Bitcoin Returns to $80K as Solana ETF Tops $1 Billion

Swan.my.id - United States, Bitcoin returned to the $80,000 level this week after a powerful rally, while shifting US interest-rate expectations and strong demand for crypto exchange-traded funds shaped the market’s direction.

Bitcoin climbed sharply over the past seven days, rising about 24% before encountering resistance between $81,000 and $82,000. The move marked a significant recovery from the cryptocurrency’s August lows and put renewed attention on whether demand could support further gains.

Meanwhile, Ethereum delivered an even stronger weekly performance. The second-largest cryptocurrency gained about 29%, supported by demand for US spot Ethereum ETFs. Solana also attracted significant institutional interest as Bitwise’s Solana staking ETF became the first SOL fund to surpass $1 billion in assets.

However, the broader market faced a new challenge after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh signaled that another interest-rate increase remained possible. His comments briefly pushed Bitcoin below $80,000 as traders reassessed the outlook for US monetary policy.

Bitcoin Returns to $80K After Strong Weekly Rally

Bitcoin crossed $80,000 for the first time since May 15 after recovering from below $64,000 on August 19. The latest rally extended Bitcoin’s recovery to roughly 38% from its late-June low, when the cryptocurrency traded below $58,000.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs also provided important support. The funds recorded approximately $1.92 billion in weekly inflows, indicating continued investor interest during Bitcoin’s recovery.

Analysts attributed the initial move higher partly to short liquidations and US Treasury buybacks. Nevertheless, Bitcoin later struggled to break through the $81,000 to $82,000 resistance zone.

That resistance has therefore become an important level for traders. Sustained spot demand could determine whether the latest recovery develops into a broader advance or loses momentum near the recent highs.

Bitcoin’s weekly gain was reported at about 21% over the measured period in a comparison with Ethereum, although the cryptocurrency’s broader seven-day move was also described as roughly 24% in the weekly recap.

Warsh Raises Fresh Interest-Rate Concerns

The crypto market faced renewed pressure after Kevin Warsh used his Jackson Hole speech on August 28 to discuss the possibility of another interest-rate increase.

Warsh said the Federal Reserve would be “hard pressed” to describe financial conditions as restrictive. He also warned that rates could rise unless inflation moved quickly toward the central bank’s 2% target.

The comments came after inflation data showed headline personal consumption expenditures inflation at 3.7% annually in July. Core PCE inflation stood at 3.3%.

Bitcoin briefly dropped below $80,000 after Warsh’s remarks. Investors were therefore forced to reassess the potential impact of tighter monetary policy on risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Higher interest rates can create additional pressure on assets that depend heavily on investor risk appetite. As a result, monetary policy remains a major factor for Bitcoin and the wider digital-asset market.

Solana ETF Surpasses $1 Billion

Solana was another major focus during the week after the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF became the first Solana fund to exceed $1 billion in assets.

According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, the broader US Solana ETF category has attracted approximately $1.7 billion. The category has also recorded limited sustained redemptions despite SOL’s weakness during the first half of 2026.

Bitwise’s US crypto products recorded about $100 million in net inflows on August 27. Solana led the company’s daily intake, followed by Bitcoin and Hyperliquid products.

SOL also moved above $100 for the first time since February after gaining about 40% over eight days. At the same time, monthly activity on the Solana network reached a record 4.2 billion transactions.

Network developments also continued to attract attention. Validators supported a proposal designed to accelerate the network’s declining inflation rate.

The proposal secured the required two-thirds support and could reduce projected issuance by approximately 18.9 million SOL over six years. However, a separate resource-fee proposal failed to reach the same threshold.

Ethereum Gains 29% as ETF Demand Strengthens

Ethereum delivered one of the strongest performances among major cryptocurrencies during the week.

ETH gained approximately 29% over seven days and reached around $2,546 before consolidating between roughly $2,450 and $2,500.

ETF demand played an important role in the move. US spot Ethereum ETFs attracted approximately $365 million in July, compared with about $205 million for Bitcoin funds during the same period.

Fundstrat’s Tom Lee said an Ethereum market rotation had begun and projected that ETH could potentially reach $10,000 within two years.

BitMine also reported holdings of 5.82 million ETH, highlighting the growing role of large-scale institutional and corporate exposure in the Ethereum market.

Charles Schwab Plans More Crypto Trading

Traditional financial institutions also continued expanding their involvement in digital assets.

Charles Schwab said it plans to add Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to its crypto trading service in the coming months. However, the brokerage did not provide an exact launch date or confirm whether all three assets would become available simultaneously.

