Key Facts
- Failed hold above US$80,000 Bitcoin rose above US$81,000 early on Tuesday, its first trip above US$80,000 since mid-May, but slipped back to about US$78,900 by 20:17 UTC, little changed on the day.
- Solana led the majors Solana rose 1.7 per cent to US$97.75 while Bitcoin added 0.2 per cent, Ethereum eased 0.5 per cent and XRP gave back 0.9 per cent.
- Macro trade lifted Bitcoin A softer US dollar and expanded Treasury buybacks pushed investors toward Bitcoin as a debasement hedge earlier in the session.
- LatAm volumes are stablecoin-led Stablecoins accounted for more than 90 per cent of Latin America’s exchange volume by mid-2025, according to Dune’s Money Layer report.
- Brazil is nearly all stablecoins Around 90 per cent of Brazil’s crypto flows are linked to dollar-pegged tokens, central-bank data show, often moving through the Pix instant-payment system.
- Argentina dollarises bottom-up More than 70 per cent of crypto purchases on Bitso in Argentina are USDT and USDC, the exchange’s data show.
Today’s Focus
Bitcoin crossed US$80,000 on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, for the first time since mid-May, rising above US$81,000 at its intraday high. It could not hold the level, slipping back to about US$78,900 by 20:17 UTC, little changed on the day.
The broader board was mixed rather than weak. Solana rose 1.7 per cent to US$97.75, while Ethereum eased 0.5 per cent to US$2,458 and XRP slipped 0.9 per cent to US$1.46.
The push came from macro money. A softer US dollar and a doubling of long-dated Treasury buybacks revived the debasement trade, drawing investors toward scarce assets like Bitcoin before sellers locked in gains near resistance.
For Latin America, the session matters less than the underlying structure of adoption. Stablecoins represented more than 90 per cent of regional exchange volume by mid-2025, and they underpin cross-border transfers, savings and everyday payments in Brazil, Argentina and beyond.
What matters today. Bitcoin’s break above US$80,000 failed to stick, but the durable story in Latin America remains stablecoin dominance, not volatile token speculation.
01 The session in one read
Bitcoin spent Tuesday, August 25, 2026, testing a level it had not reached since mid-May. It rose above US$81,000 early in the day on a soft US dollar and expanded Treasury buybacks, then eased back as sellers locked in gains.
By 20:17 UTC (17:17 in Brasília), Bitcoin traded near US$78,859, up just 0.2 per cent on the day. The failed hold above US$80,000 left the rally intact on a weekly view, with Bitcoin still up about 22 per cent over seven days.
The rest of the board split rather than followed. Solana rose 1.7 per cent to US$97.75, Ethereum eased 0.5 per cent to US$2,458, and XRP slipped 0.9 per cent to US$1.46.
For anyone watching from São Paulo, Buenos Aires or San Salvador, the day’s price action was secondary to the region’s deeper truth: stablecoins, not Bitcoin, remain the default money rail for most Latin American crypto users.
Bitcoin briefly traded above US$80,000 on Tuesday for the first time since mid-May, then slipped back to about US$78,900 by 20:17 UTC, roughly flat on the day. Solana held up best, rising 1.7 per cent, while Ethereum and XRP each gave back less than one per cent.
The share of Bitcoin futures backed by crypto rather than dollars has collapsed to about 12 per cent of open interest, which removes one source of self-reinforcing leverage but leaves spot ETF flows as the main engine. The variable to watch is whether US spot Bitcoin ETFs sustain the strong weekly inflows that powered the rally toward US$80,000.
02 The board
The four majors on our board were split on Tuesday. Solana’s 1.7 per cent rise to US$97.75 was the standout, while XRP’s 0.9 per cent slip to US$1.46 was the sharpest decline.
The spread between Bitcoin and the altcoins is telling. Over the past week the altcoins have run harder — XRP up about 47 per cent, Ethereum about 29 per cent and Solana about 27 per cent against Bitcoin’s roughly 22 per cent — even as Bitcoin’s share of total crypto market value stays above 59 per cent.
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | US$78,859 | +0.2% |
| Ethereum | US$2,458 | -0.5% |
| Solana | US$97.75 | +1.7% |
| XRP | US$1.46 | -0.9% |
Source: CoinGecko snapshot, 20:17 UTC (17:17 BRT), 2026-08-25.
