Bitcoin halted a four-day losing streak on Friday, rising nearly 4%, but was on track to post a four-week losing run for the first time since November 2025.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency last traded 3.7% higher at $68,776.1 by 17:15 ET (22:15 GMT), after slipping to lows near $65,000 in the previous session.
Bitcoin’s Friday gains helped it cut a chunk of its weekly losses, but it was still set for a decline of about 0.6%. The token has struggled to find sustained upward momentum this week after bouncing off earlier lows, pulling back toward last week’s support near $60,000.
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Bitcoin struggles amid tech rout; U.S. inflation cools Risk aversion has been high this week, amid an extended rout in technology stocks as traders fret about artificial intelligence disruption in legacy sectors such as software and office services.
Fears of AI-driven disruption returned on Thursday, as questions abound about how automation and new AI tools could undermine traditional business models and revenue streams.
Meanwhile, the latest U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on Friday showed that inflation pressures eased more than expected in January, offering tentative signs that the U.S. price backdrop may be stabilizing.
Headline CPI rose rose 2.4% Y/Y, down from December’s 2.7% reading, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reading returns inflation to levels seen shortly after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on U.S. imports in April 2025.
Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased 2.5% on an annual basis, in-line with estimates.
On a M/M basis, headline CPI climbed 0.2%, while core CPI rose 0.3%. Economists had forecast 0.3% increases for both measures.
The softer-than-expected headline figure lifted market expectations for Federal Reserve easing.
Earlier in the week, strong U.S. jobs data showed robust payroll gains and a lower unemployment rate, diminishing hopes of imminent rate cuts.
"Crypto markets close the week in a stabilization phase, with price action firming after a softer-than-expected U.S. headline CPI print, even as ETF outflows persist. Positioning metrics point to reduced leverage and consolidation dynamics rather than renewed directional expansion," Dessislava Ianeva, analyst at Nexo Dispatch, said.
Crypto executives join CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has appointed several leading cryptocurrency executives to its newly formed Innovation Advisory Committee, underscoring the agency’s expanding role in overseeing digital asset markets.
The panel includes Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) CEO Vladimir Tenev, and Uniswap Labs CEO Hayden Adams.
The committee is tasked with advising on emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence as they intersect with derivatives and crypto markets.
The move comes as U.S. authorities work to clarify regulatory oversight of digital assets, with the CFTC widely expected to play a central role in shaping future crypto market rules.
Crypto price today: altcoins rise Most altcoins also traded higher on Friday.
World no.2 crypto Ethereum was up 5.4% to $2,049.07.
World no. 3 crypto XRP gained 2.8% to $1.40.
Solana surged 8.3%, while Cardano advanced 4.1%.
Among meme tokens, Dogecoin added 4.7%.
