NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2026, 16:02 EST — After-hours
- Bitcoin fell about 1% to around $67,700, staying stuck below the $70,000 mark
- Strategy disclosed another weekly bitcoin purchase, funded by share sales
- Traders are watching Fed minutes on Wednesday and the PCE inflation gauge on Friday
Bitcoin eased on Tuesday, slipping about 1% to $67,720 as traders weighed fresh buying by Strategy against a Federal Reserve message that still sounds cautious on rate cuts.
The move matters because bitcoin has struggled to get back above $70,000 in recent sessions, leaving it exposed to shifts in dollar and bond-market sentiment when U.S. data hits.
That timing is awkward this week. Minutes from the Fed’s January meeting are due on Wednesday, and the central bank’s preferred inflation gauge lands on Friday — two events that can swing pricing for risk assets quickly.
Bitcoin was down 1.0% on the day. It traded between $66,702 and $69,111, while ether was up about 0.3% at $1,994.
Strategy said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday it bought 2,486 bitcoin between Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 for $168.4 million at an average price of $67,710, taking its holdings to 717,131 bitcoin. The company said the purchases were funded by proceeds from “at-the-market,” or ATM, sales — programs that let firms sell stock directly into the market in small amounts over time — including sales tied to its preferred shares and common stock. SEC filing
Fed speak was not one-way. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said “several more” rate cuts could be possible this year if inflation resumes a clear path back to 2%, but added that services inflation was “not tamed” and that policymakers needed to see the proof in incoming data. Reuters
Earlier, Fed Governor Michael Barr said the next cut might not occur “for some time,” a reminder that the “higher for longer” trade still sits in the background even when stocks are steady. Bitcoin drifted lower as the dollar held firm ahead of the minutes. Reuters
Friday’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index — the inflation measure the Fed uses to target its 2% goal — is due on Feb. 20. PCE is different from the consumer price index and tends to track consumer prices with a slightly different basket and weighting. BEA
But it can still go wrong fast. If the minutes read more hawkish than expected, or if PCE comes in hotter, traders could push yields and the dollar higher — usually a tough mix for leveraged and speculative corners of the market, including crypto.
For now, the near-term test is simple: can bitcoin reclaim $70,000 with conviction, or does it keep chopping in the upper-$60,000s. The next catalysts are Wednesday’s Fed minutes, then Friday’s PCE report.
