New York, Feb 27, 2026, 12:49 (EST) — Regular session
Bitcoin fell on Friday, sliding about 2% to around $65,400 as the week’s rebound ran out of steam. Trading volume over the past 24 hours was about $41 billion, CoinMarketCap data showed. 1
The drop came as a stronger-than-expected U.S. wholesale inflation report helped lift the dollar and kept traders wary of bets that depend on cheaper money. “There’s a real deep unease in markets about inflation and growth so far in 2026,” said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at investingLive. 2
The producer price index (PPI), which tracks changes in prices received by businesses, rose 0.5% in January, above economists’ forecast for a 0.3% gain. “Given still-buoyant core inflation and the recent firming of job gains, we expect the Fed to remain on pause during its upcoming March meeting,” Ben Ayers, a senior economist at Nationwide, said. 3
Risk appetite was already fragile after Nvidia’s results failed to spark another AI-led surge, leaving global equities softer into month-end. That has mattered for bitcoin lately, which has tended to swing with broader risk sentiment. 4
Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States took in a net $254.4 million on Thursday, data from Farside Investors showed, after $506.6 million the day before. Inflows have not stopped selling when macro data hits the tape. 5
Bitcoin has traded between roughly $65,600 and $68,300 so far on Friday, according to Twelve Data market data. The previous close on that feed was about $67,540. 6
Ether, the second-biggest token, was down about 4% at around $1,913, adding to the cautious tone across major cryptocurrencies. Its 24-hour trading volume was about $21.9 billion, CoinMarketCap data showed. 7
But the risk is that the next leg is driven less by crypto headlines than by inflation and policy. Services were a key driver in the PPI report, and some economists pointed to tariff-related cost pressures that could keep price worries alive, the Associated Press reported. 8
Next week brings a fresh test for rate expectations: investors will scan U.S. surveys on manufacturing and services and the February jobs report for signs the economy is cooling. The outcome matters because it shapes how soon — or whether — the Federal Reserve can ease. 9
The Labor Department is scheduled to publish the employment report on March 6 at 8:30 a.m. ET, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release calendar. A strong print could push yields higher again, a common headwind for bitcoin. 10
Traders are also watching the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the PCE price index, due next on March 13, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said. For bitcoin, the next move may hinge on whether that data keeps rates “higher for longer” or reopens the door to cuts. 11
