Bitcoin Holds $90,000 in Sight as ETF Flows and Memecoins Drive a Risk-On Morning

This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of cryptocurrency markets and Latin American financial markets.

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Key Points

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• Spot ETF demand returned with force, led by roughly $471 million into Bitcoin products and $175 million into Ethereum, setting a supportive tone into January 3.

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• Bitcoin stayed range-bound near $89,500, with traders watching a possible squeeze toward $94,589 if $90,600 gives way, and a liquidation pocket near $88,000 if it fails.

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• Speculation migrated to high-beta corners: XRP, DOGE, and PEPE outperformed, while Zcash lagged despite its recent volatility.

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\\n\\\\nCrypto began January 3 in a familiar posture: optimistic, but still disciplined by hard levels. Bitcoin traded around $89,525 after a push toward the low $90,000s, while Ethereum hovered near $3,093.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nThe broader complex leaned positive: Solana near $130, XRP around $2.00, and Litecoin near $81.6. Zcash slipped to roughly $514 after printing wide intraday swings.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nThe main story from the prior day and overnight was flow, not hype. Spot ETFs logged a sharp turn back to net buying: about $471.3 million into Bitcoin funds and $174.5 million into Ethereum funds on January 2.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nThat helped crypto rise even as U.S. yields edged higher and the dollar firmed in the first full session of the new year, a reminder that markets can reward demand and price discovery even when macro winds are mixed.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\n

Bitcoin Holds $90,000 in Sight as ETF Flows and Memecoins Drive a Risk-On Morning

\\n\\\\nStill, price action looked like a market that remembers risk. Coin watchers flagged a new CME futures gap as trading normalized, and warned about a late-long liquidation magnet near $88,000.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nBitcoin’s working range stayed tight: roughly $86,400 to $90,600. A clean break above $90,600 points technicians toward $94,589, with $100,000 back in the conversation.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nA slip below nearby support zones around $89,000 and $88,170 would weaken the breakout attempt.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nDerivatives reinforced the tone. Perpetual volumes remained heavy, with BTC and ETH leading. Risk appetite spilled into memecoins and fast movers.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nReports put memecoin market value up about $3 billion in a day to roughly $39.45 billion, with open interest jumping as traders chased momentum. On one major tape, PEPE and DOGE posted double-digit gains, and XRP surged near 7%.\\n\\\\n\\n\\\\nMarket-making desks offered a cooler explanation for the slow grind: with more than 12.5% of all mined Bitcoin now sitting in ETFs and corporate treasuries, breakouts may be harder—but potentially more durable when they finally arrive.\\n

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This is part of The Rio Times daily coverage of cryptocurrency markets and Latin American financial markets.

This is part of The Rio Times daily coverage.