Key Highlights
- Bitcoin climbed 5.5% over 24 hours to $80,822.42 on September 18, 2026.
- BTC’s 24-hour range was $76,205.16–$80,943.89, while its seven-day range reached the same recent high.
- The move followed the Federal Reserve’s anticipated 25-basis-point rate increase to 3.75%–4.00% on September 16.
Bitcoin (BTC) climbed 5.5% over 24 hours on Friday to trade at $80,822.42, moving above the $80,000 level, according to data from CoinGecko (on September 18 at 2:40 pm UTC).
The advance marked a rebound following the setback for the CLARITY Act in the Senate on September 15.
Bitcoin price momentum
At the time of this writing (on September 18 at 2:40 pm UTC), the 24-hour price chart reflected a gradual rise through the early hours, followed by a sharper upward move later in the period.
Bitcoin opened the 24-hour window near $76,200 and climbed steadily before accelerating past $80,000. The highest point recorded in the range reached approximately $80,906.77, with the price settling near $80,822.42 at the time of the data snapshot.
A separate historical price summary listed the 24-hour range as $76,205.16 to $80,943.89 and the seven-day range as $75,038.12 to $80,943.89. These figures indicated that the recent high represented the upper end of both short-term windows.
Why is Bitcoin up today
Bitcoin’s advance coincided with several developments.
Spot-market buying absorbed selling pressure that emerged in the derivatives market following the Federal Reserve’s 0.25-percentage-point rate increase to a range of 3.75%–4.00% on September 16. The move had been widely anticipated, limiting its immediate negative impact on markets.
Regulatory developments also coincided with the move. The Securities and Exchange Commission cleared a temporary pathway allowing trading of tokenized stocks on approved venues, bringing traditional and digital asset markets into closer operational contact.
These factors, improved risk sentiment from equity markets, spot demand amid derivatives selling, and developments in tokenized securities, coincided with the price recovery above $80,000.
Short liquidations dominate as Bitcoin clears $80,000
Bitcoin’s advance above $80,000 coincided with $507.06 million in total liquidations over 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data (on September 18 at 2:40 pm UTC). Of that total, $449.71 million, or roughly 89%, came from short positions, while long liquidations totaled $57.35 million. Bitcoin accounted for the largest share at $237.77 million, followed by Ethereum at $87.70 million.
More than 104,000 traders were liquidated. Binance led exchanges with $205.68 million in liquidations, the majority short. The largest single order was an $8.53 million BTC-USD liquidation on Hyperliquid.
Bitwise CIO: Bitcoin rally moved independently of CLARITY Act odds
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan argued that Bitcoin’s recent advance did not rely on the CLARITY Act.
In a memo published September 16, the day after the Senate’s 49-50 cloture failure, he noted that between July 1 and September 4, Polymarket’s implied probability of the bill becoming law this year fell from 39% to 18%.
Over the same period, Bitcoin rose from a low of $57,950 to above $80,000. Bitwise’s plot of the two series showed them moving in opposite directions. Hougan said institutions were not waiting for legislation, citing Robinhood’s blockchain launch, Morgan Stanley’s Solana ETF, and DTCC’s first tokenized stock settlements, all occurring while the bill’s prospects deteriorated.
Market dynamics after CLARITY Act failure
The U.S. Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, on Tuesday. More than 40 senators voted against the procedural step, leaving the bill short of the 60 votes required to advance.
The outcome effectively pauses comprehensive crypto market-structure legislation in the Senate for 2026.
However, former CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo said the setback will not halt innovation.
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated on September 16 that the agency will continue developing crypto rules under its existing legal authority to provide greater certainty for investors and companies.
Also Read: Ric Edelman Says Bitcoin Price Could Reach $500,000 by 2030
