Bitcoin Holds US$84,853; Latin America Stablecoins
Updated 1 time · Latest: 2 October 2026
Key Facts
- Bitcoin settled up 1.55% at US$84,853 in the Thursday, October 1 session, while Ethereum added 0.81% to US$2,706.
- Bitcoin ended just below US$85,000, a level it also failed to close above on Wednesday, according to market reports. We could not confirm a single trigger for the move.
- Solana and XRP barely moved, so the session was Bitcoin-led rather than a broad rally.
- US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded US$148.69 million of outflows on September 30 ending a nine-day inflow streak and tempering institutional momentum.
- Stablecoins represented 98% of Brazil’s reported crypto turnover of US$6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, showing dollar-linked tokens dominate local activity.
- Argentina and El Salvador tell the same story with stablecoins above 70% of crypto purchases in Argentina and crypto remittances in El Salvador at just 0.7% of the total.
Today’s Focus
Bitcoin settled Thursday, October 1 at US$84,853, a gain of 1.55%, while Ethereum rose 0.81% to US$2,706. The session was Bitcoin-led, and we could not confirm a single trigger for the move.
The mood remains tentative because US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded US$148.69 million of outflows on September 30, ending a nine-day inflow streak. Solana and XRP barely moved, settling at US$118.40 and US$1.494.
For Latin America, the sharpest signal is not Bitcoin’s daily swing but the scale of stablecoin adoption. Brazil reported 98% of first-quarter crypto turnover in dollar-linked tokens, and Argentina’s crypto purchases are dominated by USDT and USDC.
El Salvador’s sovereign treasury of more than 7,600 BTC keeps it the region’s most visible experiment, yet crypto remittances reached only US$35.4 million in the first half of 2026, equal to 0.7% of total remittances.
What matters today. Latin America is using crypto less for Bitcoin speculation and more for dollar access through stablecoins, which now dominate regional transaction volume.
01 The session in one read
Bitcoin settled Thursday, October 1 at US$84,853, a rise of 1.55% on the day. Ethereum added 0.81% to US$2,706, while Solana inched up 0.34% to US$118.40 and XRP gained 0.38% to US$1.494.
The rise came without a confirmed single trigger. Bitcoin finished just below US$85,000, a level it also failed to close above on Wednesday, according to market reports.
Thursday’s modest Bitcoin gain of 1.55% does little to change the regional picture because stablecoins accounted for more than 90% of Latin America’s digital-asset transaction volume, exceeding US$27 billion in 2025. Brazil, Argentina and El Salvador are converging on a practical use case of dollar access, savings and cross-border payments rather than daily Bitcoin exposure. The variable to watch is whether Bitcoin can close above US$85,000, a move that would matter globally while leaving stablecoin demand in Latin America largely unchanged.
02 The board
The major coins all finished in positive territory but none moved much beyond 1.5%. Bitcoin’s advance to US$84,853 was the strongest, while Ethereum’s smaller 0.81% gain to US$2,706 left it short of the psychological US$3,000 mark.
Solana at US$118.40 and XRP at US$1.494 were effectively flat, signalling that the session was not a broad risk-on rally but a Bitcoin-led response to the US inflation data. The lack of follow-through in smaller tokens suggests traders remain cautious after the ETF outflow figures.
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | US$84,853 | +1.55% |
| Ethereum | US$2,706 | +0.81% |
| Solana | US$118.40 | +0.34% |
| XRP | US$1.494 | +0.38% |
Source: RT close, 2026-10-01. Where a commodity has no spot feed, an exchange-traded tracker or leading producer is shown as a labelled proxy.
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Latin America — Cross-Market Board
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 187,197.46 | +0.46% | +21.85% | 186,340.46 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 10,908.18 | -0.56% | — | 10,969.49 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 63,828.60 | -0.60% | +12.17% | 64,214.36 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 2,758,840 | -2.15% | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,530.05 | -0.75% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 59,831.84 | -0.13% | — | — | — | — | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.16 | +0.01% | -5.13% | 5.16 | 5.18 | 5.14 | — |
| EUR/BRL | 5.95 | +1.01% | -5.83% | 5.89 | 5.98 | 5.94 | — |
| USD/MXN | 17.06 | -0.24% | -8.58% | 17.10 | 17.08 | 17.01 | — |
| USD/CLP | 913.98 | +0.04% | -5.67% | 913.65 | 915.11 | 906.68 | — |
| USD/COP | 3,140 | +0.03% | -22.04% | 3,139 | 3,141 | 3,105 | — |
| USD/PEN | 3.36 | -0.66% | -4.82% | 3.38 | 3.38 | 3.35 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,493 | +0.10% | +12.96% | 1,491 | 1,494 | 1,480 | — |
| USD/UYU | 40.27 | +1.24% | +1.80% | 39.77 | 40.27 | 40.23 | — |
| USD/PYG | 5,939 | +1.68% | -19.54% | 5,841 | 5,939 | 5,925 | — |
| USD/BOB | 11.64 | -0.76% | +72.04% | 11.73 | 11.72 | 11.64 | — |
| USD/DOP | 58.34 | +1.25% | -3.44% | 57.62 | 58.34 | 58.04 | — |
| USD/CRC | 445.92 | +0.89% | -9.71% | 441.97 | 448.50 | 445.92 | — |
03 What moved it
We could not confirm a single catalyst for Thursday’s gain. Bitcoin closed at US$84,853, still below US$85,000, and Ethereum, Solana and XRP moved far less than Bitcoin.
