TLDR
- Bitcoin surged 28% in eight days, hitting a 15-week high of $81,265 before pulling back below $80,000.
- CryptoQuant’s Bull Score jumped from 30 to 80, its highest since October 2025.
- A weekly close above $83,000 is needed to confirm a new bull market, per CryptoQuant.
- Short-term whale holders took $1.2 billion in profits between Aug. 20–22.
- US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $338 million in net inflows on Aug. 24, led by BlackRock’s $209 million contribution.
Bitcoin climbed to $81,265 on Tuesday, its highest price in almost 15 weeks, before pulling back below $80,000 as traders locked in profits.
The move came after an eight-day rally of approximately 28%, recovering from lows around $62,000 and adding roughly $350 billion to Bitcoin’s market cap.
The weekly gain was the second largest for Bitcoin in the past five years.
Bitcoin has now erased three months of losses in just one week.
Analyst account Bull Theory captured the moment on social media, writing: “Bitcoin hits $80,000 for the first time in almost 15 weeks. It is now up 28% in the last 8 days adding $350 BILLION to its marketcap. BTC has now wiped out 3 months of losses in just 1 week.” The post highlighted just how fast sentiment had shifted.
BREAKING: Bitcoin hits $80,000 for the first time in almost 15 weeks.
It is now up 28% in the last 8 days adding $350 BILLION to it's marketcap. $BTC has now wiped out 3 months of losses in just 1 week. pic.twitter.com/hyK4EDFnXB
— Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) August 25, 2026
CryptoQuant reported that its Bull Score Index jumped from 30 to 80 over the past week, reaching its highest level since October 2025. Eight of the index’s ten underlying indicators are now flashing bullish.
The analytics firm said spot and futures demand are growing together for the first time since early October 2025.
$83,000: The Line That Matters
CryptoQuant has set a clear benchmark: Bitcoin needs a weekly close above its 365-day moving average, currently near $83,000, to officially confirm a new bull market.
LMAX Group market strategist Joel Kruger pointed to the May 2026 high of $82,820 as another key level. He told Cointelegraph that a clear break above it would “shift attention towards the next major move through $100,000.”
At time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $79,000.
Whale Selling and Profit-Taking Risk
Despite the bullish signals, CryptoQuant flagged near-term risks. Short-term holder whales realized around $1.2 billion in profits between Aug. 20 and Aug. 22, including a record $614 million on Aug. 20.
Traders’ unrealized profit margins hit 20.5%, the highest since June 2025. CryptoQuant noted Bitcoin dropped about 30% when this metric reached 19% back in May.
Bitcoin exchange inflows rose to roughly 53,000 BTC, their highest since June, suggesting more coins are moving to platforms where they can be sold.
BlackRock Leads $338 Million Bitcoin ETF Inflow as Ether Funds Add $116 Million
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $338 million in net inflows on Aug. 24, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $209 million, while spot Ether ETFs attracted $116 million, with BlackRock’s ETHA accounting for… pic.twitter.com/vd38qplHpR
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) August 25, 2026
On the institutional side, US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $338 million in net inflows on Aug. 24. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $209 million. Spot Ether ETFs also attracted $116 million the same day, with BlackRock’s ETHA accounting for $90.92 million.
Bitcoin’s RSI stood at 78.71, placing it in overbought territory following the rapid eight-day climb.
