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Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January

The cryptocurrency surged, driven by ETF inflows and a short squeeze, while regulatory news divided opinion.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January

What this story says

  • Bitcoin reached $85,229 on Monday, its highest price since late January.
  • The rally was accompanied by a spike in crypto short liquidations exceeding $600 million.
  • The U.S. Senate voted last week to block the Clarity Act, a crypto regulatory framework.
  • Some analysts believe the 'crypto winter' has ended and anticipate a strong bull market.

Who covered it

Left 30%(8)Centre 44%(12)Right 26%(7)

Percentages are shares of the 27 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 57 of the 84 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

55/100

Hype

41/100

84 sources · methodology

Bitcoin's price surpassed $85,000 on Monday, marking its highest level since late January. The cryptocurrency was trading at $84,256 around 06:35 a.m. ET, according to CoinMetrics, before reaching an intraday high of $85,229. This price action occurred amid a significant increase in crypto short liquidations, with the 24-hour cross-crypto total exceeding $600 million.

The market is assessing whether the period of depressed digital asset prices, termed the 'crypto winter', has concluded. Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise, told CNBC that he believes it is 'crypto spring' and anticipates the 'strongest and longest-running bull market in crypto's history'. He noted that fundamentals in cryptocurrency have improved, with more transactions across blockchains and increased involvement from major firms.

Disagreement on regulatory impact

Reports indicate differing views on the impact of regulatory developments. The U.S. Senate voted last week to block the Clarity Act, a bill intended to establish a framework for crypto regulation and divide oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). CNBC reported that Hougan suggested the failure of the Clarity Act could paradoxically boost prices, as the SEC and CFTC are currently perceived as more pro-crypto. In contrast, other reports mention that regulatory developments, including an SEC exemption for tokenized-stock trading and CFTC proposals, boosted market sentiment.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated reports mention the specific breakeven point for U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF investors near $86,000 that was reported by centre-rated outlets. None of the right-rated reports mention the specific figure of $600 million for cross-crypto 24-hour liquidations that was reported by left and centre-rated outlets.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 21 Sept 2026, 12:45, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January
CointelegraphCentre

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

8 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports highlighted Bitcoin's rise above $85,000, reaching its highest point since January. Several sources noted the significant increase in crypto short liquidations, with one mentioning a 24-hour total exceeding $600 million. The failure of the U.S. Senate to advance the Clarity Act was also reported, with CNBC quoting Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise, stating that the 'crypto winter' is over and predicting a strong bull market. Some reports mentioned institutional capital returning to Bitcoin and strong inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, citing figures such as $433 million in net inflows on Friday.

Centre

12 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on Bitcoin surpassing $85,000 and nearing an eight-month high. The surge in crypto short liquidations, exceeding $600 million, was a recurring point. Several outlets noted that Bitcoin's price action was approaching the breakeven point for U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF investors, estimated near $86,000. The failure of the Clarity Act in the Senate was mentioned, alongside reports that U.S. regulators like the SEC and CFTC were moving ahead with crypto-related policies, which provided a boost to sentiment. Inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs were also highlighted, with some reports detailing specific fund performances.

Right

7 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports stated that Bitcoin briefly crossed $85,000 for the first time since January. The rally was attributed to regulatory developments that boosted market sentiment, including an SEC exemption for tokenized-stock trading and CFTC proposals. Some reports also mentioned U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recording inflows at the end of the previous week, helping to drive the cryptocurrency above $81,000. One report suggested the bear market was behind Bitcoin, with reasons for the upswing including the cryptocurrency's current macro backdrop and easing inflationary pressure.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January?
Of the 27 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 30% are rated left, 44% are rated centre, 26% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 84. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 27 rated outlets on this story, 30% are rated left, 44% are rated centre, 26% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January biased?
Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January is one event reported by 84 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Bitcoin Tops $85,000, Reaching Highest Level Since January?
84 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is Bitcoin's current price status?
Bitcoin surpassed $85,000 on Monday, reaching its highest level since late January. It was trading around $84,256, with an intraday high of $85,229, indicating a significant rally in the cryptocurrency market.
What factors are driving the Bitcoin rally?
The rally is attributed to several factors including strong inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, a spike in crypto short liquidations, and positive sentiment from regulatory developments. Some analysts also believe the 'crypto winter' has ended.
What was the U.S. Senate's recent action regarding crypto?
Last week, the U.S. Senate voted to block the Clarity Act from advancing. This act was intended to establish a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency in the U.S. and divide oversight between the SEC and CFTC.

Read it at the source

84 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

8

Centre

12
Show 4 more

Right

7

Not rated

57
Show 49 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Bitcoin Price Surges | MediaBias News