Institutional flows turned cautious. US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds posted US$148.69 million of outflows on September 30, ending a nine-day inflow streak that had brought in about US$3.1 billion, according to SoSoValue data. That cooled momentum around the US$85,000 level.
Thursday’s US data was a mixed backdrop for risk assets. On Thursday the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) put its US manufacturing index at 54.5 for September, against a forecast of 55 and 54.6 in August. Its prices-paid gauge jumped to 77.9 from 71.1, well above the 72.3 forecast, which points to sticky input costs. New orders rose to 55.3 from 53.7 and employment to 52.7 from 51.2. S&P Global’s final US manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) was 55.9, below the 57.0 flash estimate and up from 53.9 in August. The US Department of Labor reported 197,000 initial jobless claims for the week to 26 September, against a forecast of 200,000 and 198,000 a week earlier. Continuing jobless claims fell to 1,701,000 from 1,712,000, and the four-week average of initial claims eased to 200,000 from 202,500. A firm labour market and rising input costs argue against fast Federal Reserve easing, which matters for Bitcoin because it trades with liquidity expectations.
04 The Latin American read
For Brazil, the crypto economy is overwhelmingly a stablecoin economy. Dollar-linked tokens represented 98% of reported first-quarter 2026 crypto turnover of US$6.9 billion, supported by Pix instant payments and central-bank virtual-asset rules that took effect on February 2, 2026.
Argentina shows a similar pattern born of inflation and currency controls. USDT and USDC made up more than 70% of crypto purchases, while roughly 75% of workers paid in crypto chose stablecoin salaries in a form of bottom-up dollarisation.
El Salvador remains the region’s most visible Bitcoin experiment, with a sovereign treasury holding more than 7,600 BTC. Yet crypto remittances reached just US$35.4 million in the first half of 2026, up 39.1% year on year but only 0.7% of total remittances, indicating limited everyday use.
05 The names to watch
Spot Bitcoin ETFs are the main institutional gauge. On September 30, Fidelity’s FBTC led the outflows with US$125.6 million, followed by Bitwise’s BITB with US$13.6 million, while BlackRock’s IBIT, which had taken in US$1.6 billion over nine days, lost US$9.5 million.
Solana and XRP barely moved on Thursday, at US$118.40 and US$1.494, which suggests the session was a Bitcoin-led move rather than a broad risk-on rally.
06 The outlook
October starts with Bitcoin at US$84,853, just below the US$85,000 level that has capped it for two sessions, and with institutional inflows cooling. The next test is whether Bitcoin can close above US$85,000, because that would show buyers regaining control.
For Latin America, the direction of Bitcoin matters less than the continued expansion of stablecoin rails for savings, salaries and cross-border payments. The regional story is less about price speculation and more about dollarisation by digital means.
07 What to watch
- Bitcoin at US$85,000: A daily close above US$85,000 would show buyers regaining control after Wednesday’s failure to close above that level.
- US spot Bitcoin ETF flows: After US$148.69 million of outflows on September 30, renewed inflows this week would signal institutional confidence returning.
- Brazil stablecoin turnover: With stablecoins at 98% of first-quarter turnover, new central-bank rules and Pix integration will shape whether that share grows further.
- El Salvador sovereign BTC: The treasury of more than 7,600 BTC remains the region’s highest-profile bet; any purchase or sale signals official conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Bitcoin rise on Thursday?
Bitcoin gained 1.55% to US$84,853, finishing just below US$85,000, a level it failed to close above the previous day. We could not confirm a single trigger for the move.
What are the most important crypto assets in Latin America?
Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC dominate, accounting for more than 90% of regional digital-asset transaction volume and exceeding US$27 billion in 2025.
How big is Brazil’s stablecoin market?
Dollar-linked stablecoins represented 98% of reported first-quarter 2026 crypto turnover of US$6.9 billion, supported by Pix and new central-bank rules.
Is El Salvador actually using Bitcoin for everyday payments?
Only marginally. Crypto remittances hit US$35.4 million in the first half of 2026, up 39.1% year on year but just 0.7% of total remittances.
Market data: RT
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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