Bitcoin continued to drift lower on Wednesday as market participants positioned cautiously ahead of a batch of U.S. economic data and forthcoming Federal Reserve commentary. The largest cryptocurrency registered a near 1% decline to $67,746.6 by 01:19 ET (06:19 GMT), extending a pullback that followed a nearly 50% drop from an October record high.
Top corporate holder Strategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR) reported additional purchases, disclosing that it acquired 2,486 bitcoin for $168.4 million over the past week. That transaction raised the companys total holdings to 717,131 coins. Last weeks buy came at an average cost of $67,710 per coin, slightly below bitcoins trading level at the time of the disclosure. Strategy funded the latest acquisition through further stock issuances and this was the companys third bitcoin purchase in February.
Strategy also said it could survive a bitcoin price crash to as low as $8,000 and that it remained capable of meeting its debt obligations. Those comments came after a prolonged downturn in bitcoin prices but prompted criticism focused on the dilutionary effect of repeated equity issuances if the company continues to issue new shares to fund additional bitcoin purchases. Market participants have flagged Strategy as a source of vulnerability for the crypto market, concerned that a sustained bitcoin downturn could force the company to liquidate part of its large holdings to meet debt requirements.
Across the crypto complex, price action was relatively compressed on Wednesday. Most altcoins have recorded steep losses in recent sessions as sentiment toward the sector has stayed weak. Market participants were closely watching a slate of U.S. economic indicators due this week, along with the minutes of the Federal Reserves January meeting expected later in the day.
Industrial production data and trade figures are scheduled to be released on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index - the Feds preferred inflation gauge - is due on Friday. Both the Fed minutes and the PCE reading are likely to be examined for additional signals on the path for interest rates.
Cryptocurrency markets are sensitive to expectations about U.S. interest rates because of their speculative nature and dependence on looser monetary conditions. Earlier in February, U.S. President Donald Trumps nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair coincided with deep losses in the sector, reflecting views that Warsh would be less dovish.
On Wednesday, the second-largest crypto by market value, Ether, rose 1.1% to $2,003.20, while XRP was up 0.2% at $1.4814. BNB, Solana, and Cardano each fell by more than 1%. Among meme coins, Dogecoin increased 1.2%, and $TRUMP gained 4.2%.