Bitcoin traded at $81,615.81 on Binance as of Oct. 23, 2026, with a neutral daily outlook but a bearish short-term structure. The cryptocurrency remains above its longer-term daily averages, although its hourly chart provides little confirmation of a sustained recovery, leaving the latest move looking more like a test of the broader trend. Bitcoin traded largely flat near $81,500 after two days of volatility, leaving its 30-day market capitalization down nearly 3% at $1.64 trillion. It remained mostly above $81,000 but repeatedly stalled near $81,600, while its seven-day performance was virtually unchanged and it remained on track for its first monthly decline since July. Long positions accounted for about 64% of nearly $255 million in total crypto liquidations, with Bitcoin liquidations near 25 million. Oil prices added pressure to risk assets as West Texas Intermediate touched $100 a barrel and Brent reached $117, raising inflation concerns and strengthening expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes. Amina Research also pointed to investor doubts over the sustainability and return on investment of large artificial-intelligence infrastructure spending. Mitchell Askew, head of Blockware Intelligence at Blockware, described Bitcoin’s move below $82,000 as healthy consolidation and said falling bond yields could support the cryptocurrency if markets begin pricing in a Federal Reserve response. He expects Bitcoin to trend higher after the upcoming U.S. elections, citing stronger performance after the last three election cycles. Earlier market data showed $1.074 billion in weekly net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, although long-term holder profit-taking and returning supply remained constraints on upside.