Bitcoin surged past $95,000 on Wednesday, reaching a high of $97,800 during the U.S. trading session, marking a 3.5% gain in 24 hours and breaking a two-month resistance. Ethereum's ether outperformed, rising 5% to $3,380—its highest in over a month and the first time above $3,300 in 2026. The rally triggered $700 million in liquidations of leveraged short positions, per CoinGlass, with $380 million from bitcoin shorts and over $250 million from ether shorts. Gabe Selby of CF Benchmarks noted the move as mechanical, driven by short covering and resolving supply-demand imbalances from October-November declines.

Joel Kruger of LMAX Group called the breakout a "green light" for the crypto market, reawakening bullish momentum toward $100,000 and a retest of bitcoin's $126,000 all-time high from early October 2025. Trading volumes spiked with fresh demand, while funding rates stayed subdued, indicating no speculative excess. A weekly close above $95,000 for bitcoin or $3,500 for ether would confirm further upside. U.S. bitcoin buyers are now driving the rally, reversing late 2025 trends.

KuCoin achieved a record $1.25 trillion in trading volume for 2025 (averaging $114 billion monthly), capturing an all-time high share of centralized exchange activity, with even splits in spot and derivatives, and altcoins dominating. Separately, a Polymarket trader bet $40,000 on a U.S. strike on Iran by January 14, amid 65% odds by month-end and 74% by June 30.

Coinbase Global Inc., a major cryptocurrency exchange, has withdrawn its support for the current version of a proposed market-structure bill set for markup in the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday. The bill aims to regulate digital asset markets, including Bitcoin trading.

Coinbase’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong expressed concerns in a post on X on Wednesday, stating, “There are too many issues.” He further argued that “this version would be materially worse than the current status quo. We’d rather have no bill than a bad bill,” highlighting potential setbacks for the Bitcoin and broader crypto market amid ongoing regulatory debates.

Dartmouth College’s $9 billion endowment became the latest institutional investor to gain direct exposure to cryptocurrencies, as disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on January 14, 2026. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the endowment made its inaugural investments in cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), purchasing shares in Grayscale's Ethereum ETF and BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF. This marks Dartmouth as the first university endowment to acquire an Ethereum ETF.

Other prominent university endowments have also entered the Bitcoin market recently. Harvard, Brown, and Emory University purchased Bitcoin ETFs over the past year, signaling growing institutional interest in digital assets amid a maturing cryptocurrency market.

Bitcoin mining stocks rallied as BTC topped $97,000, its highest price since November 14. Crypto treasury firms like Strategy and BitMine Immersion Technologies also surged amid growing institutional interest, driven by accelerating ETF inflows and on-chain accumulation.

Key beneficiaries included Singapore-based Bitdeer (Bitcoin mining and AI services), up over 15% to $14.76. Bakkt, which announced acquiring a stablecoin services firm earlier this week, climbed 12% to $21.01. CleanSpark (Bitcoin mining and data center operator) gained 6.3% to $13.34. Riot Platforms rose 3.2% to $17.30. Tom Lee's BitMine Immersion Technologies, the leading publicly traded Ethereum treasury firm, increased 4.7% to $32.68 two days after adding $76 million in ETH to its $13 billion treasury. Strategy, the first publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company, rose 3.6% to $179.33.

BTC traded at $96,867 Wednesday, up nearly 5% daily and over 5% weekly, though down 23% from its all-time high above $126,000 (CoinGecko). Trading volume climbed 29% to $117 billion (CoinGlass), with nearly $700 million in short positions liquidated over 24 hours.

Bitcoin surged over 4% in the last day, surpassing $97,000—a level unseen since mid-November. The rally began Tuesday after a Bureau of Labor Statistics report revealed steady inflation at the end of last year, easing economic fears and raising hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Lower rates favor risky assets like crypto, potentially fueling further gains if inflation continues cooling.

Crypto stocks followed suit: Coinbase (COIN) rose nearly 3%, while MicroStrategy (MSTR) jumped over 6% by Wednesday afternoon. Analysts like Sean Farrell from Fundstrat predict continued upside, citing strong buying interest and positive signals. After Bitcoin's struggles last year, this breakout above $95,000—a key resistance now turned support—signals renewed enthusiasm.

Regulatory progress bolsters optimism. The Clarity Act, aiming to clarify digital asset rules by splitting oversight between agencies, faces a Senate vote delay until late January amid bipartisan talks. Strategist Joel Kruger highlights its potential to attract billions in institutional funds by reducing uncertainty for exchanges and users.

