Crypto Reporter
Shalini Nagarajan
Crypto Reporter
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Bitcoin eased to around $91,000 on Friday, as Asian markets opened slightly higher and traders lined up the next catalysts, the US nonfarm payrolls report and a possible Supreme Court ruling on President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Early moves in the region stayed measured. Shanghai rose 0.58%, the SZSE Component added 0.36%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.40% to 26,254.50.
The China A50 slipped 0.16%, showing a more cautious tone in large-caps.
Investors treated crypto the same way. Prices moved in a tight band after a volatile start to the year, with positioning leaning toward a wait-and-see stance ahead of macro headlines.
Market snapshot
- Bitcoin: $91,102, up 0.3%
- Ether: $3,111, down 1.3%
- XRP: $2.12, down 1.8%
- Total crypto market cap: $3.19 trillion, down 0.2%
Bitcoin Rangebound As Payrolls And Rate Outlook Shape Market Tone
Linh Tran, senior market analyst at XS.com, said current data leans toward a scenario in which Bitcoin consolidates with a cautiously upward bias, rather than entering a deep bearish reversal.
“Bitcoin’s consolidation range for the remainder of January is likely to fluctuate between $88,000 and $95,000,” she said.
Across broader markets, Japan and Australia opened higher, and South Korea lagged. Trading stayed sensitive to any clue on global growth and US rates, since payrolls could reset expectations for how quickly the Federal Reserve cuts borrowing costs.
Wall Street sent a mixed signal overnight. The S&P 500 finished essentially flat on Thursday, and selling hit big technology names such as Nvidia, even as defence stocks advanced after Trump called for an enlarged $1.5 trillion military budget.
Dollar Holds Firm As Risk Appetite Stays In Check
Rates markets also reacted to a separate Trump remark. Treasury futures inched up and mortgage-backed securities rallied after he said he was directing the purchase of $200B of mortgage bonds.
The tariff story also sat near the top of the risk calendar. The Supreme Court could decide the fate of most of Trump’s tariffs as soon as Friday, and hundreds of companies have lined up hoping to recoup a share of the billions of dollars in duties paid so far.
In the background, money markets priced in at least two quarter-point Fed cuts in 2026, keeping the dollar supported and leaving risky assets trading with a tighter leash.
Elsewhere, the dollar held on to gains from the prior session, oil extended its advance as investors monitored developments in Venezuela and Iran, silver pulled back further from this week’s record, and gold stayed steady.
Fitch raised its US growth outlook, estimating GDP expanded 2.1% in 2025 and forecasting 2.0% growth in 2026, after incorporating economic data that arrived late following last year’s government shutdown.
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