Core Market Move
Bitcoin jumped 8% to $69,757 by 17:34 ET (21:34 GMT), delivering its best intraday performance since the 12% surge on February 6. The price rise placed Bitcoin at its highest level since June 1.
Altcoin Performance
Ethereum (Ether) rallied 19.7% to $2,288.49, while XRP advanced 12% to $1.1229. BNB rose 4.8%, Cardano gained 9.7%, Solana increased 12.4%, Dogecoin climbed 8%, and the meme token $TRUMP surged 20.2%.
Policy & Regulatory Developments
President Donald Trump hosted CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, and Kraken co‑CEO Arjun Sethi a day before the inaugural CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee meeting. Trump called for Congress to pass a “fair version” of the CLARITY Act, describing it as a gateway to the next wave of innovation.
The SEC released a proposal titled “Regulation Crypto Assets,” creating two exemptions from securities registration: one permitting eligible issuers to raise up to $5 million over a four‑year span, and another allowing offerings of up to $75 million within any 12‑month period. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the framework offers clear capital‑raising pathways and a safe‑harbor provision once issuers complete or permanently cease the managerial efforts promised under an investment contract.
Fixed‑Income Market Reaction
The U.S. Treasury announced that, effective September 9, liquidity‑support buyback operations for longer‑dated nominal coupon securities (10‑ to 20‑year and 20‑ to 30‑year sectors) will double from $2 billion to $4 billion per operation. The announcement prompted traders to snap up bonds, driving the 30‑year yield down 8.9 basis points to 5.196%, after having peaked at 5.337% the previous day—the highest since June 2007.
Long‑dated bonds had been under pressure since the Federal Reserve’s July rate decision, amid inflation concerns tied to rising oil prices and heavy debt issuance by mega‑cap firms for AI infrastructure. Short‑term yields fared better, supported by recent data that eased expectations of imminent Fed hikes.
Sources
The article was authored by Ambar Warrick and Vahid Karaahmetovic and published by Reuters on 19‑08‑2026, with an update on 20‑08‑2026.