Bitcoin trades at $82,949, ETF inflows top $3.5 billion in August

Bitcoin is trading close to $82,949, leaving the cryptocurrency about 5% below its level at the start of 2026. This has kept a key question in focus: can Bitcoin erase its year-to-date losses before December comes to an end?

Spot demand strengthens as leverage builds

According to a new report from blockchain data firm Glassnode, spot buyers have played a significant role in Bitcoin’s recent recovery toward $86,000. At the same time, both leveraged futures and options trading activity have increased, reflecting a market with rising risk appetite and greater sensitivity to leverage.

Analyst Frederik Theissen at Glassnode highlighted that exchange taker flow switched from net selling to net buying during the latest uptrend. He added that spot trading volumes also increased, and price momentum improved without showing signs of being overstretched.

This shift marks a reversal from the pattern seen earlier in September, when Bitcoin repeatedly struggled to stay above the $80,000 level. Coinpaper, a cryptocurrency market research site, noted that the resistance zone between $85,000 and $87,300 remains the primary barrier for a larger breakout.

Spot buyers have driven Bitcoin’s comeback toward $86,000, while increased trading activity and a turn in taker flow signal strength beneath the price.