Crypto: Bitcoin and Altcoins Ignite a $3 Trillion Market Comeback

The crypto market briefly reclaimed the $3 trillion capitalization on Tuesday, driven by Bitcoin and several major altcoins. BTC was trading around $86,000, up about 4.5% over 24 hours, while DOGE gained nearly 11%, XRP 5.7%, and Solana 3.6%. Behind the rebound, another figure stands out: over $920 million in short positions were liquidated on Monday. American Bitcoin ETFs also attracted nearly $1 billion in a single session.

Bitcoin Reaches $86,000 and Pulls the Market

Bitcoin accelerated above $86,000, a level it had not reached since late January. The rise continues the move observed on Monday, when BTC gained nearly 6% in a few hours.

Cointribune had already noted that Bitcoin had reclaimed $86,000 while maintaining a still fragile spot demand. This time, the movement extended to a large part of the market.

Ether was trading around $2,745, up 2.3%. XRP gained 5.7% at $1.53 and Solana 3.6% around $117. BNB advanced more modestly by 1.6%. Dogecoin did better with nearly an 11% increase.

The total capitalization briefly surpassed $3 trillion before falling just below that threshold at the time of the report. Over 24 hours, the market gained about 4.3%.

Bitcoin remains the main driver. Altcoins benefit from the movement but do not all progress with the same intensity.

A much more speculative example is found further down the ranking. AKE, a token linked to the Akedo ecosystem, had gained about 170% in seven days before losing more than 60% from its all-time high reached on Sunday.

Nearly $1 Billion Returns to Bitcoin ETFs

The rebound does not come only from derivatives markets. American spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in inflows on Monday, their best day since October 2025.

The funds had already been regaining capital for several weeks. In early September, Bitcoin ETFs had attracted about $3.8 billion in three weeks, their best streak of 2026 at that time.

Monday’s figure marks a further acceleration. It comes after several irregular months for American Bitcoin products. Withdrawals had sometimes exceeded several hundred million dollars in a single session. Even on September 15, ETFs recorded $450.4 million in net outflows. A few days were enough to change the flow picture.

Bitcoin also benefits from a more favorable market context than last week. Oil prices fell and U.S. stocks rebounded on Monday. BTC took advantage of the general movement of risky assets to exceed $86,000, its highest level in 33 weeks.

However, $1 billion in inflows in one day does not guarantee that flows will remain at the same level. Bitcoin ETFs have already quickly alternated between strong inflows and outflows this year.

$920 Million in Shorts Disappear, Leverage Increases

Perhaps the most spectacular figure comes from derivatives.

More than $920 million in short positions were liquidated on Monday during the market rally. Sellers who bet on a decline in Bitcoin and altcoins had to close their positions as prices rose.

Bitcoin had already triggered this type of movement a few days earlier. When it returned above $81,000, the BTC recovery was accompanied by a strong wave of short liquidations.

This time, the phenomenon comes with more leverage. The open interest on crypto perpetual contracts now approaches $160 billion, its highest level since late October 2025.

This amount measures the positions still open on these derivative products. It does not mean that $160 billion is about to be liquidated. It mainly shows that traders are using a lot of leverage again.

And it works both ways. The rise can force sellers to buy back their positions and further accelerate the movement. A rapid drop can cause exactly the opposite among traders positioned on the upside. Bitcoin therefore returns near $86,000, ETFs capture nearly $1 billion in a session, and the market returns to the $3 trillion zone. The rebound is strong. Leverage has already returned with it.