BlockBeats News, January 14th, according to CoinDesk, Bitcoin briefly hit $96,000, up nearly 10% since 2026. This uptrend was mainly driven by a strong performance during the North American trading session. According to Velo data, Bitcoin’s cumulative return during the North American session was about 8%. In contrast, the European session saw only a modest increase of about 3%, while the Asian trading session acted as a drag on the overall performance.
This trend is in stark contrast to the situation at the end of 2025. At that time, Bitcoin experienced a cumulative decline of up to 20% during the North American trading session at the end of November, hitting a low of nearly $80,000. During the fourth quarter, Bitcoin often faced selling pressure at the opening of the U.S. market, and spot Bitcoin ETFs faced almost daily outflows. The strongest returns are currently occurring shortly after the U.S. market opens, which, over the past six months, has been the period when Bitcoin has performed most weakly.
The U.S. trading session does not necessarily represent the trading activity of U.S. investors, as the price performance during these sessions reflects the fluctuations on U.S. domestic exchanges and overseas exchanges like Binance. Therefore, the strong gains during the U.S. market session may coexist with a Coinbase premium, indicating that the demand may be coming from global participants rather than U.S. domestic buyers.
