Bitcoin Clocks Third Day of Gains After Tech-Fuelled Relief Rally

By Joseph Wilkins

Bitcoin rose above $78,000 on Friday, clocking its third consecutive day of gains, as a rebound in tech stocks lifted risk assets out of a slump induced by renewed inflationary concerns and higher U.S. interest rates.

The flagship cryptocurrency ticked 2.3% higher to $78,309 in early European trade, which puts it on course for a positive end to the week, after slipping to a near four-week low following the U.S. Senate's rejection of a crypto-friendly bill, the Clarity Act, on Tuesday.

Thursday's session saw a tech-fuelled relief rally with broad gains seen from chip makers to data-storage companies across the major indexes.

But the Federal Reserve's quarter-point interest rate hike on Wednesday has complicated the path for non-yielding assets such as bitcoin and gold, which tend to lose their relative shine in a rate-raising cycle when compared to the return offered on bonds.

Bitcoin could outperform gold in the coming months if investors unwind some of the short positions surrounding cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds, according to JPMorgan.

Analysts led by JP Morgan's Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou wrote that short interest in the flagship bitcoin exchange-traded fund, IBIT, remains close to year-to-date highs, while short interest in gold ETFs stands at historically below average levels.

"This contrast suggests that bitcoin still faces an overall more sceptical positioning backdrop than gold, perhaps due to more elevated hedging demand, despite the recent inflows and build up of futures positioning," the analysts wrote.

Write to Joseph Wilkins at joseph.wilkins@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 18, 2026 05:53 ET (09:53 GMT)