NEW YORK, April 23, 2026, 03:48 EDT
Early Thursday, Bitcoin steadied near $78,100, pausing after a strong rally that briefly brought the $80,000 mark back into focus. The cryptocurrency had climbed to its highest point since Jan. 31, reaching $79,426 during the session before slipping back to $78,099. Reuters said the token hit $79,481 on Wednesday.
Bitcoin’s trading range has circled back to where it sat in late January, but this time, the menu for big players is wider. Spot bitcoin ETFs — these funds track the token itself, not futures — have landed, while corporate buyers like Strategy are showing up as another major demand force. Both camps were in play this week.
Flows flipped positive. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs hauled in $335.8 million in net inflows on April 22, Farside Investors figures show. BlackRock’s IBIT led the pack, grabbing $246.9 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC followed with $56.7 million. Since April 14, total net intake sits near $1.87 billion.
Company demand helped lift bids. According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Strategy snapped up 34,164 bitcoin from April 13 to April 19, spending roughly $2.54 billion—averaging $74,395 per coin. That pushes its total stash to 815,061 coins.
This demand isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon. In Hong Kong, Bitfire plans to roll out regulated asset-management products focused on bitcoin, tapping a new investment team and trading system it recently picked up. “Market demand for such products is huge,” Chief Executive Livio Weng said. Reuters
Several major tokens tracked the move, but momentum faded into Thursday. Reuters data showed ether picking up 3.48% on Wednesday, ending at $2,398.37, before slipping close to $2,351 a day later. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both notched fresh record closes during Wednesday’s session.
The mood remains touchy, shaped by geopolitics. On Thursday, Asian stocks retreated from initial gains while Brent crude pushed up to $103.3 a barrel after Iran seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz. “Markets look very on edge here,” said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo. Reuters
Leverage’s in focus again. According to Reuters, U.S. crypto exchanges are gearing up to roll out perpetual futures—those contracts that never expire and typically invite high leverage—while they wait for clearer regulations. “I think we’re going to see more and more investors start taking risks” with perpetuals, said Ryan Rasmussen, head of research at Bitwise Asset Management. Despite the bounce this week, bitcoin still trades far below its October peak of $126,223. Reuters
