Bitcoin experienced a significant price increase on Wednesday, crossing the $96,000 mark following a major acquisition by Strategy Inc, a prominent corporate holder of the cryptocurrency. The jump marks the highest valuation for Bitcoin in approximately two months, reaching $96,589 by 09:52 ET (14:52 GMT).
The price surge is largely attributed to Strategy Inc’s announcement that it acquired 13,627 Bitcoins at an average price of $91,519 each, amounting to a total investment of roughly $1.25 billion. This strategic purchase elevates Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings to 687,410 coins, reaffirming its status as the largest corporate Bitcoin holder globally.
Notably, this transaction represents Strategy’s biggest Bitcoin purchase since July 2025, funded through the issuance of common stock and preferred equity. The acquisition helps alleviate previous investor concerns regarding the company’s momentum in Bitcoin investments, as Strategy had made only minor additions since mid-December.
Strategy’s stock valuation has faced substantial pressure, with a decline approaching 50% in 2025, triggered in part by skepticism about the durability of its Bitcoin purchasing strategy. Additionally, falling Bitcoin prices had raised apprehensions that the firm might be compelled to liquidate some of its holdings to satisfy debt obligations.
In contrast to the institutional move, retail demand for Bitcoin within U.S. markets remains sluggish. This trend is evident through Bitcoin’s pricing on Coinbase Global, a key U.S. exchange, where the cryptocurrency trades at a consistent discount relative to the global average. This discount serves as an indicator of subdued retail sentiment.
Data from Coinglass reveals that Bitcoin has been priced lower on Coinbase since mid-December, alongside a general downward drift in the average Bitcoin price during this period, underscoring the persistent weakness in retail interest.
On the institutional front, U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) reported their most robust single-day inflows since October 7, 2025, suggesting a renewed willingness among institutional investors. These ETFs attracted net inflows totaling $753.7 million on Tuesday, the highest in roughly three months. Fidelity’s FBTC led the inflows with $351 million directed to the fund.
Parallel to this, the Ethereum market displayed a similar uptick, with combined ETF inflows of $130 million distributed among five different products on the same day.
Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, broader cryptocurrencies saw a stronger performance on Wednesday. Ether increased approximately 6% to $3,336.66, adjusting from higher intraday gains. Similarly, XRP appreciated over 4%, while Solana and Binance Coin (BNB) each rose near 3.5%. Cardano also showed notable strength, advancing close to 6%.
Among meme coins, Dogecoin climbed 6%, and the token known as $TRUMP increased by 2.8%.
These gains coincided with the release of U.S. consumer price index data for December, which revealed inflation and core inflation figures largely in line with expectations. Core CPI slightly underperformed forecasts but was consistent with November’s outcome. Despite this, market consensus continues to anticipate that the Federal Reserve will maintain current interest rates in its forthcoming January meeting.
Overall, while institutional investment and broader cryptocurrency gains hint at positive momentum, ongoing weak retail interest and the shadow of Strategy’s prior stock decline underline persistent market uncertainties.