Bitcoin clung to gains above $81,500 on Monday after a weekend run that hit $82,458 late Sunday, wiping out about $135 million in leveraged crypto positions. The move marked a clean reclaim of the $80,000 threshold — a level that had slipped earlier in the month.
The Sunday spike
Bitcoin’s weekend action started quietly enough, but by Sunday evening the bids piled in. The price surged past $82,000 and touched a local high of $82,458 — its best showing in weeks. Traders who had been shorting the range got caught off guard. The rally wasn’t a straight line, but it held above $80,500 for most of Monday morning, suggesting buyers are willing to defend that zone.
Liquidations pile up
That $135 million liquidation number isn’t huge by crypto standards — the market has seen billion-dollar flush days — but it’s a reminder that leverage is still thick in the system. Most of the damage hit short positions, which got squeezed as BTC accelerated through $80,000 and then $81,000. The wipeout cleared out some overhead resistance, at least temporarily. Exchanges saw a flurry of forced closes between $80,500 and $82,000.
Resistance at $82,000
By Monday afternoon, Bitcoin was testing resistance near $82,000 again. The level held through the early session, and the price drifted back toward $81,800. This isn’t a breakout yet. The same zone rejected price action earlier this month, so bulls need to see a clean close above $82,000 to convince the market the rally has legs. For now, the $80,500 floor looks sturdy, but the ceiling at $82,000 is proving just as stubborn.