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Latin America — Cross-Market Board
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 174,576.80 | +1.55% | +21.85% | 171,906.72 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 11,450.75 | -0.76% | — | 11,537.98 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 65,522.56 | -0.38% | +12.17% | 65,770.85 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 3,009,029 | +0.46% | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,508.47 | -0.09% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 60,117.56 | +0.55% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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
The initial upward burst was a macro trade. A weaker US dollar and the US Treasury’s decision to double long-dated bond buybacks revived the debasement narrative, pushing investors toward assets seen as scarce hedges against currency and government-debt risk.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs took in about US$1.9 billion in the week to August 21, the largest weekly inflow since October 2025, according to market coverage. More than US$220 million in short positions were liquidated in 24 hours as the price pressed against resistance, before sellers locked in gains and pulled Bitcoin back under US$79,000.
Solana rose against the market’s hesitation, supported by network momentum. Weekly non-vote transactions hit a record 1.318 billion, and tokenized real-world assets on the network passed US$4 billion for the first time.
XRP’s 0.9 per cent dip to US$1.46 barely dented a hot streak. The token is still up about 47 per cent over the past week, the strongest run among the majors.
04 The Latin American read
Across Latin America, stablecoins accounted for more than 90 per cent of exchange volume by mid-2025, according to Dune’s Money Layer report. Regional exchange volume was about US$27 billion in 2024, and cumulative flows approached US$1.5 trillion in the three years to mid-2025, Chainalysis estimates.
Brazil is the clearest case. Central-bank data show around 90 per cent of the country’s crypto flows are linked to dollar-pegged stablecoins, much of it moving through the Pix instant-payment system.
Argentina shows the same pattern from the bottom up. USDT and USDC make up more than 70 per cent of crypto purchases on the Bitso exchange, the company reports.
El Salvador is no longer the region’s legal-tender outlier: Bitcoin acceptance has been voluntary since the government’s 2025 IMF agreement, though the state still buys one Bitcoin a day for its reserve. Across the region, dollar-pegged stablecoins handle most routine cross-border transfers.
05 The names to watch
Strategy, the corporate Bitcoin holder, is now more tied to capital-market access than to the Bitcoin price itself. Its 847,363 Bitcoin — worth about US$67 billion at current prices — carry roughly US$1.76 billion in annual dividend and interest obligations, making its refinancing ability the real swing factor.
World Liberty Financial launched its USD1 stablecoin natively on the Canton network this week. The token’s market value of about US$4 billion makes it the sixth-largest stablecoin in circulation, according to DeFiLlama, and a fresh competitor to USDT and USDC across emerging markets.
The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has swung from extreme fear to greed in a month, a fast turn that often precedes pockets of selling. The collapse of crypto-margined Bitcoin futures to about 12 per cent of open interest also changes the leverage structure of the market.
06 The outlook
The failed hold above US$80,000 suggests the rally needs fresh spot buying rather than derivatives leverage to extend. Spot ETF flows remain the most visible sign of institutional appetite.
A US stablecoin identity-verification proposal is drawing industry warnings that it could restrict peer-to-peer transfers. For Latin America, where stablecoin remittances are a lifeline, that regulatory fight matters more than Bitcoin’s next 2 per cent move.
Watch whether Bitcoin can reclaim US$80,000 on rising ETF inflows without another wave of investors cashing in. If it cannot, the altcoin complex looks set to consolidate after its strong weekly run.
07 What to watch
- US spot Bitcoin ETF flows: The rally’s main engine was a roughly US$1.9 billion weekly inflow, the largest since October 2025; continued buying would support a retest of US$80,000.
- US dollar and Treasury buyback news: The debasement trade that lifted Bitcoin depends on soft-dollar conditions and the Treasury’s expanded buyback programme.
- Solana issuance vote: Proposals SIMD-0550 and SIMD-0553, which would slow issuance and burn more fees, were before Solana validators in August; adoption would reshape supply dynamics.
- Stablecoin regulation: US identity-verification rules for stablecoin issuers would reshape remittance corridors across Latin America if enacted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Bitcoin fall back after breaking US$80,000?
Bitcoin rose on a soft US dollar and expanded Treasury buybacks, then met sellers locking in gains after a 22 per cent weekly run, slipping back to about US$78,900 by 20:17 UTC.
Which coins moved the most on Tuesday?
Solana rose 1.7 per cent to US$97.75, Ethereum eased 0.5 per cent to US$2,458 and XRP slipped 0.9 per cent to US$1.46 in the 20:17 UTC snapshot.
Why do stablecoins dominate Latin America?
Stablecoins give users dollar exposure without a US bank account; they made up more than 90 per cent of regional exchange volume by mid-2025 and around 90 per cent of Brazil’s crypto flows.
What does this mean for El Salvador?
El Salvador still buys one Bitcoin a day for its reserve, but Bitcoin acceptance has been voluntary rather than compulsory since the government’s 2025 IMF agreement.
Chart data: RT
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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