Bitcoin climbed above $91,000 on Sunday as traders extended the early 2026 rebound across major tokens, with ether, solana and cardano posting big gains as geopolitical headlines from Venezuela boosted risk appetite.
Bitcoin traded around $91,300 in morning Asian hours, up about 1.4% on the day and more than 4% over seven days. Ether rose approx. 1% to near $3,150 and up about 7% on the week, while solana gained about 1.6% and is up more than 8% over seven days. XRP hovered just above $2, up about 0.6% on the day and nearly 10% for the week, while cardano was modestly higher on the day, up about 8% in seven days.
The move followed a sharp liquidation flush that removed overcrowded positioning and reset leverage in the short term.
Data showed about $180 million in futures positions liquidated over the past 24 hours, with about $133 million coming from shorts and $47 million from longs. The imbalance suggests traders were caught leaning on the rally, forcing buybacks as prices were pushed up.
Sunday’s gains also came as traders reacted to a fast-moving political situation in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump said the United States plans to “govern” Venezuela, while the White House offered few details on what that would entail. Venezuela’s Supreme Court granted Vice President Delcy Rodríguez full presidential powers in an acting capacity after ousted President Nicolás Maduro was taken into US custody.
Trump also signaled a focus on Venezuela’s oil, saying the U.S. would have a “presence in Venezuela as far as oil is concerned” and suggesting U.S. troops on the ground would not be needed if Rodríguez “does what we want.”
Crypto traders often treat such headlines as a volatility catalyst rather than a direct macro driver, but the risk tone can still matter.
During periods when liquidity is thinner, even modest spot demand can push prices through technical levels and trigger stop-driven moves in the futures markets.
This dynamic is amplified when shorts are positioned for a pullback, as forced cover can turn a grind higher for a sharper break.
