BTC (Bitcoin) briefly breaks through $97,000, with a market capitalization exceeding $1.9 trillion

Gate News Bot Message, January 15th, according to CoinMarketCap data, as of press time, BTC (Bitcoin) is currently trading at $95,763.44, up 0.31% in the past 24 hours, with a high of $97,860.60 and a low of $89,233.88. The 24-hour trading volume reached $59.494 billion. The current market capitalization is approximately $1.91 trillion, an increase of $5.872 billion from yesterday.

Bitcoin is an innovative payment network and a new form of currency. It operates using peer-to-peer technology without the need for a central authority or bank; transaction management and Bitcoin issuance are handled collectively by the network. Bitcoin is open-source, with its design publicly available, and no individual owns or controls Bitcoin; everyone can participate. Through its many unique attributes, Bitcoin supports innovative applications that were previously impossible with traditional payment systems. It features fast peer-to-peer transactions, global payments, and low processing fees.

Recent important news about BTC:

1️⃣ Market sentiment shifts from pessimistic to optimistic, risk appetite significantly rebounds
Cryptocurrency fear and greed index has surged to 61, up sharply from 48 the previous day, with last week’s average only at 28. The market has returned to the “greed zone,” reflecting a clear improvement in investors’ risk appetite. The North American trading session has become the main driver of this rally, with Bitcoin rising approximately 8% during this period, outperforming the 3% gain in Europe and the Asian session. This indicates that global funds are systematically increasing risk exposure. This shift contrasts sharply with the sustained pressure during the North American session in Q4 2025, marking a recovery from the weak market sentiment at the end of last year.

2️⃣ Institutional funds continue to flow back, spot demand supports price movement
Strong capital inflows into the US spot Bitcoin ETF have been observed, with a single-day net inflow of about 8,933 BTC (approximately $849 million), reaching a recent high. Whales holding between 10,000 and 100,000 BTC have been steadily increasing their holdings since early January, with total holdings rising from about 2.18 million to 2.20 million BTC, reflecting growing confidence among large investors. Meanwhile, retail behavior is also shifting, with small wallets holding between 0.01 and 0.1 BTC showing a slight increase, indicating reduced selling pressure during the rally. Additionally, approximately $600 million worth of Bitcoin has been transferred to mainstream exchanges, aligning with ETF capital inflows and suggesting synchronized positioning by institutions and high-net-worth accounts.

3️⃣ Macro environment improvement and policy expectations optimization jointly drive the market
US consumer price index data has declined, reinforcing market expectations of a shift in monetary policy within the year, providing support for risk assets including Bitcoin. The North American trading session has once again become the main stage for Bitcoin’s rise, partly reflecting marginal improvements in global liquidity conditions and a resurgence in safe-haven demand. Meanwhile, progress in the US Senate on the cryptocurrency market structure bill, along with Rhode Island’s proposed Bitcoin trading tax exemption law (exempting annual trading volumes under $20,000 from state income and capital gains taxes), collectively signal a gradually clearer regulatory framework, boosting institutional confidence in entering the crypto market.

4️⃣ Technical patterns support and derivatives risks coexist
Bitcoin has successfully broken out of the cup-and-handle pattern, with resistance around $94,800 being volume-broken, and the technical target price points to $106,600. Major trading clusters are concentrated below the current price, with many positions in profit, indicating limited short-term selling pressure. However, caution is advised as long positions significantly outnumber short positions; if the price falls below the support around $94,800, it could trigger a wave of liquidations. In the past hour, the entire network experienced $128 million in forced liquidations, including $101 million in BTC, highlighting ongoing risks in the derivatives market.

This message is not investment advice. Please be aware of market volatility risks.