Bitcoin breaks $80k as Treasury bond buying fuels rally
Ethereum (ETH)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
Finance.yahoo.com reports that Bitcoin opened at $78,528.41 on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, before rising to $78,585.58 by 8:25 a.m. ET. This move follows a rally that saw Bitcoin clear $80,000 for the first time in over three months, hitting a high of $81,235.03 on Tuesday. The surge is attributed to a surprise U.S. Treasury Department decision to double its long-term bond-buying program.
Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi highlighted a note by Chhugani, who projects Bitcoin reaching $150,000 by mid-2027 in the base case. Chhugani suggests that if institutional capital actively chases Bitcoin, prices could peak at $500,000 by the end of 2029. The forecast also maintains a long-term target of approximately $1 million by the end of 2033.
Ethereum opened at $2,442.30 on Wednesday, down 1.6% from Tuesday, before climbing to $2,469.90 by 8:25 a.m. ET. The all-time high for Bitcoin remains $126,198.07, set on October 6, 2025. Ethereum’s all-time high stands at $4,953.73, recorded on August 24, 2025.
The report notes that converting Bitcoin into Ethereum is considered a taxable event by the IRS if the value changes. Investors are reminded that holding periods significantly impact tax rates, with shorter holds often incurring higher rates.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for ETH, measured when this story was written up on 26 August 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
Whalio data shows Ethereum trading at $2,506.78, indicating a price increase from the reported opening. In the last hour, the buy ratio stands at 55.0% with a positive volume delta of +$7,944,358, suggesting immediate buying pressure. However, the 4-hour buy ratio drops to 40.4% with a negative volume delta of -$11,321,838, indicating that selling pressure has outweighed buying over that slightly longer timeframe. Over the past 24 hours, the buy ratio is 51.2% with a positive volume delta of +$14,758,006, showing that net buying has dominated the day so far. The Cumulative Volume Delta for the 24-hour close is +$18,069,472, confirming that buyers have been in control for the majority of the session. This data suggests that while short-term momentum is strong, the intensity of buying is weakening compared to the previous four hours.
The latest daily buy ratio of 46.8% sits at the 16th percentile of the last 322 days, against a median of 49.5% - weaker buying than most days.
Twenty-four hours later
What ETH did over the 24 hours after the story broke. The market moves for its own reasons; this is what happened, not what the story caused.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for ETH, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the average buy ratio was 51.4%, making today’s 24-hour ratio of 51.2% nearly identical to the weekly norm. The 24-hour spot volume of $617,837,179 is roughly half of the average daily volume, indicating a quieter trading day than usual. Despite lower volume, the 8-day price change shows an 11.3% increase, with a total volume delta of +$343,346,378. Net buying occurred on 6 of the last 7 days, suggesting a consistent upward trend. This day represents a continuation of that trend, though with significantly reduced volume compared to the weekly average.