spring. He said the Clarity Act would offer “great comfort to the market” as volatility lingers. Reuters
Signals from crypto-exposed firms are diverging. Coinbase logged an unexpected quarterly loss—its first since the third quarter of 2023—after trading volumes slumped. In a letter to shareholders, the company cautioned that “crypto is cyclical,” but flagged more stable income from subscriptions and stablecoin activity. David Bartosiak, stock strategist at Zacks Investment Research, said Coinbase’s broader business mix acts as “shock absorbers.” Reuters also highlighted that Bitcoin has dropped by almost half since its October 6 high. Reuters
Once the U.S. markets kick back into gear, it’s ETFs that tend to set the tone. On Thursday, U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs bled $410.4 million, with BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC taking the brunt, according to Decrypt, pulling from SoSoValue figures. Nick Motz, CEO of ORQO Group, called the recent moves a “liquidity mirage”—a setup that can lure retail traders into chasing momentum that quickly evaporates. Decrypt
This setup could reverse quickly. Should hopes for rate cuts fade—or if ETF outflows pick up again post-break—bitcoin’s rebound may just fizzle into another brief squeeze. Positioning? Still highly reactive to any macro headlines.
With U.S. equity markets shuttered Monday for Washington’s Birthday, investors will have to wait until Tuesday for the next clear data on spot bitcoin ETF flows.
Minutes from the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting hit Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET, according to the central bank’s calendar. Traders want to see just how firm the committee stands on holding off early cuts, and where officials are putting their attention — sticking with services inflation, or taking comfort from cheaper gas.
Just two days after that, the BEA will drop its advance Q4 GDP estimate along with December 2025’s Personal Income and Outlays data at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 20. That release packs the PCE price index — the one the Fed leans on for its 2% inflation goal.
Bitcoin has a straightforward hurdle right now: retake $70,000—and actually hold it—once U.S. desks are active and ETF flows refresh. If the macro backdrop flips, markets usually act first, debate the reasons after.
