Bitcoin rose above $91,000 on Sunday as traders extended the early 2026 bounce across major tokens, with ether, solana and cardano posting broad gains as Venezuela’s geopolitical headlines added to the risk appetite.
Bitcoin traded around $91,300 in Asian morning hours, up around 1.4% on the day and more than 4% in seven days. Ether rose about 1% to around $3,150 and is up about 7% for the week, while solana gained about 1.6% and is up more than 8% in seven days. XRP remained just above $2, rising about 0.6% on the day and nearly 10% for the week, while Cardano rose modestly on the day and was up about 8% in seven days.
The move followed a sharp sell-off that cleared oversaturated positioning and restored near-term leverage.
The data showed approximately $180 million in futures positions liquidated in the last 24 hours, of which around $133 million came from short positions and $47 million from long positions. The imbalance suggests traders were trapped leaning against the rally, forcing buybacks as prices rose.
Sunday’s gains also came as traders reacted to the rapidly evolving political situation in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump said the United States plans to “rule” Venezuela, while the White House offered few details about what that would entail. Venezuela’s Supreme Court granted Vice President Delcy Rodríguez all presidential powers in an interim capacity after ousted President Nicolás Maduro was taken into US custody.
Trump also signaled a focus on Venezuela’s oil, saying the United States would have a “presence in Venezuela when it comes to oil” and suggesting that American troops on the ground would not be needed if Rodriguez “does what we want.”
Cryptocurrency traders often treat these headlines as a catalyst for volatility rather than a direct macroeconomic driver, but the tone of risk can still matter.
In periods when liquidity is tighter, even modest spot demand can push prices above technical levels and trigger stop-driven moves in futures markets.
That dynamic is amplified when shorts position for a pullback, as forced covering can turn a rally into a steeper breakout.
