Bitcoin Rebounds as Japanese and South Korean Stocks Recover

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed back after touching about $79,800 on Oct. 15, but weakening buying below $80,000 kept attention on its support range as Asian equity markets rebounded.

BTC later approached $82,500, while the Bitcoin demand zone from $80,000 to $81,500 remained in focus. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF holders’ average cost was about $81,500, near the top of that range.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $5.06 million in net inflows, while spot Ether (ETH) ETFs had $60.22 million in net outflows. Shares of crypto-linked firms also rose: Circle gained 9.33%, Coinbase advanced 6.32%, Strategy added 5.62% and Robinhood climbed 2.88%.

Asian shares recovered Friday after steep losses. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.39%, ending a six-session losing streak, but fell 5.37% for the week. South Korea’s KOSPI gained 2.05%, ending a seven-session decline, but dropped 14.5% for the week, its steepest weekly fall since the 2008 financial crisis.

Earlier Friday, U.S. stock futures moved higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.21%, Nasdaq futures up 0.08% and Dow futures up 0.34%. Debt concerns tied to AI infrastructure continued to weigh on technology and semiconductor stocks and some data-center-related assets, even as broader markets recovered.