Bitcoin Price Jumps 8% Into New Year As Bullish Momentum Builds

Bitcoin began 2026 with some renewed strength, climbing roughly 8% since the start of the year as institutional inflows, derivatives positioning and geopolitical developments have come together to lift sentiment across crypto markets.

The bitcoin price is trading near $94,100 today, reaching levels last seen in early December. The price briefly touched an intraday high of $94,352 after opening the year near $87,400 on Jan. 1, per Bitcoin Magazine Pro data.

As of this morning, bitcoin was changing hands around $94,000, according to market data, putting it within 1% of its recent seven-day high.

The rally pushed bitcoin’s market capitalization to roughly $1.87 trillion, with daily trading volume hovering near $51 billion. Bitcoin’s circulating supply stands just under 20 million coins, out of a fixed cap of 21 million.

The move higher followed a period of sideways trading through late December, when the bitcoin price struggled to break above resistance near $91,000. That level has since turned into short-term support, opening the door to a renewed test of the $94,000 – $98,000 range that capped prices for much of the past two months.

Geopolitics and the hedge narrative

Bitcoin’s rebound coincided with weekend reports that the United States had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a development that rippled across commodity and crypto markets. 

Oil stocks jumped on expectations that Venezuela’s energy sector could reopen under new leadership, while crypto-linked equities such as Coinbase and Strategy each rose more than 4%.

Analysts cautioned that the event itself was not a direct catalyst for bitcoin. Instead, it reinforced bitcoin’s role as a hedge against geopolitical pressures and sanctions risk.

“Escalating pressure without direct military conflict is supportive of bitcoin,” said Dean Chen, an analyst at crypto derivatives exchange Bitunix. He pointed to historical patterns in which tighter sanctions, capital controls or restrictions on the global banking system have coincided with increased real-world bitcoin usage.

Bitcoin price options market targets six figures and ETF inflows return

Derivatives markets suggest traders are positioning for further upside. On Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, open interest has surged in January call options with a $100,000 strike price.

The $100,000 January call has become the most popular contract on the platform, with total notional open interest reaching about $1.45 billion.

Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds have also reemerged as a key driver. U.S.-listed bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $700 million in net inflows on Monday, the strongest single-day total since October, according to industry data.

That demand represents more than 7,000 BTC, far exceeding daily new issuance from miners. Sustained ETF buying can tighten available supply and support higher prices, particularly when paired with declining balances on exchanges.

On-chain data shows roughly…