Trading

Bitcoin stayed above $80,000 after April US employment figures came in stronger than expected, dampening expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. The Labor Department reported 115,000 jobs added with unemployment steady at 4.3%, while the CME FedWatch Tool showed just a 6% chance of a June cut. Traders are watching whether the $80,000 area remains a durable support zone or signals a deeper pullback.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a sixth straight week of net inflows, with the six-week stretch from the week of April 2 through Friday totaling $3.4 billion. Weekly inflows ranged from $22.34 million (week of April 2) to $996.38 million (week of April 17), while the latest week added $622.75 million.

Chainlink's LINK rose more than 7% after breaking out of a multi-month range and reclaiming the $10 level, as traders refocused on tightening supply and improving momentum. Large wallets accumulated 32.93 million LINK over the past month while exchange reserves fell by 13.5 million tokens, alongside reported ETF inflows above $1.4 million and a 119,241 LINK treasury add.

A stronger U.S. employment report in April shifted rate expectations, with 115,000 jobs added and unemployment at 4.3%. Rate-hike probabilities for 2026 increased to 20.8% while Bitcoin's positioning as a debasement hedge strengthened, alongside $1.25 billion in net BTC ETF inflows so far in May and a 16.5% Q2 rise in the BTC/XAU ratio.

ONDO rose more than 25% today and nearly 70% this week as real-world asset (RWA) tokens regained momentum and traders responded to institutional tokenization headlines. A multi-month range break near $0.35 coincided with a sharp jump in derivatives activity, putting focus on resistance around $0.70 and the psychological $1.00 area.

Bitcoin briefly dipped below $80,000 as selling pressure and derivatives unwinds intensified, while Ethereum fell under $2,300. The move followed a surge in profit-taking—14,600 BTC realized gains on May 4—alongside about $331 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, with nearly $100 million in a two-hour span. Price later hovered near $80,200 as traders watched the $80,000–$82,000 resistance area.

Bitcoin hovered around $80,000 after failing to hold $82,500 on Friday, following $268 million of net outflows from US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs on Thursday. Over the same 24-hour window, $270 million in leveraged long BTC futures were liquidated, while mixed positioning among top traders added to near-term caution.

Bitcoin shed about 245,000 wallet holders over five days, marking the quickest contraction in nearly two years and drawing comparisons to a similar wallet-exit phase in summer 2024. BTC has since fallen back under $80,000 after peaking near $83,000, while $80,300 is cited as a key cost-basis level for recent buyers amid price pressure around $79,500.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said on the Crypto In America podcast that XRP holders could get "something special" if Ripple eventually goes public, while stressing an IPO is "not a priority". XRP was trading at $1.42, after losing the $1.40 area and failing near $1.45, with support discussed around $1.35. The article also cites a Standard Chartered 2026 model at $2.80 and notes claims of Q1 2026 whale accumulation totaling 1.2 billion XRP.

Over the last 24 hours, bitcoin hovered near $80,000 and stayed range-bound between $80,200 and $79,200 while long liquidations hit $28.3 million. Total crypto liquidations reached $202 million, with $103 million from longs, even as equities rallied and oil briefly spiked before settling at $101 (Brent) and $95 (WTI). A Bitunix analyst flagged $78,000 as a key downside liquidity pocket, while $82,000–$83,000 holds notable short liquidity.