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Digital assets, led by Bitcoin, are navigating a period of macro-induced volatility as traders de-risk ahead of today's NFP and Friday’s CPI prints. While Bitcoin tests critical support, Ripple’s expansion into the U.K. insurance market marks a major milestone for real-world asset (RWA) adoption. Meanwhile, social sentiment is being shaped by the Dogecoin cofounder’s dismissal of the latest Satoshi Nakamoto identity theories.
Quick summary
- Bitcoin: Stabilizes near $67,000 BTC amid CPI anticipation and NFP volatility with key support at $64,500.
- Ripple and XRP: XRPL enters the UK’s £300 billion insurance sector via partnership with Aviva Investors.
- Dogecoin: Billy Markus mocks claims linking Epstein to Satoshi Nakamoto as “negative IQ” tier speculation.
BTC price action: Why $69,000 resistance flipped after today’s labor report
Bitcoin dropped to $66,370 briefly on Binance, as per TradingView, on Wednesday, as investor attention is split between this afternoon’s U.S. labor report and Friday’s CPI inflation data. From its Feb. 8 peak near $71,500, BTC has shed over 6%, trading at $67,158 at the time of writing, still 11.4% above the $60,000 Feb. 6 low. Technically, the $69,000 zone has flipped into resistance after repeated rejection.
Today’s Non-Farm Payrolls report (forecast: +66K) is arriving alongside Average Hourly Earnings (+0.3% est.) and the Unemployment Rate (4.4% est.). Recent ISM Services and ADP data signaled a cooling labor market, setting expectations for a dovish tilt. But this report matters because it may confirm or disrupt that view.
A print above 72K would imply labor strength and likely delay rate cuts, pushing the dollar higher and crypto lower. Anything under 60K would reinforce disinflationary momentum, reigniting risk appetite. Mixed data is likely to trigger intraday volatility. Markets are sensitive not just to job creation but also wage pressures and the direction of unemployment.
The $64,500 support level remains key. If it fails, the downside opens to $60,000 again. On the upside, any dovish narrative will need to overcome rejection at $69,000 to reestablish short-term bullish structure.
Ripple to tokenize U.K. insurance market on XRPL
Ripple has announced a major partnership with Aviva Investors to tokenize traditional fund structures on the XRP Ledger. It is the company’s first European asset management integration and marks a major strategic step into the U.K.’s deeply regulated and capital-heavy insurance industry.
The collaboration will see Aviva use XRPL’s low-cost, energy-efficient blockchain infrastructure to issue tokenized investment and insurance products. Both firms emphasized the move from the pilot phase to full institutional production. Ripple’s VP of Trading and Markets, Nigel Khakoo, described tokenization as entering a large-scale deployment phase, while Reece Merrick called the deal a milestone in bridging traditional finance and blockchain.
The XRP Ledger has processed over four billion transactions since 2012 and currently supports over seven million wallets, with 120 validators. Its built-in compliance tools and absence of mining make it attractive to institutions concerned with ESG mandates and regulatory clarity.
Jill Barber, Chief Distribution Officer at Aviva, highlighted cost-efficiency and investor benefit as core drivers. For Ripple, this expands the real-world asset narrative around XRP in one of the U.K.’s largest capital sectors.
"Negative IQ": Dogecoin founder dismisses latest Satoshi theories
Dogecoin’s Billy Markus, known online as Shibetoshi Nakamoto, publicly dismissed rumors circulating on Polymarket that give a 4% chance that Jeffrey Epstein will be confirmed as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Markus responded in his straightforward manner, saying anyone betting on that has “negative IQ,” pointing out the inconsistency of someone like Epstein needing introductions to Bitcoin (BTC) devs if he were truly involved.
'Like why would he be asking Jason Calacanis for an introduction the bitcoin developers when he literally worked with them' - Billy Markus (Shibetoshi Nakamoto) on X
Market watchlist: Next 24 hours
Friday’s inflation print is the week’s defining event. If labor data continues to show signs of cooling, a lower-than-expected CPI could ignite a significant risk-on resurgence for digital assets.
Bitcoin remains vulnerable below the $69,000 resistance. The $64,500 level is now the primary stronghold, while a break below this could open the door to a deeper correction toward $60,000.
In the meantime, XRP is decoupling from pure speculation, gaining fundamental value through institutional utility in the U.K. insurance sector.
Dan Burgin
U.Today Editorial Team