Bitcoin traded steadily above $81,000 on Monday, as global digital asset markets extended their recovery and Asian equities posted gains. The leading cryptocurrency posted a slight increase of less than 1% over the past 24 hours, carrying forward momentum sparked by recent regulatory developments in the United States regarding tokenized stock trading.
Bitcoin stabilizes after regulatory boost and liquidations
Market analysts pointed out that a wave of liquidated short positions contributed to Bitcoin’s weekend rally. The cryptocurrency maintained support near $81,000 during Asian trading hours, as improving risk appetite was observed across both crypto and traditional markets.
Meanwhile, Asian stock indices climbed as U.S. officials described trade talks with China as constructive prior to a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping. U.S. equity futures also advanced, with Nasdaq 100 futures outperforming the S&P 500.
In commodities, Brent crude oil dropped about 2% to trade just above $101 per barrel, marking a fourth consecutive day of declines. This pullback in oil prices helped ease concerns about inflation, while U.S. Treasury futures moved higher as well.
Jeff Mei, Chief Operating Officer of BTSE, attributed Bitcoin’s rally to both the SEC’s decisions regarding tokenized securities and the liquidation of large short positions from overleveraged traders.
Investors are now awaiting further comments from Federal Reserve officials ahead of the central bank’s next policy meeting scheduled later in October.
NEAR Protocol surges as Zcash integrations boost activity
NEAR Protocol, a layer-1 blockchain platform designed for usability and scalability, stood out among major cryptocurrencies with an approximate 23% rally, surpassing $4 in value. The surge was closely linked to rising activity on NEAR Intents, a cross-chain protocol that allows digital asset swaps across multiple blockchains without manual transfers.
Popular wallet providers such as ZODL and Vizor have implemented NEAR Intents, enabling direct trading of Zcash—an established privacy-focused cryptocurrency—within the network. Over the previous week, daily Zcash volume routed through NEAR Intents expanded nearly sixfold.
Mini dictionary: NEAR Intents, a protocol that automates cross-chain transactions between multiple blockchains, enabling users to trade tokens such as Zcash without bridging assets manually, thereby improving speed and reducing complexity for transacting across chains.
Zcash itself rose around 3% to trade above $1,500. Other major digital assets also posted gains: Binance Coin (BNB) climbed about 2% to near $777, while Ether and Hyperliquid reported similar 2% increases. XRP, Dogecoin, Solana and Tron managed smaller upticks, generally up 1% or less.
US Bitcoin ETFs post positive weekly flows as Ether funds see outflows
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds based in the United States reversed earlier losses and ended last week with $6.2 million in net inflows. The turnaround was driven largely by a robust $433 million single-day influx recorded on Friday, which marked the strongest inflow day since September 3.
Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF attracted $310.7 million during this spike, while BlackRock’s equivalent brought in $108.4 million. In contrast, these ETFs saw considerable redemptions earlier in the week, including $450.3 million exiting Tuesday and $296 million withdrawn Wednesday.
| Bitcoin ETF Flow Summary (Last Week) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Net inflows (total) | $6.2 million |
| Friday inflows | $433 million |
| Fidelity ETF (Friday) | $310.7 million |
| BlackRock ETF (Friday) | $108.4 million |
| Tuesday redemptions | $450.3 million |
| Wednesday redemptions | $296 million |
While total cumulative flows for Bitcoin ETFs remain positive since their respective launches with $55.16 billion received, the sector has logged around $1.45 billion in net outflows for the year to date.
Bitcoin ETFs posted $6.2 million in weekly net inflows after a sharp $433 million surge on Friday, led by significant investments in Fidelity and BlackRock funds, despite heavy redemptions earlier in the week.
Conversely, Ether ETFs recorded approximately $140 million in net outflows for the week, ending a four-week streak of positive momentum that previously brought in $1.94 billion.
At the start of the new week, Bitcoin remains above $81,000 as traders keep watch on ETF investment flows, upcoming Federal Reserve commentary, and possible continued strength in NEAR Protocol alongside other altcoins.
