Bitcoin’s US$87,000 spike: Real breakout or a US$900 million short squeeze?

In a remarkable surge, Bitcoin's price climbed to around US$87,000, sparking intense market interest and prompting analysis on whether this marked a genuine breakout or a short squeeze. The cryptocurrency's market cap surged to roughly US$1.7 trillion to US$1.8 trillion, with the total crypto market cap reaching about US$2.94 trillion, and Bitcoin's dominance hovering near 59 per cent.

The rapid price increase was not a gradual climb but a swift breakout that caught many traders off guard, leading to the liquidation of hundreds of millions of dollars in bearish positions within a single day. The primary driver behind this spike was a massive short squeeze, as over US$900 million in short positions were erased, accompanied by more than 139,000 traders being liquidated across the market.

This convergence of forced buying created a feedback loop, accelerating price gains far beyond what could be attributed to organic demand alone. While the short squeeze provided the ignition, the conditions for such an explosive move were also fostered by returning institutional demand, as US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded US$433 million in net inflows on September 18, and broader macro conditions such as falling oil prices and Treasury yields contributing to improved risk asset conditions.

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