BTC Steady at $67K Amid Jobs Data, CPI Anticipation

Key Moments

Bitcoin Trades Sideways Ahead of Key U.S. Data

Bitcoin traded mostly flat around $67,000 during Asian hours on Thursday, as market participants digested robust U.S. employment figures that have tempered hopes for imminent interest rate reductions by the Federal Reserve.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency was last quoted 0.4% higher at $67,102.8, remaining confined below the closely watched $70,000 threshold. Trading activity stayed muted, with price action constrained by thinning market liquidity.

Bitcoin had recently bounced back from a sharp retreat toward $60,000 earlier this month, but buying momentum has since faded, leaving the token struggling to reestablish a sustained upward trend.

Macro Data Shifts Rate-Cut Expectations

Data published on Wednesday showed U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose more than anticipated in January, signaling ongoing strength in the labor market. The unemployment rate stayed close to multi-month lows, and wage growth remained solid, bolstering the view that the Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates unchanged for an extended period.

Following the release, traders scaled back expectations for a near-term policy easing, with market pricing reflecting lower odds of rate cuts before June. Such “higher-for-longer” rate expectations generally pressure risk-oriented assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Market participants are now watching weekly jobless claims, due later on Thursday, for additional insight into labor market conditions. Attention is also shifting to Friday’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which is expected to offer clearer signals on inflation dynamics and the future path of Fed policy.

Bitcoin’s continued failure to convincingly clear the $70,000 mark underscores caution across risk assets and lingering volatility after its recent decline, leaving prices in a relatively tight range.

BlockFills Freezes Withdrawals as It Navigates Market Stress

Crypto liquidity provider BlockFills has suspended client withdrawals amid a sharp downturn in digital asset prices, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.

The Financial Times and other outlets reported that the suspension, which started last week, is intended to safeguard clients and the company during a period of heightened market stress and to help rebuild liquidity on the platform.

Despite the withdrawal halt, clients are still able to trade spot and derivatives positions under specified conditions, the reports said.

BlockFills serves more than 2,000 institutional clients and processed over $60 billion in trading volume in 2025, according to the FT report. The move echoes similar steps taken by other crypto firms during previous downturns in the sector.

Altcoins Edge Higher in Tight Trading Ranges

Most major alternative cryptocurrencies posted modest gains on Thursday, with trading largely confined to established ranges.

Among major altcoins, Ethereum climbed 1.1% to $1,972.92, while XRP advanced 1.6% to $1.38. Solana traded largely unchanged, whereas Cardano and Polygon each added 2.5%.

In the meme token segment, Dogecoin gained 2.2%, extending the modestly positive tone across the broader crypto complex, even as Bitcoin stayed rangebound.