By Hana Yamamoto
Bitcoin remained largely unchanged on Friday, trading at $66,654.7 as of 02:19 ET (06:19 GMT), and looked set to finish the week with very little net movement. Market participants balanced conflicting signals from geopolitical developments involving Iran against looming U.S. labor data that could reshape expectations for monetary policy.
Trading activity across digital assets was subdued, in part because many global markets were closed for the Good Friday holiday, reducing participation and volume in cryptocurrency markets.
Geopolitical tensions and policy data in focus
Bitcoin had climbed toward the $68,000 area earlier in the week on signs that tensions in the Middle East might ease, but those gains largely evaporated after U.S. President Donald Trump adopted a more aggressive posture on Iran. The recent escalation in rhetoric - including threats to target infrastructure such as bridges and power plants - weighed on broader risk appetite and contributed to volatility in risk-sensitive assets.
At the same time, traders stayed cautious ahead of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, with market participants noting that the jobs print could affect expectations around Federal Reserve policy and overall liquidity conditions. That macroeconomic uncertainty has been a constraining factor for extended directional moves in cryptocurrencies.
Despite the short-term swings tied to the conflict, Bitcoin has shown some resilience, rebounding from earlier sharp declines attributed to the geopolitical developments. Nevertheless, the cryptocurrency remains well below its 2025 peak above $126,000, underscoring a broader cooling trend in crypto markets this year.
Altcoins largely muted
Most alternative tokens traded with limited momentum on Friday. Ethereum inched up 0.4% to $2,058.92, while XRP ticked 0.2% higher to $1.32. Solana was flat, and Cardano and Polygon each rose about 2%. Among meme coins, Dogecoin advanced roughly 1%.
With volumes thin and major macro data imminent, the market mood was cautious rather than directional as participants awaited clearer signals from both geopolitical developments and the U.S. labor market report.