Bitcoin rises above $95,000 amid ETF inflows and short liquidations

Bitcoin’s price rallied above $95,000 during the last 24 hours, signalling a definitive shift in market structure rather than a simple volatility spike.

According to CryptoSlate’s data, the top crypto rose by more than 3% to reach a high of over $96,000, its highest price level since mid-November. BTC has retraced to $95,028 as of press time.

Trading firm QCP Capital described this situation as a “Goldilocks environment” in which the US job market remains robust, and inflation appears stable.

According to a note from the firm, risk appetite is returning across the board, lifting equities, precious metals, the dollar, and digital assets simultaneously.

Bitcoin ETF flows and leverage flush

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s price rise was fueled by a textbook convergence of spot demand and leverage fragility, as US spot Bitcoin ETFs drew in approximately $753.8 million in a single session.

Data from Coinperps showed net inflows of $753.8 million with no net outflow from any of the 12 spot Bitcoin ETFs that day. In practical terms, this suggests the move reflected broad-based creations across the complex rather than a single product’s quirk or a one-off rotation.

Meanwhile, the composition of these flows provides distinct evidence of institutional conviction.

The biggest contributions came from Fidelity’s FBTC, which saw $351.4 million in inflows, followed by Bitwise’s BITB with $159.4 million, BlackRock’s IBIT with $126.3 million, and Ark/21Shares’ ARKB with $84.9 million.

Compounding this buy-side pressure was a wave of forced buying that wiped out approximately $600 million in bearish crypto bets. Notably, this is the largest short liquidation event in the market since the Oct. 10 rout.

Data from CoinGlass showed that roughly $290 million in Bitcoin shorts were wiped out as part of the broader $600 million crypto liquidation event.

These liquidations function as mechanical buy orders that hit the market when traders run out of margin. This creates a feedback loop: ETF inflows tighten spot conditions, prices rise, shorts get squeezed, and liquidations force more buying.

Regulatory clarity and macro evolution

Beyond the immediate price action, the crypto market is digesting significant structural news that pairs domestic legislative progress with a broader macro-political tailwind.

Earlier this week, details of the Clarity Act, a market structure framework for crypto assets, were released by the US Senate.

The legislation seeks to clearly distinguish crypto assets as either commodities or securities and define which regulatory authorities oversee each category.

Essentially, the framework permanently co-opts Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and spot ETFs into part of the US financial system. Market observers have argued that this legislation would spur a bull run for the industry.

As a result, on-chain data reflect this transition toward institutionalization.

CryptoQuant’s Spot Average Order Size shows that around the $90,000 level, retail participation remains limited while mid- to large-sized orders are relatively prominent. This suggests a phase in which large investors are cautiously adjusting positions while awaiting regulatory clarity.

Meanwhile, this legislative momentum coincides with a macro environment in which the US is trying to reassert its dominance.

According to QCP, the market has remained resilient despite rising geopolitical tensions and US involvement in Venezuela and Iran.

QCP Capital posits that the upcoming midterm elections are a key driver of this resilience. The firm suggested that the Trump administration is incentivized to maintain flush liquidity and pursue equity market highs as a measure of political success.

Considering this, QCP argued that BTC’s break above $95,000 fundamentally changes the dynamic, as the top crypto had previously lagged behind the recent rally in equities and precious metals.

It added:

“With potentially further fiat currency debasement in the US, which has been driving precious metals higher, the relative cheapness of Bitcoin relative to precious metals at this point may spur a rotation to digital assets.”

What is next for Bitcoin?

Due to these developments, Bitcoin investors are now weighing three potential scenarios for the next weeks:

• The first is a “squeeze-and-fade” range trade, where BTC gives back part of the move if ETF inflows revert toward flat or negative.
• The second is a “flow-led grind,” where multiple positive days of inflows allow BTC to behave less like a squeeze chart and more like a spot accumulation market.
• Lastly, the third scenario is a “reflexive breakout,” in which another cluster of $500 million to $700 million inflow days triggers a self-fulfilling rally in a supportive macro environment.

Allen Ding, Head of Bitfire Research, told CryptoSlate that the market’s volatility metrics would be a key indicator in the coming weeks.

According to him:

“Following a period where Bitcoin’s 30-day implied volatility hit a yearly low of 40%, the decisive breakout past $96,000 for BTC and $3,300 for ETH confirms that a clear upward direction for the market is now established.”

He added that this momentum would be supported by a stabilizing macro environment and significant liquidity catalysts, including South Korea’s lifting of crypto investment bans.

Ultimately, the market would view this $95,000 recovery as a successful stress test of BTC’s ability to climb back over six figures.