Bitcoin climbs to $67,500, Circle leads crypto stocks higher, as bounce strengthens

• Bitcoin rebounded more than 5% to about $67,500, triggering a broad crypto relief rally. Major altcoins such ETH, SOL, DOGE, ADA and LINK bounced around 10%.
• The surge followed weeks of extreme bearish sentiment and crowded short positions, with over $307 million in leveraged bearish bets liquidated over the past 24 hours.
• Crypto-related stocks rallied alongside digital assets, while a positive Coinbase Premium Index and the strongest U.S. spot bitcoin ETF inflows since early February signaled a tentative return of U.S. buyers and risk appetite.

Bitcoin BTC$68,617.09 bounced back to $67,500 during Wednesday’s U.S. morning session, gaining more than 5% over the past 24 hours as deeply bearish positioning across the crypto market began to unwind.

The move sparked a broader relief rally across altcoins. Ethereum's ether (ETH) surged 10%, reclaiming the $2,000 level for the first time in a week. Solana (SOL), DOGE$0.09290, ADA$0.2663 and Chainlink LINK$9.4421 each advanced more than 10%, outperforming bitcoin and the broad-market benchmark CoinDesk 20 Index's gains.

Wednesday's bounce follows a period of extremely negative sentiment across the market. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, a popular sentiment gauge, has been hovering in Extreme Fear levels for most of February.

Perpetual futures funding rates — the periodic payments between long and short traders — had also turned negative multiple times over the past weeks. This means short sellers have been paying longs to maintain positions, a sign that bearish bets had become crowded. Such setups often leave markets vulnerable to sharp squeezes higher when prices begin to rise.

The rebound has liquidated over $307 million in leveraged bearish bets across crypto derivatives over the past 24 hours, CoinGlass data shows. Notably, bitcoin perpetual funding rates remain below neutral even amid the rally, suggesting the move isn't being driven by aggressive leveraged speculation.

Crypto stocks gain

Crypto-related equities also joined the advance. Stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) jumped 20% after an earnings beat, while Coinbase (COIN), bitcoin treasury firm Strategy (MSTR) and Galaxy (GLXY) gained 5%-6%. Bitcoin miners — increasingly tied to AI infrastructure themes — extended their rebound, with Bitfarms (BITF), Bitdeer (BTDR) and MARA Holdings (MARA) leading gains.

Many crypto-linked stocks had built up sizable short interest from hedge funds, 10x Research’s Markus Thielen noted, leaving them primed for a sharp reversal.

Improving risk appetite across traditional markets has given a favorable backdrop for the crypto bounce. The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 were 0.6% and 1.1% higher, respectively, in the early hours of trading. The software sector, embattled by AI fears, extended its gains, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) up by another 2% during the session.

Early signs of U.S. buyers returning

For the first time in over 40 days, the Coinbase Premium Index has turned positive again. This index tracks the price difference between bitcoin on Coinbase, a major U.S. exchange, and the broader global market average. It is widely viewed as a gauge of U.S. capital flows, institutional participation, and overall market sentiment.

While the MSTR to IBIT ratio is up 12% year to date, indicating that Strategy has outperformed BlackRock’s ETF. This relative strength points to continued risk-on appetite, even as bitcoin has fallen 25% this year.

In addition, the U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded $257.7 million in inflows on Tuesday, the largest daily total since Feb. 6.

• XRP rose about 6% to roughly $1.42 as spot buying sharply outpaced selling, with one exchange reporting retail purchase volumes up 212% between Feb. 23 and 24.
• New XRP exchange-traded funds have accumulated about $1.1 billion in net assets since mid-November, drawing steady inflows even as bitcoin ETFs are down for the year, suggesting a rotation within crypto holdings.
• Traders are watching whether XRP can hold the $1.40–$1.42 area as support and break above resistance near $1.45, with a drop below $1.37 risking a failed breakout and return to the prior trading range.

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