Smaller firms like High Roller Technologies (ROLR) soared after partnering with Crypto.com for U.S. prediction markets. Risks include upside inflation surprises, regulatory delays, and volatility, but with macro tailwinds, experts eye $100,000 soon. Watch upcoming inflation data, Fed speeches, and Senate updates.

Bitcoin's recovery above $94,000 has sparked debate on whether it signals a bull cycle continuation or a final rally before a deeper reset. Crypto analyst Xanrox, via TradingView, analyzes the weekly candlestick chart using Elliott Wave theory, indicating Bitcoin completed a five-impulse wave from early 2023, peaking above $126,000 in October 2025. The cryptocurrency is now in corrective waves ABC, with wave A as a sharp decline from a projected $125,000 high to the low-$80,000 range. Current price action represents a bullish counter-trend wave (B) or (X), potentially advancing to $100,000–$103,000 in coming weeks or months, possibly drawing altcoin rotations, before a larger downward move.

Xanrox's long-term structure, spanning 2017 to 2026, draws parallels to past cycles' deep corrections—over 75% drawdowns in 2018 and 2022—forecasting a major reset in 2026 to sub-$60,000, targeting $57,000 (0.618 Fibonacci retracement from the 2025 peak, above the 200-week moving average). This would equate to a 54% correction from the high. However, Spot Bitcoin ETFs may provide stabilization, potentially halting the drop before $57,000.

Bitcoin surged past $97,000 on Tuesday, driven by major traders returning to the spot market after weeks of ETF-induced selling. This rally revives the $100,000 threshold and highlights a shift in market dynamics, with on-chain and derivatives data indicating it's not powered by retail leverage. Instead, whales are accumulating on the spot market, while smaller traders chase via futures— a pattern suggesting longer-lasting gains.

CryptoQuant's futures order size chart shows large orders, linked to whales and funds, rising as Bitcoin climbed from $80,000 to over $95,000. Small trades surged in futures, confirming retail's leveraged entry. Unlike past market tops where retail led and whales sold, whales are now buying first, with retail following—signaling an early trend phase rather than a late-cycle burst.

Another CryptoQuant chart reveals Bitcoin's daily percentage changes shifting from November's red peaks to January's green clusters, reflecting genuine buying pressure over short squeezes. The price rose stepwise from ~$84,400 to over $96,000, with mild retracements as spot demand absorbed supply. November's selling waned; early-month US spot Bitcoin ETFs lost over $6 billion from late entrants post-October peak, who exited at losses. Bitcoin stabilized near the ETFs' ~$86,000 average as support, weeding out weak hands and allowing whales to rebuild at lower levels.

Bitcoin surged past $97,000 on Jan. 14, reaching a peak of $97,797 after breaking the $95,000 resistance, driven by the U.S. Supreme Court’s second deferment in a week of ruling on President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. This judicial delay fueled speculation of court support for the administration’s trade policies, with Polymarket odds of a favorable ruling for Trump rising 12 percentage points since Jan. 7, including a 6-point jump post-postponement. The cryptocurrency’s seven-day gains hit nearly 7%, boosting its market capitalization to $1.95 trillion and bringing it within reach of the $100,000 milestone.

Record institutional demand amplified the rally, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording $753.8 million in net inflows on Jan. 13—the largest single-day amount since launch. Fidelity’s FBTC led with $351.4 million, followed by Blackrock’s IBIT at $126.3 million, reversing lackluster interest from late 2026. Macroeconomic tensions, including Trump’s attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during a third-quarter GDP speech and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Fed, strengthened Bitcoin’s “digital gold” narrative.

The surge triggered $850 million in leveraged position liquidations over 24 hours, with $372 million in shorts versus $28 million in longs. Broader crypto markets rose 4% to $3.4 trillion, with major altcoins gaining 3-6%. Analysts predict Bitcoin’s first double-digit weekly gain of 2026 and a reclaim of $100,000 amid this “perfect storm.”

North American Bitcoin mining pools experienced a consistent decline in block share in 2025, dropping to 35% of total blocks by December, according to BlocksBridge Consulting. Foundry USA, MARA Pool, and Luxor Technologies accounted for this share, down from over 40% in January. The shift is driven by surging demand for AI infrastructure, overshadowing environmental and community concerns, while China's energy build-out provides opportunities despite U.S. President Donald Trump's vision for technological dominance.

