London, Feb 10, 2026, 11:00 GMT — Regular session
- Bitcoin was last trading close to $68,900, after moving between about $68,400 and $71,000 earlier.
- Strategy in an SEC filing revealed it bought $90 million worth of bitcoin.
- With U.S. payrolls set for Feb. 11 and CPI inflation numbers dropping Feb. 13, traders are on alert.
Bitcoin hovered near flat on Tuesday, changing hands at $68,921 after losing its grip on the $70,000 mark. Prices swung between $68,371 and $71,029 through the session. Ether dropped 0.4% to $2,013.
This shift stands out: risk assets bounced back, with Japan rallying in the wake of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election victory. The dollar held on the weaker side, and traders braced for a heavy U.S. data slate. Crypto, though, lagged while stocks regained some ground. 1
Gold has stayed in focus, with spot prices hovering near $5,040 an ounce—holding above the $5,000 mark. Traders zeroed in on Wednesday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls and Friday’s inflation figures, both seen as signals for the Federal Reserve’s next steps, after markets factored in two rate cuts for the year. 2
Michael Saylor’s Strategy snapped up 1,142 bitcoin from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, paying around $90.0 million in total—an average of $78,815 per coin. That brings the firm’s stash to 714,644 bitcoin, according to an SEC filing dated Feb. 9. 3
Fresh money trickled into U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs, according to flow data. Farside Investors tallied $144.9 million in total net inflow for Monday. The fund listed as “BTC” brought in $130.5 million, while BlackRock’s IBIT actually saw $20.9 million head out. 4
But trading has grown quieter. Bitcoin’s 24-hour volume slid to roughly $111 billion, a steep fall from the more than $300 billion seen not long ago, as prices steadied near $70,000, according to CoinMarketCap data cited by the Economic Times. “The rebound has been reactive rather than exuberant,” said Giottus CEO Vikram Subburaj. 5
Gold’s move back above $5,000 is catching some eyes. “Gold’s recovery back above $5,000 threatens to stymie any crypto rebound before it even gets going,” noted market analyst Chris Beauchamp in a note. 6
Speaking to CNBC, Allianz chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian pointed to bitcoin’s volatility as a sign of “slow institutional adoption” and a trading landscape still ruled by short-term “tourist investors.” On the same round of TV appearances, crypto advocate Anthony Pompliano gave gold the edge, saying, “When you look at who’s buying gold, it’s the central banks.” 7
Right now, $70,000 serves as the key battleground for traders. Every rally beyond that mark evaporates in short order, while the pullbacks are attracting only measured bids—there’s no stampede to pile in on risk.
The outlook could flip quickly if a surprise in macro data rattles rate bets. A strong payrolls or inflation number? That’s fuel for yields and the dollar. On those squeeze days, bitcoin’s been behaving like a turbocharged risk play.
Eyes turn next to the U.S. January payrolls data, expected Wednesday (Feb. 11), and Friday’s (Feb. 13) consumer price index. Look for ETF flows to draw attention as both numbers hit.
