BTC Slides to $87,000 Amid Persistent Risk Frailty Post-Payrolls Data

U.S. economy adds 64,000 jobs in November, delayed BLS data shows
Gold stabilizes after nonfarm payrolls; near record levels
Bitcoin price today: dips to $87k as risk remains frail after payrolls data
Top 6 chip stocks to buy for 2026, according to this semiconductor analyst
Investing.com-- Bitcoin slid on Tuesday, extending a recent downturn as risk appetite, especially for speculative crypto assets, remained frail in anticipation of several key U.S. economic readings.
The much-anticipated jobs data showed that U.S. employers added more jobs than expected in November, but unemployment rose to its highest level in four years.
Crypto prices largely tracked an extended downturn in global technology stocks, as questions over artificial intelligence saw markets lock in recent profits in the sector. Losses in tech also dulled appetite for crypto and other risk-heavy assets.
Bitcoinfell 1.3% to $87,095.0 by 09:47 ET (14:47 GMT), slightly recovering after falling as low as $85,288 earlier, its weakest level in two weeks.
Get more crypto price insights and top stock picks by upgrading to InvestingPro-get 55% off today.
Bitcoin steadily lost ground over the past week, taking little support from the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates and presenting a dovish outlook for monetary policy.
Risk appetite remained frail as traders awaited data that is likely to factor into the Fed’s plans.
The long-awaited U.S. payroll data showed that growth came in slightly stronger than expected in November, but underlying labor market conditions remained soft after a sharp pullback in October, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following delays tied to the government shutdown.
Employers added a seasonally adjusted 64,000 jobs in November, topping the Dow Jones estimate of 45,000 and rebounding from the prior month’s weakness.
The BLS also published a partial October report showing payrolls fell by 105,000, confirming a material deterioration after a surprise gain in September.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, above expectations and the highest level since September 2021. A broader measure that captures discouraged workers and those employed part time for economic reasons climbed to 8.7%, marking its highest reading since August 2021.
October’s decline was largely driven by a sharp drop in government employment, as deferred layoffs announced earlier in the year took effect. Government payrolls fell by 162,000 in October and declined by a further 6,000 in November, the report showed.
Despite the mixed data, market expectations for near-term monetary easing were largely unchanged. Futures pricing continued to imply a low probability of an interest-rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s January meeting, with odds holding around 24.4% after the release, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
After the new labor data release, attention now turns to theconsumer price indexinflation report due on Thursday.
The labor market and inflation are the Fed’s two biggest considerations for altering policy, with any signs of weaker payrolls and softer inflation likely to drive expectations for lower interest rates.
Such a scenario could help Bitcoin recoup some lost ground, given that lower rates boost the appeal of speculative assets such as crypto.
The Fed also began buying back short-dated Treasuries over the past week, increasing market liquidity and potentially opening the door for more plays into speculative assets like crypto. Ultra-low interest rates and the Fed’s liquidity measures– called quantitative easing by some– were key drivers of crypto’s 2021 bull run.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says Bitcoin is poised to break its long-standing four-year cycle and push to new all-time highs in 2026, as structural shifts reshape how the asset trades.
The crypto asset manager argues that the traditional boom-and-bust pattern tied to Bitcoin halvings is fading, with its influence diluted by a changing macro backdrop and a more disciplined market. Interest rates are expected to move lower, while leverage-driven excess has already been cleared following large liquidations late last year.
“The forces that previously drove four-year cycles–the bitcoin halving, interest rate cycles, and crypto’s leverage-fueled booms and busts—are significantly weaker than they’ve been in past cycles,” Hougan said in a Monday blog post.
While the halving still cuts the pace of new bitcoin supply by reducing miner rewards, Hougan said its market impact is increasingly outweighed by other demand-side forces.
He pointed to sustained inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs and wider availability on major brokerage platforms as key drivers that could support continued upside rather than a post-halving downturn.
Hougan also said Bitcoin is shedding its reputation as an extreme risk asset. He noted that Bitcoin was less volatile than Nvidia shares in 2025 and argued that volatility has been trending lower over time as ETFs expand the investor base.
Looking ahead, Hougan expects Bitcoin’s correlation with U.S. equities to weaken, with crypto-specific factors such as regulation, adoption and product innovation playing a larger role in driving performance.
Broader crypto prices fell across the board, with major altcoins all tracking weakness in Bitcoin.
World no.2 cryptoEtherfell 5.4% to $2,936.47, whileXRPslid 2.4% to $1.91.
SolanaandCardanofell 3% and 3.4%, respectively, whileBNBshed around 2%.
Among meme tokens,Dogecoinfell nearly 4%, while$TRUMPshed 4.4%.
Most altcoins were close to multi-month lows, pressured by extended selling in crypto markets.
Bitcoin and other cryptos also largely wiped out their gains in 2025, trading negative for the year after an extended price rout since mid-October, which has shown few signs of easing.
(Ambar Warrick contributed to this report.)