Bitcoin’s 44% gain during the third quarter is raising the prospect of a broader cryptocurrency bull run, while traders’ attention turns to whether the market can build on its latest advance.
A market snapshot published for 21 September 2026 listed Bitcoin at $84,592.36, up 5.38%. Coinbase Global Inc shares were shown at $204.62, a rise of 5.34%, while Robinhood Markets, Inc. Class A Common Stock stood at $125.84, up 5.02%. Circle Internet Group was listed at $96.59, having gained 5.24%.
The figures appeared in CoinDesk’s Daybook newsletter, in an edition described as a day-ahead look for Sept. 21, 2026. The accompanying market coverage pointed to renewed optimism across digital assets, but also highlighted the need for the current cycle to pass the test set by the 2022 downturn.
Bitcoin reached $85,000 in the latest trading updates, with a short squeeze forcing out $648 million of bearish bets. Separate live coverage said short liquidations had reached $300 million in an hour.
The move came after the Federal Reserve’s rate decision, with one market assessment describing crypto as enjoying a bullish bounce after the Fed rate hike. Bitcoin was also reported to be losing touch with the Dollar Index and U.S. stocks ahead of the Fed.
Attention is beginning to spread beyond Bitcoin. XRP was described as being close to a “golden cross”, a technical signal that has shifted focus towards altcoins. Optimism has returned to the wider market, although the performance of the current cycle remains under comparison with the events of 2022.
Institutional and corporate activity also featured prominently in the newsletter. Strategy returned to bitcoin purchases, adding $75 million of BTC during the previous week. Perpetual futures linked to the “bitcoin VIX” began trading on Hyperliquid, while Google and Apple were reported to be seeking cryptocurrency expertise as major technology companies examine stablecoin and tokenization infrastructure.
Stablecoins were another central theme. CoinDesk’s report, The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: Asia Pacific, said the Asia-Pacific region was becoming an important testing ground as stablecoins moved into regulated finance. The report examines the region’s rules and use cases, as well as RLUSD’s role.
Elsewhere, the European Central Bank deployed the Pontes platform to settle wholesale tokenized assets in central-bank money. Hana Bank issued South Korea’s first digital bond using Euroclear’s blockchain.
The newsletter also reported that X was suing its own users over an alleged fake bitcoin news bot farm, while Kalshi faced allegations of “fake crypto volume” after a critic pointed to identical $5,500 trades.
