An unusual wind has been blowing across the crypto-sphere for several days, and no one has missed it. The latest performance of bitcoin looks like a real balm to the heart of a sector that is often battered during this period. Enough to push financial analysts to release their rarest superlatives. Behind the euphoria, however, the clouds are never far away.

In brief
- Bitcoin closed August 2026 up almost 25%, rising from the low $60,000s to over $81,000 before finishing around $78,600.
- This performance constitutes the first positive month of August in the full post-bearish peak phase, breaking a series of declines observed in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
- Institutions strongly supported the move with massive inflows into crypto ETFs and the purchase of 4,603 BTC by Strategy for $370 million.
- Ethereum, Solana and several DeFi tokens followed the bullish wave as September risks linked to the Fed and oil become clearer.
Bitcoin finally breaks the spell of bearish Augusts
You have to go back a long way to find such a lenient month of August for bitcoin. Starting from low $60,000, it exceeded $81,000 before closing the period around $78,600. An increase of 24.95% which contrasts radically with previous cycles, according to CoinGlass data.
After the peak of 2013, August 2014 had lost around 18%. In 2018, the decline was around 9%, then exceeded 14% in 2022. Ash Crypto summed up the situation with a straight line on X, in a few words echoed throughout the crypto-sphere.
However, the context remains that of a market still far from its historic peak, reached in October 2025 above $126,000. In 2017, a fully bullish year, the month of August soared by more than 65% in a completely different setting.
Crypto traders point out that a positive August in the post-peak phase has simply never been observed. The cryptocurrency thus ends a series of four red Augusts in a row, including two double-digit plunges in 2022 and 2023.
The crypto-sphere is set ablaze in turn
Bitcoin didn’t celebrate alonefar from it. Ethereum saw its crypto ETFs record $697 million in inflows in a single week, taking its growth beyond 30%. Solana did even stronger with a jump of more than 40%, even briefly crossing $100.
On the DeFi side, HYPE gained more than 60%, UNI more than 30% and AAVE around 40% over the month. The dominance of bitcoin has settled between 57 and 59%, confirming its role as a locomotive for the entire sector.
But not everyone shares the same enthusiasm on the networks. Canon X, hit the nail on the head by evoking an orchestrated manipulation rather than a real reversal:
Because we’re not in a bear market, that’s what people don’t understand. We are in the era of Trump manipulation, we have never even really known a bear market.
Source: X, @Can158605863561
A reading that contrasts with the ambient optimism, but which resonates with certain crypto traders.
Institutions are not waiting for the bear market to end to buy
While individuals discuss, institutions act tirelessly. Spot crypto ETFs saw $216.7 million in net inflows on Monday, August 31. The previous week, flows had already reached $924.5 million, a record. These figures speak of a confidence that remains intact despite a macroeconomic climate considered fragile.
The clearest signal came from Michael Saylor and his company Strategy, which broke its silence after several weeks. She announced the purchase of 4,603 bitcoins for approximately $370 million, bringing her total holdings to 845,050 BTC. A position that speaks for itself on his long-term beliefs towards cryptocurrency.
In an environment where rates could rise and oil is soaring, this institutional demand acts as a real safety net. Under-allocated buyers continue to support areas around $75,000 and $82,000, despite higher bond yields.
Rektember is approaching: what risks threaten the future?
The crypto world even found a nickname for it that hides nothing of its usual atmosphere: “Rektember”. Since 2013, September has shown an average loss of close to 3%, with only five positive editions in thirteen years of history.
This year, the heads of the Fed have clearly toughened their tone towards the markets. Kevin Warsh gave a resolutely hawkish speech at the Jackson Hole symposium, sowing doubt among investors. Markets now expect a 25 basis point increase on September 16, with a probability close to 67%.
At the same time, tensions between the United States and Iran pushed Brent beyond $90 per barrel. These two elements mechanically revive fears of inflation and weigh on all risky assets.
Several analysts are now talking about a possible test of $75,000 in the event of a marked correction. Bitcoin also started September slightly down, below the $78,000 mark.
Bitcoin in figures as these lines are written
- Current price of bitcoin? About $77,423.
- Performance of the month of August? An increase close to 25%.
- Likelihood of a Fed rate hike in September? 67%.
- Key support identified by traders? Around $75,000.
- Positive September recorded since 2013? Only five occurrences.
Some recent analyzes outline a geographic shift for the next bull market highs. The peak of the future bull run could well take place far from the American borders this time. Global dynamics would then take precedence over Wall Street indicators alone. Having become a truly global asset, bitcoin will perhaps write its next chapter elsewhere.
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