Trump, as a 2024 candidate, called for all remaining Bitcoin to be mined in the U.S., a pledge experts deem difficult or impossible. U.S. miners currently hold about 40% of global hashrate, per TheMinerMag, more than any other country. His sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., co-founded American Bitcoin in March, with Miami-based Hut 8 owning an 80% stake. Hut 8, formerly focused on mining, is pivoting to energy infrastructure and partnered with AI firm Anthropic in December for U.S. data centers.

In November, Eric Trump visited American Bitcoin's Texas facility, posting a video on X showcasing 35,000 machines mining about 2% of the world's Bitcoin supply. Rapid data center growth is challenging Trump's pro-crypto ambitions amid global competition.

On the latest episode of CNBC Crypto World, Bitcoin surged past the $97,000 level for the first time since November, marking a significant milestone in the cryptocurrency market.

New data from Chainalysis reveals that crypto scams and fraud resulted in at least $17 billion in losses in 2025, the highest amount ever recorded, highlighting ongoing risks in the sector.

Additionally, Faryar Shirzad, Chief Policy Officer at Coinbase, discussed the Senate Banking Committee’s crypto market structure bill ahead of its markup on Capitol Hill, offering insights into potential regulatory developments.

Bhutan has quietly amassed significant Bitcoin holdings by mining with excess hydroelectric power that would otherwise go to waste, achieving zero-cost energy production. This strategy, pursued for national sovereignty rather than price speculation, has resulted in Bitcoin reserves equivalent to 40% of the country's GDP—surpassing the value of all other government assets combined. Bhutan avoided public announcements to evade concerns from the IMF.

In a major development, Pakistan announced plans to utilize 2,000 megawatts of stranded energy for Bitcoin mining, representing 10% of the entire Bitcoin network's power capacity. This move highlights growing national interest in leveraging underused energy resources to participate in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Bitcoin has surged to a two-month high above $96,000, its highest level since mid-November 2024, reflecting renewed strength in risk assets and a shift in market sentiment after weeks of tight range-bound trading. The rally liquidated $700 million in short positions, with Bitcoin trading around $96,000-$97,000 on platforms like Bybit inverse perpetual. Host Jason Casper expresses excitement, shouting out chat participants including Investment Time, Anna Jupy Nakawatchi 420, Aliki Louisiana, Big toe Casper, and Preparing for War.

Technically, Bitcoin approaches a key high-volume node at $96,303, the highest since November 2024, where most volume has traded around $96,188. A daily close above this level could flip resistance to support, targeting $113,000-$114,000, aligned with the weekly order block and 0.618 Fibonacci retracement. A green dot on the weekly Market Cipher B signals potential 40% upside, with hidden bullish divergence and neutral Fear and Greed Index sentiment—first since October 29, 2024. However, Jason Casper warns of rejection risks, citing bearish divergences on lower timeframes like 4-hour and 1-hour, and plans short trades below $96,717 after two prior losses.

Concerns arise from a US Senate crypto market structure bill, flagged by Galaxy Digital Research as expanding Treasury surveillance powers akin to the 2001 Patriot Act. It enables designating crypto as high-risk for money laundering, freezing transactions, and sanctioning DeFi, threatening crypto's anti-surveillance ethos. Jason Casper remains cautiously bullish but eyes silver potentially hitting $100 amid broader market dynamics.

CleanSpark, a Bitcoin mining company, announced on Wednesday an agreement to purchase 447 acres in Brazoria County, Texas, to develop a 300 MW data center expandable to 600 MW, focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. CEO Matt Schultz stated that accelerating demand for AI-native compute has constrained access to transmission-level power in key regions. The deal is set to close in the first quarter of 2026.

This move exemplifies Bitcoin miners diversifying amid rising mining difficulty. Firms like MARA Holdings, Core Scientific, Hut 8, Riot Platforms, and TeraWulf have repurposed infrastructure or announced AI/HPC expansions. Others pursue greener efficiencies; for instance, Canadian miner Canaan revealed last week a proof-of-concept to repurpose compute heat for local greenhouses.

Bitcoin mining costs have surged, with difficulty hitting all-time highs in 2025. Data from CoinWarz shows it peaked at 156 trillion in November and stood at 146 trillion at publication.

