Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Holds Near $92K As Asia Rally Loses Steam

Bitcoin traded near $92,000 in early Asia on Wednesday, while regional equities eased after a record start to the year and traders shifted focus back to data risk and geopolitics.

Japan set the tone for the pause. The Nikkei slipped in early trade and helped drag the MSCI Asia Pacific Index lower after four straight days of gains, while the yen stayed steady against the dollar.

Tension between Asia’s two biggest economies gave investors an extra reason to take some risk off.

China imposed new controls on exports to Japan with potential military uses, and the Ministry of Commerce said all dual-use items were banned from being exported to Japan for military use effective immediately, with the export control list spanning more than 800 items.

In crypto, the price action stayed contained even as the macro headlines kept coming.

Market snapshot

• Bitcoin: $92,788, down 0.9%
• Ether: $3,259, up 1.4%
• XRP: $2.27, down 5.4%
• Total crypto market cap: $3.27 trillion, down 0.8%

Energy Weighs On Markets As Wall Street Shrugs Off Venezuela Shock

Oil stayed heavy as traders kept one eye on Venezuela after the US move that upended the weekend narrative. Brent and WTI extended losses after President Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over as many as 50M barrels of crude to the US, adding another twist to supply expectations.

Wall Street had delivered the handoff overnight. US stocks ended higher on Monday, with financials lifting the Dow to a record close and energy shares jumping after the US military strike that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as investors bet the move could open access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

FTSE Hits New High As Tech And AI Themes Stay Strong

The broader risk bid has also travelled into Europe. London’s FTSE 100 climbed to a record this week, helped by energy and defence stocks as markets digested the Venezuela shock.

Tech remained the market’s favourite story, especially after CES updates kept the AI trade in motion.

Nvidia said the upbeat revenue outlook it delivered in October has only grown more bullish, and it reiterated its view tied to roughly $500B of data center chip revenue by the end of 2026.

The next catalyst sits on the calendar. Investors are lining up for US business activity updates and Friday’s jobs report, since a softer run of data has kept rate cut expectations alive and helped markets keep their footing.