January 9th, 2026, is going to be an interesting day for many crypto market traders. Since several important economic events are going to occur on this date, ranging from jobs data to a very important Supreme Court decision, investors will likely see significant fluctuations in asset prices and potentially greater volatility in the crypto than in other asset classes.
Reason Number 1 for Today’s Expected High Volatility
Friday is not going to be a day of waiting for traders; it will be a very busy day filled with many events that will have a direct impact on the crypto and TradFi markets. The day begins at 8:30 AM ET with data from the U.S. Unemployment Rate as well as the Nonfarm Payroll numbers, both of which are the Federal Reserve’s main guides in their interest rate policy decisions, meaning these announcements will be very large market movers right from the start of the day.
Just 90 minutes later at 10:00 AM ET, the Supreme Court will disclose the ruling about national tariffs, which may cause a significant change to U.S. trade policy, and at the same time, the Federal Reserve (FED)’s Chairman, Jerome Powell, will be delivering a speech providing more information about the outlook for monetary policy, adding direct central bank nuance to the mix.
The fact that so many significant economic announcements are taking place during the same time frame will likely create a major amount of back-and-forth trading activity as traders and algorithms attempt to digest all of the conflicting information emanating from the release of these economic events.
Why Crypto Markets Are Particularly Exposed
The crypto market is subject to greater risks than any other. Digital assets have grown increasingly risk-sensitive over time.
A substantial change in either the dollar index or the yield of the U.S. Treasury will have an immediate and noticeable influence on Bitcoin and Ethereum and the overall crypto space.
The limited liquidity experienced in the crypto market during traditional business hours can yield larger price swings than in other sectors. The result of a minor fluctuation in the S&P500 (i.e., 2%) could be as high as a 5% – 8% move in the value of certain popular crypto assets. It’s a day where leverage is exceptionally dangerous, and stablecoins may become a popular port. Expect high volatility.
