Bitcoin Surges Past $100K Amid Institutional Investment Wave

Bitcoin (BTC) soared past the $100,000 mark on Thursday, driven by a surge in institutional capital. Spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded cumulative inflows of $40.72 billion, mirroring a similar peak when BTC last hit six figures in February after touching a record $109,114.88. This milestone reflects growing confidence among institutional investors, with ETF providers leading the charge in accumulating the digital asset.

Beyond ETFs, institutional players are aggressively stockpiling BTC. Metaplanet, a Japanese firm, recently acquired 555 BTC, boosting its holdings to 5,555 BTC with plans to reach 21,000 by next year. Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, holds 555,450 BTC valued at over $56 billion. Meanwhile, New Hampshire and Arizona became the first U.S. states to establish strategic BTC reserves, and Strive Asset Management announced plans for a publicly traded BTC treasury firm. These developments signal a broader institutional embrace of BTC as a store of value.

BTC is currently trading at $101,167.65, up 4.66% in 24 hours and 3.91% over the week, with trading volume spiking 41.12% to $62.38 billion. Its market cap rose 4.56% to $2 trillion, though BTC dominance dipped slightly to 64.77% as altcoins gained traction. Futures open interest climbed 6.39% to $68.88 billion, indicating heightened speculation. Liquidations totaled $2.47 million, with long positions bearing $1.55 million of the losses, hinting at volatility amid the rally. Analysts predict a new all-time high soon, driven by sustained inflows and market momentum.