Crypto prices fall in line with declining U.S. market action.

Bitcoin Pulls Back to $92K as Gold and Silver Rally; ETFs Highlight Institutional Demand

Bitcoin (BTC $91,099.70) retreated to just above $92,000 on Tuesday after briefly testing $95,000 during early U.S. trading, reversing a short-lived break in weeks-long declines. BTC is down 1.3% over 24 hours.

Altcoins also slipped. XRP, which led Monday’s rally, fell more than 2%, while Solana (SOL $135.59) — boosted earlier by Morgan Stanley’s planned spot SOL ETF — gave up similar gains.

U.S. equities posted modest advances, with the Nasdaq up 0.4% and the S&P 500 up 0.3%, while metals surged: gold rose 1% above $4,500, silver jumped 5% past $80, and copper topped $6 per pound for the first time.

ETF inflows signal renewed institutional interest
Bitcoin ETFs recorded their largest single-day inflow in nearly three months at roughly $697 million, reflecting fresh institutional allocations and the unwinding of year-end tax-loss harvesting. Ether (ETH $3,152.00) saw bullish flows in mid- and long-dated call spreads, suggesting strong conviction into the second half of 2026, according to Wintermute.

Options markets reflect cautious optimism. BTC skew remains negative due to systematic hedging by entities treating Bitcoin as a treasury asset, making risk-reversals — buying calls while selling puts — a cost-efficient way to express bullish sentiment.

Analysts increasingly see Bitcoin as a geopolitical hedge. Despite a 6% loss in 2025, BTC has already recovered a significant portion. Historically, Bitcoin has never recorded back-to-back losing years, and prior rebounds after 2014, 2018, and 2022 suggest 2026 could be a strong year for crypto.