Bitcoin Smashes Past $80K to Three-Month High: ETF Tsunami Powers Rally as Strategy Hits Pause Button

Key Takeaways

• Three-month peak: Bitcoin surged 2.7% to $80,286.5, riding a near 12% gain in April on bargain buying.
• ETF inflows roar: Net inflows into U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs hit $1.97 billion in April — the highest level since October 2025 when Bitcoin last hit a record.
• But still below 2025 average: Despite the strength, monthly inflows remain well shy of average levels seen last year.
• Spot demand sluggish: Bitcoin continues to trade at a discount on Coinbase versus global spot prices, signaling weak U.S. retail demand.
• CLARITY Act progress: Some movement on the major U.S. crypto regulatory bill helped sentiment, though passage remains distant.
• Strategy hits pause: The world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Strategy Inc., paused its weekly Bitcoin buying ahead of Tuesday’s Q1 earnings.
• Q1 loss expected: Strategy is forecast to post a Q1 loss of $13.67 per share on revenue of $120.75 million.
• Altcoins join the rally: Ethereum jumped 3.6% to $2,387.64, XRP and BNB each rose over 2%, while Dogecoin surged 4.6%.

Bitcoin climbed to a three-month high on Monday, propelled by a wave of recent buying in exchange-traded funds and long positions, although spot demand for the cryptocurrency continued to look soft.

The world’s largest crypto rose 2.7% to $80,286.5 by 00:55 ET (04:55 GMT), capping a near 12% surge in April as it benefited from bargain hunting.

Some progress toward the passage of a major U.S. regulatory bill also helped fuel sentiment, although the bill — the CLARITY Act — still appeared far from becoming law.

Broader crypto prices also advanced on Monday. However, bigger gains were largely held back by lingering uncertainty over the Middle East war and the global interest rate outlook.

Bitcoin Benefits from ETF Inflows, But Spot Demand Sluggish

Bitcoin’s gains throughout April were driven chiefly by strong capital inflows into major U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds.

Data from aggregator SoSoValue revealed that net ETF inflows reached $1.97 billion in April — the highest level since October 2025, when Bitcoin last hit a record high.

However, inflows still remained well below the average monthly levels seen throughout 2025. The ETF inflows also coincided with a strong performance in U.S. stock markets during April.

Spot demand in the U.S., however, remained subdued. Bitcoin continued to trade at a discount on Coinbase — the largest U.S. exchange — relative to average global spot prices.

This indicated that U.S. retail demand for the crypto remained weak, potentially signaling a turnaround after its recent performance.

Strategy Pauses Bitcoin Buys Ahead of Q1 Earnings

Strategy Inc — the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder — has paused its weekly Bitcoin buying activity this week, Chairman Michael Saylor announced in a statement.

The move comes just ahead of Strategy’s first-quarter earnings, which are due on Tuesday. The company is expected to post a Q1 loss of $13.67 per share on revenue of $120.75 million, according to Investing.com forecasts.

Strategy logged a deep, outsized loss in the fourth quarter due to declines in the value of its Bitcoin holdings.

Crypto Price Today: Altcoins Upbeat Tracking Bitcoin

Broader crypto prices advanced in tandem with Bitcoin. Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, rose 3.6% to $2,387.64.

XRP and BNB each gained more than 2%, while Solana and Cardano added 2.3% and 1.9%, respectively.

Among memecoins, Dogecoin jumped 4.6%, while $TRUMP rose 0.8%.