Analysis: In 2026, Bitcoin's price surge was mainly concentrated in the North American trading session, while the Asian trading session dragged down its overall performance

On January 14, CoinDesk reported Bitcoin briefly touched $96,000, up nearly 10% since 2026. The uptrend was largely driven by strong momentum in North American trading hours. Per Velo data, Bitcoin’s cumulative gain during North American sessions was roughly 8%. By contrast, European trading hours saw only a modest ~3% increase, while Asian sessions weighed on overall performance. This trend stands in sharp contrast to late 2025. Back then, Bitcoin posted a cumulative drop of up to 20% in North American trading hours in late November, sliding to a near-$80k low. In Q4 2025, Bitcoin regularly faced selling pressure at the U.S. market open, while spot Bitcoin ETFs saw nearly daily outflows. Now, the biggest gains are occurring right after the U.S. market opens—a window that had been Bitcoin’s weakest period over the past six months. U.S. trading hours don’t always reflect U.S. investor activity, as price moves during these times capture volatility across U.S. domestic exchanges and overseas platforms like Binance. As a result, those strong U.S. session gains could coincide with a Coinbase premium—suggesting demand is likely coming from global participants, not just U.S. domestic buyers.