President Donald Trump's sharp criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, calling him a "jerk" and suggesting he "will be gone soon," delivered at the Detroit Economic Club, has fueled political pressure on the Fed. Combined with reports of a potential Department of Justice probe into Federal Reserve leadership, these developments sparked speculation of a more dovish policy shift, including lower interest rates. This benefits risk assets, with Bitcoin (BTC) and major altcoins like Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) rallying higher. Bitcoin advanced as traders positioned for easier monetary conditions, while altcoins saw stronger percentage gains amid increased trading volumes and bullish derivatives positioning.

The rally reflects anticipation of policy easing, where lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like Bitcoin, drawing retail and institutional investors. Crypto markets, increasingly macro-sensitive, thrive on liquidity from monetary expansion. Trump's ongoing clashes with the Fed over rates amplify uncertainty, potentially leading to a growth-aligned chair who tolerates higher inflation—supportive for digital assets.

However, risks include volatility from a politicized Fed, if rate cuts fail to materialize or inflation persists. Regulatory uncertainty could also impact dynamics. Traders will monitor Fed speeches, minutes, economic data, and further Trump or DOJ updates for sustained momentum.

As 2026 begins, Bitcoin appears strong amid a political clash between the Trump administration and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, challenging the traditional link between lower interest rates and rising asset prices. The administration's pro-crypto stance and calls for rate cuts—echoed in Trump's remarks via The Kobeissi Letter, urging the Fed to lower rates when markets rise—clash with attacks on Fed independence, unsettling institutional investors like BlackRock and Fidelity. This creates a push-pull for Bitcoin [BTC], acting as both a hedge against a politically pressured U.S. dollar and a speculative risk amid institutional sell-offs.

Farzam Ehsani, CEO of VALR, describes the dynamic as paradoxical: a criminal investigation into Powell signals deep rifts, driving some to decentralized Bitcoin for reliability while scaring big players from risky assets. Ray Youssef, CEO of NoOnes, notes that expected rate cuts to 1% could boost liquidity, propelling BTC and gold as refuges amid chaos and red indices. If Powell prevails, markets may stabilize; otherwise, cheap money could spark a BTC rally.

Despite uncertainty, the crypto market rose 3.22% to $3.24 trillion in 24 hours, with the Fear and Greed Index at 52 (neutral) per CoinMarketCap. Overbought assets signal pullback risks, but the Justice Department's probe may funnel investors to safe havens like gold and Bitcoin. (By Ishika Kumari, edited by Saman Waris at AMBCrypto.)

Bitcoin's price surged to its highest level in two months, approaching $97,700, driven primarily by MicroStrategy's significant Bitcoin purchase. Supportive US inflation data further enhanced investor confidence in risk assets, leading to gains in other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum. However, the broader market saw US stocks decline amid the rally.

Despite the optimism, experts remain skeptical, labeling the uptick as a temporary rally. Economist Peter Schiff echoed this caution in a tweet, describing it as a "huge sucker’s rally" in Bitcoin. He suggested traders are mistakenly shifting profits from gold and silver mining stocks into Bitcoin ETFs and MicroStrategy ($MSTR) shares, advising savvy investors to buy mining stocks and sell Bitcoin and $MSTR instead.

U.S. lawmakers face a pivotal week for cryptocurrency regulation, with over 75 amendments filed ahead of the Senate Banking Committee's markup hearing on Thursday for a sweeping crypto market structure bill. Released just days ago, the legislation could reshape operations for Bitcoin, stablecoins, exchanges, and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms in the United States, amid urgency and divisions in Washington. Stakeholders including crypto investors, exchanges, banks, and fintech firms are closely monitoring, as outcomes may influence U.S. crypto markets for years.

At its core, the bill clarifies oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), defining when tokens like Bitcoin are securities or commodities. Supporters argue it will encourage institutional investment, reduce legal uncertainty for exchanges and custody providers, and retain crypto innovation in the U.S. Critics warn of potential innovation restrictions or regulatory power concentration. Bitcoin holders may face indirect effects via higher exchange compliance and custody costs, stablecoin liquidity underpinning trading, and institutional participation through ETFs, derivatives, and treasury adoption.

Key debates include stablecoin yield restrictions, with bipartisan amendments targeting language barring platforms from paying yield "solely" for holding stablecoins—potentially reducing demand, market depth, and DeFi support for Bitcoin trading. Ethics issues persist, with Senator Chris Van Hollen proposing anti-corruption and disclosure rules amid concerns over President Donald Trump and family crypto ties. Negotiations on SEC/CFTC partisan balance continue, as many amendments may be withdrawn or merged. Regulatory clarity is viewed as bullish for long-term Bitcoin adoption, while restrictions could curb liquidity and raise costs, with Bitcoin serving as the benchmark for U.S. market competitiveness.