The planned expansion would give Schwab clients direct access to SOL, AVAX and LINK through an established US brokerage platform.

The company had previously introduced Bitcoin and Ethereum trading as part of a phased expansion of its digital-asset services. Therefore, the planned addition of three major altcoins could further broaden access to cryptocurrency markets among traditional brokerage customers.

US Crypto Regulation Remains a Major Focus

Regulatory developments also featured prominently during the week.

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper described the CLARITY Act as a national security bill ahead of a planned Senate cloture vote on September 15.

Esper argued that the absence of federal market-structure rules could push cryptocurrency activity and technical development outside the United States. He serves on Coinbase’s advisory council, a connection relevant to his support for the legislation.

The CLARITY Act seeks to divide cryptocurrency oversight responsibilities between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. However, lawmakers have yet to complete the legislation.

Meanwhile, the SEC proposed a framework that could establish a pathway for public crypto token offerings in the United States.

The proposal would create exemptions and disclosure requirements for issuers seeking to sell tokens. The development represents an effort to establish a more defined securities framework for token fundraising.

Bitcoin-Backed Mortgages Enter the Market

Coinbase and Better also launched a Bitcoin-backed home-loan product that allows eligible borrowers to use BTC as collateral for a mortgage down payment.

Instead of selling Bitcoin, customers can pledge BTC worth 250% of the required down payment.

Coinbase One members may receive a 1% Bitcoin rebate, with the benefit capped at $10,000. However, the arrangement carries significant exposure to Bitcoin’s market volatility.

The terms allow collateral liquidation after 60 days of delinquency. Borrowers could therefore face both mortgage obligations and changes in the value of their Bitcoin collateral.

Zcash ETF Expands US Crypto Fund Market

Grayscale launched the first US spot Zcash ETF on NYSE Arca, expanding the range of cryptocurrency assets available through US-listed funds.

The launch followed a strong rally in ZEC that pushed the token to its highest level since 2018.

Zcash reached approximately $885 before retreating and later recovering above $800. The ETF provides US investors with regulated brokerage exposure to ZEC without requiring them to directly hold the cryptocurrency.

The launch also shows how the US crypto ETF market is expanding beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum into more specialized digital assets.

Strategy Pauses Bitcoin Sales

Strategy reported that it made no Bitcoin sales between August 17 and August 23 after disposing of 6,948 BTC between May and August.

Bitfinex analysts said the earlier sales were relatively small compared with daily Bitcoin trading volume. However, they could still raise questions about Strategy’s identity as a permanent corporate Bitcoin holder.

During the latest reported period, Strategy raised approximately $2.01 billion through sales of its common stock. The company also held a $5.1 billion US dollar reserve.

Its remaining 840,447 BTC moved into profit as Bitcoin returned toward the $80,000 level.

Lazarus-Linked Wallet Moves $19.4 Million in Bitcoin

A Bitcoin wallet linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group transferred 244.148 BTC worth approximately $19.4 million.

Blockchain monitoring services identified the funds as connected to the state-backed hacking group. However, the purpose of the transfer remained unclear.

The transaction renewed attention on cryptocurrency holdings associated with Lazarus and its previous laundering activity.

Governments and blockchain investigators have previously attributed multiple exchange, bridge and protocol attacks to the group. Consequently, movements involving wallets associated with Lazarus continue to receive close attention from the cryptocurrency security community.

What to Watch Next

The cryptocurrency market enters the next period with several important factors in focus:

• Bitcoin’s ability to break the $81,000-$82,000 resistance area.
• Continued inflows into US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
• The growth of Solana-based investment products.
• The impact of US interest-rate expectations on risk assets.
• Progress of the CLARITY Act in the US Senate.
• The planned addition of SOL, AVAX and LINK to Charles Schwab’s crypto trading service.
• Further developments involving US rules for public token offerings.

Conclusion

Bitcoin’s return to $80,000 was one of the biggest developments in the cryptocurrency market this week. The move followed a sharp recovery from August lows, while strong ETF inflows provided additional support.

At the same time, Ethereum and Solana showed strong momentum. Ethereum gained about 29% over seven days, while Solana moved above $100 and its network recorded record activity. The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF also crossed the $1 billion asset milestone.

However, the market remains sensitive to US monetary policy. Kevin Warsh’s warning that another rate increase remains possible quickly demonstrated how Federal Reserve expectations can influence cryptocurrency prices.

Meanwhile, expanding ETF products, traditional brokerage access, regulatory proposals and Bitcoin-backed financial products suggest that the digital-asset market continues to develop across several fronts.