Bitcoin eyes $94,000 as crypto prices manage early U.S. gains for second straight session

Crypto prices are kicking off the first Monday of the year with strength as traders rotated back into risk assets following the weekend capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.

For the second consecutive session, crypto is adding to overnight gains during the U.S. trading day — a notable change from late 2025 when the sector consistently pulled back as American stocks traded.

Indeed, the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index has climbed sharply in the first week of 2026, signaling a rebound in U.S. demand. The gauge had fallen to its lowest level in nine months on Jan. 1, when bitcoin was trading around $88,000, registering a reading of minus 0.018%.

The index measures the price difference between bitcoin traded on Coinbase, a leading U.S. exchange, and the global market average, and is widely viewed as a proxy for U.S. capital flows, institutional activity, and market sentiment.

That Jan. 1 reading marked the most negative level since the first quarter of 2025, when bitcoin slid toward $76,000 during the tariff tantrum. A similarly sharp negative print was also recorded in November 2025, coinciding with bitcoin’s local bottom near $80,000.

The premium has since improved to around minus 0.03%, suggesting that U.S. capital flows are starting to return.

Bitcoin eyes $94,000

Rallying nearly 1% since U.S. stocks opened for trade on Monday, bitcoin BTC$66,245.44 has pushed back to nearly $94,000, up 3% over the past 24 hours and to its highest level since the first 10 days of December.

Ether ETH$1,941.46 and XRP XRP$1.3587 are up similarly, while solana SOL$78.60 is ahead just 1%. Down modestly over the past 24 hours is DOGE$0.09266, although it remains 20% higher over the past week, sparking a rush of related ETF inflows.

Traditional markets are posting gains as well, with the Nasdaq climbing more than 1%. Precious metals are soaring, with gold higher by 2.8% and silver by 8%.

Next levels to watch

While momentum has shifted from negative to positive after a quiet holiday stretch, the $95,000 mark remains a key level for bitcoin, according to Jake Ostrovskis, head of OTC at Wintermute.

"We await the US session to confirm or reject this move — and potentially reverse the late-2025 pattern of U.S. selling," he said, pointing to the fact that bitcoin dropped a cumulative 5.45% during U.S. hours versus a 10.01% gain during APAC hours. "This is worth watching," he said.

If bitcoin and ether ETH$1,941.46 stay above key levels through the U.S. session, systematic buyers could step in and add to the momentum.

DATs post big gains

Thoroughly beaten down in the second half of 2025, digital asset treasury companies (DATs) are posting outsized advances on Monday. Among those higher by double-digit percentages is Strive (ASST), which disclosed the purchase of another 101.8 BTC in the fourth quarter, bringing its total holdings to 7,626 BTC valued at roughly $708 million.

American Bitcoin (ABTC) is up 13% after adding 329 BTC, increasing its reserves to 5,427 bitcoin. Solana-focused DeFi Development (DFDV) is higher by 16%.

Other names on the move included Coinbase (COIN), higher by 7.5%, Circle (CRCL), up 3% and MARA Holdings (MARA), gaining 6%.