New York, Feb 16, 2026, 16:02 EST — Market closed
- Bitcoin hovered near $68,400 after failing to hold a weekend push above $70,000.
- With U.S. markets shut for Presidents Day, traders kept one eye on crypto as a live risk gauge.
- Focus shifts to Fed minutes on Wednesday and U.S. GDP and PCE inflation data due Friday.
Bitcoin traded back below $70,000 on Monday and was last at about $68,382, little changed over 24 hours, as investors stayed cautious ahead of U.S. policy signals and key economic data later this week. (CoinMarketCap)
U.S. stocks and banks were closed for Presidents Day, leaving thinner participation in broader markets and putting more attention on assets that trade around the clock, including cryptocurrencies. (AP News)
The next clear macro catalyst is the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27-28 meeting on Feb. 18, a document investors use to gauge how firmly policymakers are leaning toward keeping rates restrictive. (Federal Reserve)
Two days later, traders will also get the advance estimate of U.S. fourth-quarter GDP and the personal income and outlays report for December, both scheduled for Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. ET, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The income and outlays release includes the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. (Bureau of Economic Analysis)
Bitcoin’s intraday range has stayed wide. Investing.com data showed Monday’s range at roughly $67,315 to $70,076, underscoring how quickly the market can swing even without fresh headlines. (Investing)
Even after the pullback, bitcoin is still trading far from its October peak. CoinGecko lists bitcoin’s all-time high near $126,080, leaving it well below that level as February trading remains choppy. (CoinGecko)
Other major tokens tracked the softer tone. Investing.com reported ether down about 3.9% to around $1,982 and XRP down about 5.9%, while it pointed to uncertainty over U.S. interest rates weighing on demand for speculative assets. (Investing)
On the company front, bitcoin-heavy Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) tried to tamp down concerns about leverage. In a post on X cited by TheStreet, the company said it can “withstand a drawdown in $BTC price to $8K and still have sufficient assets to fully cover our debt.” (TheStreet)
That matters because Strategy has become a bellwether for crypto-linked equities, alongside names like Coinbase and listed bitcoin miners, when Wall Street trading resumes.
But the risk case is straightforward. If the Fed minutes or Friday’s growth-and-inflation batch pushes rate expectations back toward “higher for longer,” crypto could take another leg down, with thin liquidity amplifying moves.
For now, the calendar is doing most of the work: U.S. markets reopen Tuesday, the Fed minutes land Wednesday, and the week’s biggest scheduled macro prints arrive Friday morning.
