Bitcoin rebounds 35% in Q3 despite thin demand and regulatory setbacks
Record ETF inflows and Treasury buybacks fuel rally Bitcoin rallied from ~$63K to $80K in August on Treasury buybacks, Trump's crypto support, and record ETF inflows, then September saw ~$1B daily ETF inflows and a US strategic reserve with a 20-year lockup.
This explains the main positive forces that drove Bitcoin's price up during the quarter.
Fed rate hike and failed Clarity Act weigh on prices The Fed's first rate hike since 2023 and the failed Clarity Act in September hurt sentiment, while July's heavy ETF outflows ($8.9B) and Strategy's authorized $1.25B sales added early pressure.
This highlights the key negative factors that caused volatility and limited gains.
Security breaches and corporate demand collapse The Coldcard hack, a $320M Liquid breach, Strategy's $10B paper loss, and collapsing corporate demand left the rally's demand base thin, despite global regulatory wins.
This shows the underlying weaknesses that threatened the sustainability of the rally.