NEW YORK, January 1, 2026, 12:45 ET — Market closed.
- Bitcoin was last up about 0.9% at $88,326, while ether rose roughly 0.6%.
- U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs swung from a $355.1 million inflow on Dec. 30 to a $348.1 million outflow on Dec. 31, Farside data showed.
- Traders are watching Jan. 9 U.S. jobs data, Jan. 13 CPI and the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 policy meeting.
Bitcoin edged higher on Thursday, holding near $88,000 even as U.S. equity markets were shut for the New Year’s Day holiday. 1
The move comes as bitcoin heads into 2026 after a weakening stretch in 2025 that left it on track for its first annual decline since 2022, amid a sharper pullback after an October record. 2
That matters now because traders increasingly treat bitcoin as a “risk asset” — shorthand for investments that typically rise when investors are confident and fall when they cut exposure — rather than as a stand-alone hedge. 2
Bitcoin was last up about 0.9% at $88,326, while ether gained about 0.6% to $2,988.
Reuters reported bitcoin hit an all-time peak above $126,000 in early October before slipping sharply, with tariff and export-control headlines tied to U.S. President Donald Trump cited as a key trigger behind the reversal. 2
Those shocks forced out leveraged bets — so-called liquidations, when exchanges automatically close positions after losses — and amplified day-to-day volatility, Reuters said. 2
“Bitcoin increasingly exhibits the characteristics of a risk asset, with a notable correlation to the U.S. equity market,” said Linh Tran, a senior market analyst at XS.com. 2
Wall Street ended 2025 with another down session, capping a choppy year marked by tariff uncertainty and surging interest in AI-related stocks, Reuters reported. 3
In crypto’s biggest listed gateway, U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs — exchange-traded funds that give investors bitcoin exposure through brokerage accounts — recorded a $348.1 million net outflow on Dec. 31 after a $355.1 million inflow a day earlier, according to Farside Investors data. 4
BlackRock’s IBIT showed a $99.0 million outflow on Dec. 31, while Fidelity’s FBTC posted a $66.6 million outflow and Ark/21Shares’ ARKB lost $76.5 million, the same data showed. 4
Bitcoin-linked U.S. stocks were last lower in the final session of 2025, with Coinbase down 2.4% and bitcoin-holder Strategy down 2.3%. Miners Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms were last down 3.6% and 0.4%, respectively.
Before the next U.S. stock session, traders will watch whether liquidity returns after the holiday period and whether bitcoin can push through $90,000 — a round-number level that often draws technical interest — with $85,000 seen as a nearby downside marker.
Macro catalysts line up quickly. The U.S. jobs report for December is due Jan. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET and the December CPI report is due Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27-28. 5
Washington remains another swing factor. The crypto industry has pointed to regulatory wins under Trump — including the SEC’s moves to dismiss lawsuits against Coinbase and others and a new federal framework for dollar-pegged tokens — but broader market-structure rules are still pending, Reuters reported. 2
