Bitcoin tops $85,000 for first time since January as short liquidations surge
Bitcoin climbed above $85,000 on September 21, 2026, touching its highest price since late January and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in short liquidations.
On September 21, 2026, Bitcoin surpassed the $85,000 threshold for the first time since late January, reaching an intraday peak of $85,229 according to CNBC. Reports and market trackers described the milestone as an eight-to-nine-month high, with the token advancing further during the day and briefly crossing $87,000.[2][4][7][8][10][12]
The upward price action triggered substantial derivative liquidations. The Kobeissi Letter reported that over $400 million in leveraged short positions were liquidated in a four-hour window, while CryptoSlate and Decrypt reported that 24-hour crypto short liquidations surpassed $648 million. Data from CoinGlass cited by Laura Shin showed $634.7 million in shorts and $121.3 million in longs liquidated across 114,385 traders. Lookonchain also reported individual liquidations, including a 122.88 BTC ($10.16 million) short and a 5,867 ETH ($16.13 million) short as Ethereum cleared $2,750.[1][5][6][9][11]
The market rally was accompanied by major institutional activity, with CoinMarketCap reporting that US spot Bitcoin ETFs took in nearly $1 billion in net inflows on September 21, representing their largest single-day total since October 2025. In addition, CoinDesk framed Bitcoin's move above $85,000 as taking place following a Federal Reserve rate hike.[3][10]
Key facts
- Bitcoin rose above $85,000 on September 21, 2026, reaching an intraday peak of $85,229, its highest level since late January.
- The price move caused heavy liquidations, with Kobeissi Letter reporting over $400 million in shorts liquidated within 4 hours, and CryptoSlate and Decrypt noting over $648 million in shorts liquidated in 24 hours.
- CoinGlass recorded $634.7 million in short liquidations against $121.3 million in long liquidations over 24 hours, impacting 114,385 traders, according to Laura Shin.
- Lookonchain identified individual short liquidations including trader 0xec0b's 122.88 BTC position ($10.16 million) and trader 0x06bc's 5,867 ETH position ($16.13 million) as Ethereum climbed over $2,750.
- US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw nearly $1 billion in net inflows on September 21, 2026, their largest single-day inflow since October 2025, while Bitcoin briefly moved above $87,000, per CoinMarketCap.
- CoinDesk reported that Bitcoin surpassed $85,000 following a Federal Reserve rate hike.
Sources · 11 sources
- LS
Laura Shin@laurashinPost on X ·
Bitcoin traded above $85,000 on Monday for the first time since January. CoinGlass counted $634.7 million of short liquidations in 24 hours against $121.3 million of longs, and 114,385 traders were wiped out. https://t.co/L3K9M9mufK
Open source - CO
Cointelegraph@CointelegraphPost on X ·
🔥 BREAKING: Bitcoin hits $85,000. https://t.co/kmeyIAz2Fx
Open source - CO
CoinDesk@CoinDeskPost on X ·
Could Bitcoin become legal tender in the U.S.? @Strike CEO @jackmallers says it’s only a matter of time. Plus, @austincampbell unpacks the Clarity Act’s “three different problems,” and what Anthropic’s highly anticipated IPO could mean for capital flowing into crypto with @ChristianL_opez. Watch the latest Public Keys at @NYSE with @jennsanasie. Chapters/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to Public Keys 00:26 Markets: Bitcoin Tops $85K After the Fed Hike 00:50 Oil, Iran and the Trump-Xi Summit 01:13 Anthropic Pushes Its IPO to November 01:31 Strike CEO Jack Mallers Joins 02:04 Why Mallers Left Twenty One Capital 04:28 Mallers' Bitcoin Outlook and Advice 06:22 Why Bitcoin Doesn't Need the CLARITY Act 08:19 Bitcoin as Legal Tender and 'The Most American Money' 09:50 Inside Strike Private and Bitcoin-Backed Loans 13:10 Austin Campbell on the CLARITY Act's Senate Defeat 14:58 Why GENIUS Already Changed the Game 16:01 Crypto, the Midterms and the Ethics Fight 18:00 Could a Future Administration Undo the Rules? 19:47 Stablecoins as the Leading Force 21:35 Bitcoin and Ether ETF Flows 22:24 Christian Lopez on the Fed and Risk Assets 24:28 How the Anthropic IPO Soaks Up Liquidity 26:21 Q3 Earnings and Tokenizing Real-World Assets 28:44 Why TradFi Is Racing Into Crypto
Open source - WM
WSJ Markets@WSJmarketsPost on X ·
Bitcoin Jumps Above $85,000 to 8-Month High https://t.co/mNwGhBIoTt
Open source - CR
CryptoSlate@CryptoSlatePost on X ·
Bitcoin just cleared $85,000 as more than $648 million in crypto shorts were liquidated in 24 hours. That forced buying helped accelerate the breakout, but open interest remains near record levels. The next test is whether fresh spot demand can keep BTC above $85,000 once the squeeze fades. https://t.co/UrtHYDjc5v
Open source - DE
Decrypt@DecryptMediaPost on X ·
Bitcoin Tops $85K as $648M in Crypto Shorts Liquidated https://t.co/7FgoHg7te2
Open source - CN
CNBC@CNBCPost on X ·
Bitcoin rose above $85,000 on Monday as the cryptocurrency continued its sharp rally over the past few days. Bitcoin was trading at $84,256 at around 06:35 a.m. ET, up around 3.8%, according to CoinMetrics. Earlier in the day, the cryptocurrency rose as high as $85,229, its highest level since late January. Read more: https://t.co/0PyZb0Fqe6
Open source - TW
The Wolf Of All Streets@scottmelkerPost on X ·
BITCOIN $BTC SURPASSES $85,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 9 MONTHS
Open source - TK
The Kobeissi Letter@KobeissiLetterPost on X ·
BREAKING: Bitcoin surges above $85,000 for the first time in 9 months as the crypto rally gains momentum. Over $400 million worth of levered shorts have been liquidated in 4 hours. https://t.co/U831THBrfR
Open source - CO
CoinMarketCap@CoinMarketCapPost on X ·
LATEST: 📈 US spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in nearly $1B on Sept. 21, their largest single-day inflow since October 2025, as BTC briefly topped $87K. https://t.co/LI09h3DXJG
Open source - LO
Lookonchain@lookonchainPost on X ·
BTC breaks above $85,000; ETH breaks above $2,750! Trader 0x06bc had 5,867 $ETH ($16.13M) of his short liquidated. Trader 0xec0b's 122.88 $BTC ($10.16M) short was fully liquidated. https://t.co/qNQDhgk7Vd https://t.co/ilU87Umbtd https://t.co/f9fR5DgrsI
Open source - CN
CNBC@CNBCPost on X ·
Bitcoin rose above $85,000 on Monday to trade at its highest level since late January. https://t.co/dS2YD2AqiM
Open source