Bitcoin prices surged to a two-month high on Wednesday, climbing 3.5% to $96,755 and rising over 8% from a recent low of $90,383 on Saturday—the highest since November, when it last exceeded $100,000. The rally extended to other cryptocurrencies, with ethereum up 4.6%, XRP 1.6%, Solana 2.2%, and dogecoin 3.1% in the last 24 hours. Coinbase shares rose 4% on Tuesday and briefly gained 4% on Wednesday before closing up 0.6%. The global crypto market added $161 billion, growing from $3.17 trillion to $3.3 trillion between Saturday and Wednesday, per CoinGecko.

The uptick follows a mixed jobs report last week and lighter-than-expected inflation data on Tuesday, fueling hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Cryptocurrencies historically rise with lower rates: bitcoin jumped from $5,000 in March 2020 to $69,000 by November 2021 amid pandemic-era cuts, but fell from $20,000 to $3,000 in 2018 during hikes. CME’s FedWatch tool shows 5% odds of a cut this month, with 26% for 25 basis points in March, 34.7% in April, and 47.5% in June (20.8% chance of 50 basis points to 3%-3.25%).

Legislatively, the Senate Banking Committee plans markups this week for the Clarity Act, defining digital asset oversight by the SEC or CFTC. Last year, bitcoin topped $120,000 during "crypto week" as House Republicans and President Donald Trump advanced the bill. The Trump administration's early-year push drove records above $110,000 and $120,000, aided by investments like Trump Media and Technology Group's $2.5 billion bitcoin reserve plan. The U.S. federal reserve holds $20 billion in bitcoin as of August 2025, per Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with no further purchases planned.

Bitcoin surged over 4% in the past 24 hours to above $97,000 as of January 14, 2026, levels not seen since mid-November, following the Bureau of Labor Statistics' report showing stable inflation at the end of last year, per Messari data. Crypto-linked stocks rose accordingly: Coinbase (COIN) up nearly 3% and Strategy (MSTR) more than 6% by Wednesday afternoon.

Experts see the rally continuing. Sean Farrell, Fundstrat's head of digital asset strategy, noted on January 13 that momentum persists, driven by stable inflation and crypto legislation progress. Last year's lackluster Bitcoin performance had investors wary, but this uptick could renew interest. Consensus for lower Federal Reserve interest rates—favorable for risk assets like Bitcoin—may price in further if inflation remains contained.

LMAX Group's Joel Kruger highlighted regulatory developments boosting sentiment, with Bitcoin breaking the psychologically significant $95,000 level signaling potential climbs. The Clarity Act, aiming for a broad digital asset framework, faces delays: the Senate postponed markup to late January, lacking votes, per the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and Reuters.

Renewed crypto optimism lifted smaller stocks, like High Roller Technologies (ROLLR), whose shares rocketed after announcing a U.S. prediction markets partnership with Crypto.com.

Bitcoin surged to $97,000, sparking debate on whether it's a true recovery or a dead cat bounce following the October 10th crash. Yesterday's massive ETF inflows, the largest since November, totaled $750 million, signaling strong institutional appetite despite recent outflows. Bitcoin jumped over $95,000 amid heightened volatility, potentially tied to the anticipated Trump tariff decision and Supreme Court ruling, expected today or this week.

Fidelity's FBTC led inflows with $351 million on January 13th data (likely Monday's on a +1 delay), followed by Bitwise's BITB at $159 million and BlackRock's IBIT at $126 million. BlackRock, previously dominant, has seen customer outflows amid four-year cycle concerns, while Fidelity and Bitwise advocate for multi-decade bull runs, declaring the cycle "dead" due to institutional adoption and regulatory shifts. Bitwise's Matt Hougan and Fidelity charts emphasize this, contrasting BlackRock's quieter stance, though CEO Larry Fink has predicted up to $700,000.

The speaker views institutions like JP Morgan and Wells Fargo as driving prices, with ETFs launched in January 2024 at $35,000-$40,000 now pushing Bitcoin to $90,000+. The four-year cycle is seen as broken—lacking parabolic 2025 gains and pre-halving ATH—paving for 2025-2026 bulk adoption. Price action suggests sideways consolidation before a breakout to $100,000-$107,000, though a dead cat bounce remains possible.