Bitcoin Attempts to Break Five-Weekend Losing Streak

Bitcoin (BTC) showed early strength on Friday, but the rally lost momentum, raising questions about whether traders are positioning cautiously ahead of the weekend.

According to Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick, Bitcoin has now posted losses for five consecutive weekends, with declines measured from Friday at 5 p.m. ET through Sunday night.

The recent weekend slides have been influenced by market concerns over DeepSeek AI developments and trade policy uncertainties tied to Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

“This trend isn’t typical,” Kendrick noted, highlighting that throughout 2024, major price action was more commonly observed on Mondays and Fridays rather than over the weekend.

Friday’s Price Fluctuations

Bitcoin briefly surged 1.5% to $97,600 early on Friday following weaker-than-expected U.S. retail sales data for January. The disappointing figures renewed hopes for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts in the first half of the year.

However, the rally was short-lived, and Bitcoin quickly retraced to around $96,400, erasing most of its gains.

With U.S. markets closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day, traders are bracing for a potentially volatile three-day weekend with lower liquidity.