Bitcoin Rebounds Past $91K as XRP ETFs Continue to Grab Attention

What to know:

• Bitcoin and major tokens experienced a short-term bounce in Asian markets, with BTC trading near $91,000 despite a supportive macroeconomic environment.
• XRP ETFs saw significant inflows, with Grayscale's GXRP and Franklin Templeton's XRPZ pulling in substantial investments on launch day.
• Institutional desks are reducing exposure to Bitcoin, contributing to recent weakness, while positioning data suggests traders are anticipating a market reversal.

Bitcoin and major tokens edged higher in Asian morning hours Thursday in a move considered to be a short-term bounce among some traders.

BTC traded near $91,000, extending a period of muted price action despite a supportive backdrop in equities and a softer dollar. The broader crypto market cap rose 0.6% to $3.02 trillion, retracing only a fraction of the losses from last week’s flush.

The dynamic remains the same as crypto trades as an extension of U.S. risk sentiment. A strong Wall Street session briefly lifted digital assets, but sellers re-emerged into Thursday’s close, indicative of how little organic bid exists outside U.S. market hours as a CoinDesk report noted on Tuesday.

That weakness stands out given the favorable macro mix — firmer global risk appetite, easing yields, and better liquidity conditions.

XRP ETFs remained the standout. Grayscale’s GXRP pulled $67.4 million on launch day, with Franklin Templeton’s XRPZ adding $62.6 million. Total XRP ETF assets crossed $628 million, absorbing nearly 80 million tokens in 24 hours, making for a a stronger initial response than Solana’s ETF debut earlier this year.

Four U.S. spot XRP funds are now live, with Canary’s XRPC leading cumulative inflows at $331 million.

Flows remain the key driver. Anthony Pompliano said recent BTC weakness reflects institutional desks reducing exposure into year-end, with volatility and bonus-sensitive risk management prompting de-risking rather than structural bearishness.

Meanwhile, CryptoQuant noted that Bitcoin’s risk-reward profile is the most attractive since mid-2023, often a precursor to accumulation phases rather than sustained capitulation.

Positioning data tells a similar story. Binance’s long-short ratio for major accounts climbed above 3.8, the highest in more than three years, suggesting leveraged traders are leaning into a reversal.

Still, Citi expects BTC to consolidate between $82,000 and $90,000 through early 2026 as post-October sentiment resets.