Bitcoin experienced a steady increase during the Asian trading hours, coinciding with gains in regional stocks and U.S. futures influenced by positive trade discussions between the U.S. and China.
By Shaurya Malwa56 minutes ago2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on Bitcoin surpasses $81,000 as NEAR token soars 23% due to Zcash activity. (Shaurya Malwa/CoinDesk)SummaryShow- Bitcoin was trading just above $81,000 after the Securities and Exchange Commission allowed onchain trading of tokenized U.S. stocks, triggering a short squeeze.
- NEAR surged approximately 23% to over $4, driven by its cross-chain swap service, which saw a significant increase in ZEC trading.
- Asian equities and U.S. futures rose following positive trade discussions between the U.S. and China, while decreasing oil prices alleviated inflation fears.
Bitcoin was priced slightly over $81,000 during the early hours of the Asian trading session, reflecting a minor increase of less than 1% over the past day. This rise follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent approval for onchain trading of tokenized U.S. stocks, according to data from CoinDesk.
NEAR emerged as a significant performer, climbing about 23% to surpass $4. This increase is attributed to NEAR Intents, a swap service on the NEAR blockchain that facilitates token exchanges across various chains without the need for users to transfer funds first.
Popular wallets such as ZODL and Vizor have integrated this service to enable ZEC swaps, resulting in a sixfold increase in daily ZEC trading volume on the platform over the past week. NEAR has positioned itself as the routing layer for one of the most actively traded tokens, which is reflected in the performance of its own token.
In related movements, ZEC rose 3% to just above $1,500, while BNB increased by 2% to nearly $777. Ether and HYPE both gained around 2%, while XRP, DOGE, SOL, and TRX saw gains of 1% or less.
Asian equities set a positive tone during the session, with MSCI's Asia Pacific index rising nearly 1%, largely thanks to technology stocks in South Korea and Taiwan. This uptick followed U.S. officials' comments regarding "very successful" trade discussions with China ahead of a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping this week.
S&P 500 futures showed a slight increase of less than 1%, with Nasdaq 100 contracts rising even more. Brent crude oil prices dropped 2% to just above $101 per barrel, marking its fourth consecutive decline, which helped reduce inflation concerns and boosted Treasury futures.
Jeff Mei, the chief operating officer at the exchange BTSE, attributed Bitcoin's weekend surge to the SEC's approval of onchain trading for tokenized U.S. stocks and the subsequent short squeeze. He anticipates limited significant events this week, aside from comments from Federal Reserve officials.
"I expect increased volatility in the weeks leading up to that event," Mei remarked, referring to the Federal Reserve's meeting scheduled for late October, which will include several speeches and an inflation report before the meeting takes place.
Read More: Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle could be early winners of SEC's tokenized-stock push, analysts say
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The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: Asia Pacific
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As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
By CoinDesk ResearchSep 15, 2026Commissioned byRippleAs stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
Why it matters:
As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region’s rules, use cases, and RLUSD’s role.
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