Bitcoin Price Prediction After $80K Short Squeeze as Traders Turn to Pepeto

The bitcoin price prediction just changed shape. A wave of forced buying on September 18 pushed BTC past $80,000 for the first time in weeks. In four hours, $250 million in bets against it were wiped per CoinGlass via Blockonomi. The bears lost. The bulls are back. And the next question is where the money goes from here.

Every time BTC prints a move like this, a pattern follows. Smart money locks in the gain, then looks one step ahead. KuCoin confirmed that the rally also pushed ETH and XRP up 4% in the same session. But while the crowd chases coins that already moved, the real play sits earlier in the cycle. Pepeto pulled in more than $11 million through its presale, and the people buying in now are doing it before any exchange listing, not after.

What Caused Bitcoin to Break $80,000 This Week?

Bitcoin blew through $80,000 on September 18, 2026, and hit $81,702 by the end of the session per CoinDesk. The trigger was a wave of forced short selling that started small and grew fast.

Blockonomi reported that $250 million in shorts were wiped in just four hours. Each closing short had to buy BTC back, which pushed the price higher, which forced more shorts to close. The Fed hiked rates 25 basis points the same week, but the market shrugged it off. That is the kind of strength that shifts BTC outlook models higher.