Bitcoin extends recovery above $81,000
Bitcoin continued its gradual recovery during Monday's Asian trading session, moving above $81,000 and gaining less than 1% over the previous 24 hours.
The move extends the cryptocurrency's recovery from the mid-$76,000s. The recent advance has come alongside renewed attention on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to allow limited onchain trading of certain tokenized U.S. stocks.
On September 17, the SEC approved a temporary, conditional Innovation Exemption allowing certain Tokenized Securities Venues to trade tokenized National Market System stocks through permissioned automated market makers and liquidity pools. SEC Innovation Exemption announcement The agency described the move as a step toward bringing parts of U.S. capital markets onchain.
NEAR jumps as Zcash activity accelerates
While Bitcoin posted a modest gain, NEAR was the standout among major crypto assets, rising roughly 23% to just above $4.
The move was associated with increased activity through NEAR Intents, a cross-chain swap service built on the NEAR blockchain. The system allows users to exchange one asset for another across different blockchain networks without requiring users to manually move their funds between chains first.
The service has been integrated by consumer wallets including ZODL and Vizor, which use it to provide Zcash (ZEC) swaps. According to the supplied market report, daily ZEC volume routed through NEAR Intents increased sixfold over the past week, making NEAR an important routing layer for the increased trading activity.
This connection between network usage and the NEAR token's price performance was highlighted in the market report. However, the rise in NEAR's token price should not be treated as proof that the increased routing activity alone caused the move.
Zcash and other major tokens also gain
Zcash was also among the stronger large-cap cryptocurrencies during the session. ZEC climbed about 3% to just above $1,500, while BNB gained roughly 2% to approach $777.
Ether and HYPE each added approximately 2%. Other major assets recorded smaller gains, with XRP, Dogecoin, Solana and TRON rising by 1% or less.
The uneven performance shows that the market's gains were not distributed equally across major crypto assets. NEAR's move stood out because of the sharp increase in activity associated with Zcash swaps, while Bitcoin continued its more measured recovery.
Asian markets rise as U.S.-China talks take focus
Crypto markets were also trading against a stronger backdrop in Asian equities.
The MSCI Asia Pacific index gained nearly 1%, led by technology stocks in South Korea and Taiwan. The move followed comments from U.S. officials describing recent trade discussions with China as “very successful” ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
U.S. equity futures also moved higher. S&P 500 futures gained less than 1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures rose slightly more. Reuters reported that Asian shares were supported by technology demand and easing oil prices, with South Korean technology stocks among the stronger performers.
The scheduled Trump-Xi summit is set for later this week. Reuters reported that the meeting is expected to focus on maintaining the existing trade truce and addressing issues including trade and artificial intelligence.
Oil prices fall as Bitcoin tracks broader risk sentiment
Energy markets also provided a supportive backdrop for risk assets.
Brent crude fell about 2% to just above $101 per barrel, marking its fourth consecutive decline according to the supplied report. Lower oil prices can reduce immediate concerns about energy-driven inflation, although the relationship between oil prices and Bitcoin is not direct.
Reuters reported that falling oil prices were helping support Asian equity markets at the start of the week, while markets continued to monitor developments in Middle Eastern energy flows and global supply.
The combination of higher equities, softer oil prices and progress in U.S.-China discussions provided a broader risk-market backdrop as Bitcoin held above $81,000.
Traders watch the next Federal Reserve signals
The crypto market is also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve and the possibility of additional volatility around future monetary-policy expectations.
Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at BTSE, attributed Bitcoin's weekend move partly to the SEC's tokenized-stock decision and the short squeeze that followed. He also pointed to a relatively light immediate economic calendar, with Federal Reserve officials' remarks becoming important for market positioning.
“I'd expect more volatility in the last few weeks leading up to that event,” Mei said, referring to the Fed's late-October meeting.
The market therefore enters the coming weeks with several potential sources of volatility, including Federal Reserve communication, inflation data, trade negotiations and developments in tokenized securities markets.
Bitcoin's recovery faces a changing market backdrop
Bitcoin's move above $81,000 comes after a difficult period for crypto markets, but the latest session also showed that strength remains concentrated in particular assets.
Bitcoin was up less than 1%, while NEAR's approximately 23% gain was tied to the sharp increase in Zcash swap activity through NEAR Intents. ZEC itself gained about 3%, while several other large cryptocurrencies posted smaller increases.
At the same time, traditional markets were supported by stronger Asian technology stocks, rising U.S. equity futures and lower oil prices. The SEC's September 17 action has also introduced a new development for the tokenization sector by permitting limited onchain trading of certain tokenized U.S. stocks under temporary conditions.
For Bitcoin, the immediate focus remains whether the asset can maintain its position above $81,000 as traders assess macroeconomic signals, Federal Reserve commentary and broader risk-market conditions.
