Bitcoin Price Hits $81K as BTC Challenges Nvidia for Decade’s Top Asset Crown

• Bitcoin price has surged above $81K in August, putting BTC among the strongest-performing assets this month and bringing its long-term performance back into focus
• Bitcoin is narrowly challenging Nvidia for the decade’s top-performing asset crown, while renewed spot ETF inflows show institutional demand returning alongside the rally
• Arthur Hayes sees the latest move as the beginning of a new Bitcoin bull market, pointing to Treasury buybacks, improving liquidity and a more favorable macro backdrop

Bitcoin has done more than recover a key price level this month. Bitcoin price pushed above $81,000 on Tuesday, extending a rally that has transformed the market mood in a matter of weeks. August is now shaping up as one of BTC’s strongest months in years. Meanwhile, a new comparison with Nvidia has put Bitcoin’s longer-term performance back in the spotlight. Under the headline numbers, there are signs that this rally has more than one engine.

Also Read: Gold Becomes the Macro Trade to Watch as Dollar Bets Turn Sharply Bearish

Bitcoin Price Climbs Above $81K as ETF Demand Returns

Bitcoin reached roughly $81,238. This is its highest level since May, according to reports. Bitcoin was up around 28% in the month of August, putting the cryptocurrency on track for one of its strongest months of the year. At press time, BTC was trading at $80,794.16 following a slight correction, but the king coin’s daily rise stands at 4.7%.

This puts Bitcoin’s August performance in an interesting context. A recent chart showed Bitcoin with a 13,491% 10-year return, narrowly ahead of Nvidia at 13,428% as of August 24. The figures are striking, although the precise ranking can vary depending on the dates used.

The record backs up Bitcoin’s reputation as a long-term outperformer. Fidelity Digital Assets has noted that Bitcoin ranked as the top-performing asset in 11 of the 15 years through 2025.

The rally has also been reflected in the US spot Bitcoin ETF market. Bitcoin ETF assets jumped 25.4% last week, rising from $76.6 billion to $96.1 billion, according to SoSoValue data. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.92 billion in net inflows for the week ending August 21. This is their strongest weekly data since October 2025.

There is an important wrinkle in those numbers. The $19.5 billion increase in ETF assets was largely driven by Bitcoin’s rising price rather than fresh capital. Still, nearly $2 billion in weekly inflows shows that investors were also stepping back into the market as momentum returned.

Also Read: Samsung Stock Plunges Nearly 9% as Record $79B Payout Disappoints Investors

Arthur Hayes Calls It a New Bitcoin Bull Market

The broader backdrop has given the rally another source of fuel. The US Treasury recently doubled the size of its longer-dated bond buyback operations to at least $4 billion per operation, beginning September 9. The move has weighed on the dollar and helped strengthen the appeal of alternative assets such as Bitcoin and gold.

Arthur Hayes, the BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO, sees more than a short-term bounce. In his latest outlook, Hayes argued that expanded Treasury buybacks are creating a liquidity environment that could mark the start of a new Bitcoin bull market.

For now, BTC has reclaimed $80,000 and momentum is firmly back on its side. Analysts see a potential move toward $95,000 to $100,000 if the rally holds.

Also Read: XRP Price Surges 50% as ETF Inflows Return, Can Bulls Push to $2?