WARSAW, Feb 10, 2026, 16:39 (CET) — Regular session
- Bitcoin slipped below $70,000 following a sharp intraday swing.
- Traders grappled with new regulatory concerns out of South Korea amid uneven U.S. bitcoin ETF activity.
- Attention shifts to U.S. jobs data Wednesday, with inflation numbers set for Friday.
Bitcoin fell below $70,000 on Tuesday, retreating from an earlier peak as traders remained cautious ahead of U.S. economic reports and following a glitch at a South Korean exchange that revived concerns about market infrastructure. By 16:39 CET, Bitcoin was down 0.2% at $69,331, swinging between a high of $71,029 and a low of $67,958. Ether dropped 1.7%, settling at $2,024.
This recent jitter matters since bitcoin is attempting to stabilize following a rough patch that saw it behave more like a leveraged risk asset than a safe haven. Crypto usually reacts quickly when worries about rates, liquidity, and regulation spike.
This week’s tape is tugged both ways. A bit of cash is flowing back into U.S. bitcoin funds, yet news about exchange limits and regulatory crackdowns is holding back confidence—especially after last week’s sharp swings near the $70,000 mark.
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul flagged Bithumb’s accidental giveaway of over $40 billion in bitcoin as a wake-up call for stricter regulations. FSS governor Lee Chan-jin described it as exposing “the structural problems of electronic systems for virtual assets” after the platform mistakenly credited 620,000 bitcoins to users. Authorities managed to recover 99.7% of the coins. (Reuters)
Flow data told a different story. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs—those that hold bitcoin directly—raked in a net $144.9 million on Monday. Most of that came from $130.5 million flowing into Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC). Meanwhile, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) experienced $20.9 million in outflows, according to Farside Investors data. (Farside)
Macro signals remain mixed. U.S. retail sales held steady in December, sparking renewed bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts this year. Investors are now eyeing upcoming data for clearer direction. (Reuters)
Technical levels have come back into focus. Ed Engel from Compass Point expects bitcoin to revisit the $60,000 mark and possibly slide into the $55,000–$60,000 band. He highlighted the 200-day moving average—a key trend line traders track—sitting near $58,000, which might attract buyers. (Barron’s)
Sentiment around key tokens remains cautious. “ETH is still trapped in a bearish pattern after falling below the $2,800 to $3,000 zone,” said Rachael Lucas, analyst at BTC Markets. She noted the drop aligns with a wider macro “risk-off” environment. (Moneyweb)
But the trade is two-sided. Stronger-than-expected jobs data or inflation could drive yields up, weighing on speculative assets. A weaker report might offer a short breather — until the next regulatory update drops.
Traders are eyeing U.S. data for clues this week. The January Employment Situation report arrives Wednesday, followed by the Consumer Price Index for January on Friday—both set for 8:30 a.m. Eastern. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
