Bitcoin remained under pressure after the latest U.S. employment data, even as the weaker report renewed speculation that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates during the first half of 2026.

The U.S. labor market showed unexpected weakness in February. Data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the economy lost 92,000 jobs during the month, far below economists’ expectations for a gain of 59,000. The figure also marked a sharp reversal from January’s increase of 126,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate climbed to 4.4%, slightly above forecasts of 4.3% and higher than January’s reading of 4.3%.

Bitcoin had already been trading lower ahead of the report, slipping toward the $70,000 level overnight as oil prices surged and equity markets weakened. Following the release of the data, Bitcoin continued to hover near that level, trading around $67,300.

U.S. stock futures extended their declines after the report. Futures linked to the Nasdaq Composite dropped about 1%, while S&P 500 futures fell roughly 0.8%. At the same time, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note slipped four basis points to 4.11%.

In the commodities market, precious metals reversed earlier losses. Gold gained about 1%, while Silver rose around 2%. Oil prices continued to climb, with West Texas Intermediate crude oil jumping 6.2% to approximately $86 per barrel.

Before the jobs data was released, markets were assigning a 95% probability that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged at its March 18 policy meeting, along with an 85% chance that rates would also remain steady in April.

However, rising oil prices tied to tensions in the Middle East could complicate the inflation outlook. If energy prices stay elevated, they may feed into broader inflation through fuel and food costs. Alongside indications that parts of the U.S. economy could be gaining momentum again, this dynamic may prompt investors to reassess expectations for the future path of monetary policy.