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Bitcoin Breaks $75,000 as Short Squeeze Fuels Rally

In Bitcoin News
August 21, 2026
  • Bitcoin traded at US$74,926 at 04:37 UTC on Friday, up 8.19% over 24 hours with a session high of US$75,528.
  • US spot bitcoin ETFs took a net US$517.19 million on 19 August, on US$6.89 billion of value traded, SoSoValue figures show.
  • CoinGlass put short liquidations across crypto at US$2.7 billion in the 24 hours to Wednesday, with about US$1 billion of Bitcoin shorts closed in roughly an hour.

Bitcoin climbed as high as US$75,528 (AU$106,494) in the 24 hours to early Friday and traded at US$74,926 (AU$105,646) at 04:37 UTC, an 8.19% gain over 24 hours, after running up from a 24-hour low of US$69,321 (AU$97,742).

CoinGecko put the seven-day gain at 18.36% and market capitalisation at about US$1.504 trillion (AU$2.12 trillion), on 24-hour volume of about US$57.93 billion (AU$81.68 billion). Bitcoin sits 40.57% below its record of US$126,080 (AU$177,773), set on 6 October 2025. 

The whole crypto market was worth about US$2.532 trillion (AU$3.57 trillion), up 3.62% over 24 hours, with Bitcoin accounting for 59.12% of it. Bitcoin’s slide earlier this year drove the biggest short-term holder losses since February.

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ETF Money Goes Up, Slightly

US spot Bitcoin ETFs took a net US$517.19 million (AU$729.24 million) on 19 August, on US$6.89 billion (AU$9.71 billion) of value traded, lifting their net assets to US$84.31 billion (AU$118.88 billion) and cumulative net inflows since launch to about US$52.79 billion (AU$74.43 billion), according to SoSoValue. 

The three sessions before that ran the other way, with net outflows of US$61.16 million (AU$86.24 million) on 12 August, US$131.13 million (AU$184.89 million) on 13 August and US$57.63 million (AU$81.26 million) on 14 August. SoSoValue had not yet published Thursday’s figures.

In May, Bitcoin fell near US$76,700 (AU$108,147) as spot ETFs posted US$648.6 million (AU$914.53 million) in one-day outflows, and that the funds have managed back-to-back weekly inflows only once in five months.

CoinGlass put short liquidations across crypto at US$2.7 billion (AU$3.81 billion) in the 24 hours to Wednesday, the largest in its records going back to 2021, with about US$1 billion (AU$1.41 billion) of Bitcoin shorts closed in roughly an hour. 

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The post Bitcoin Breaks $75,000 as Short Squeeze Fuels Rally appeared first on Crypto News Australia.

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Eugene K. Elias is a technology journalist passionate about the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain. With a background in computer science, he breaks down complex technical concepts into accessible insights for readers. At Satoshi News Africa, Eugene covers DeFi, Web3 development, and the latest blockchain innovations shaping the future of finance. Outside of work, he’s an avid chess player and a mentor to young programmers.