Paul Johnson Bitcoin pushes above $90000 in the first U.S. trading session of 2026, signaling a possible reversal from 2025’s year-end weakness as crypto-related stocks surge alongside AI-led markets.
The new year has started with a flash of optimism across the crypto market as Bitcoin pushes above $90000 during U.S. trading hours. The move marks a potential turning point after months of weakness that defined the final stretch of 2025. With crypto-related equities bouncing back and broader risk assets flashing green, traders are beginning to wonder if 2026 will mark a decisive shift in market structure.
For most of last year, Bitcoin’s price tended to slump during U.S. market hours — a pattern that left investors cautious about institutional trading behavior. But on the very first trading day of 2026, the world’s largest cryptocurrency has flipped the script, rising 2.5 percent in just 24 hours to reach $90658. Ether, Solana, and XRP followed suit, recording impressive gains of 3 to 4 percent as momentum spread across digital assets.
Crypto Stocks Spark Back to Life
While Bitcoin pushes above $90000, crypto-linked equities are riding the same wave of enthusiasm. Shares of major public players in the digital asset space, including Coinbase, Strategy, and Galaxy Digital, have climbed between 3 to 7 percent in early trading. The rally is being mirrored by Bitcoin mining firms that have recently pivoted toward artificial intelligence infrastructure to capture new revenue streams.
Hut 8, CleanSpark, and TeraWulf each surged more than 10 percent, while Cipher Mining and IREN jumped around 8 percent. This shift signals growing investor appetite for companies straddling both the crypto and AI ecosystems — two of the most powerful narratives expected to dominate the 2026 investing landscape.
Galaxy Digital, a key institutional bridge between traditional finance and blockchain, gained 7 percent in the session, while Circle Financial, issuer of the USDC stablecoin, advanced by 4.5 percent. The moves reflect renewed confidence after months of sector-wide drawdowns in late 2025 that tested even the most patient investors.
Market Sentiment Reverses After 2025’s Final Selloff
The contrast from December could not be sharper. In the final sessions of 2025, Bitcoin and crypto-related equities were under near-constant pressure during American trading hours. Every bounce was sold into, with institutions and funds seemingly on the sidelines or trimming exposure amid macro uncertainty.
Now, that pattern may be changing. As Bitcoin pushes above $90000, traders are interpreting the move as a technical breakout — not just psychologically significant but potentially marking a structural rotation in capital flow timing. If crypto assets continue performing well during U.S. market sessions, it may signal fresh institutional buying interest returning early in 2026.
Even traditional markets are showing a coordinated risk-on tone. The Nasdaq is up 0.6 percent, supported by robust demand for AI-related semiconductor giants such as Nvidia, Broadcom, Micron, and Intel, all posting 3 to 6 percent gains. Commodity markets are also in the green, with silver up 3 percent and both gold and copper edging higher. The synchronous strength across asset classes adds to the narrative that investors are willing to re-enter growth sectors — including digital assets — after last year’s volatility.
A Fresh Chapter for Bitcoin’s Macro Correlation
For Bitcoin, this shift could carry deeper implications. The cryptocurrency’s price behavior relative to U.S. equity hours has long served as a barometer for institutional involvement. Historically, when Bitcoin pushed higher during U.S. sessions, it indicated that major funds were rebalancing into crypto exposure. The renewed strength seen this week could therefore mark the early stages of a capital rotation that many traders have been waiting for since the post-halving correction in mid-2025.
Still, analysts caution that one trading day does not make a trend. The real test will be whether Bitcoin can sustain its position above $90000 and build momentum toward retesting $95000 and eventually the $100000 psychological level. On-chain metrics have already started to show rising exchange outflows, suggesting accumulation, while derivatives data points to increased long positioning.
Market sentiment, while cautiously optimistic, remains tethered to macro conditions. Continued performance from tech and AI stocks, combined with stable interest rate expectations, could provide the risk backdrop needed for Bitcoin to extend this move.
If this first trading session is any indication, 2026 might open with a very different market rhythm — one where crypto trades with strength rather than hesitation during U.S. hours. And if history is any guide, that shift alone could spark a new narrative across digital assets and equities alike.
