Bitcoin stalls near $76,500 as muted trading points to macro wait-and-see

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Enflux says “the bid is there” but no one is adding size, while Glassnode data shows easing selling pressure alongside weaker market activity.

By Sam Reynolds|Edited by Omkar Godbole May 26, 2026, 4:06 a.m. 2 min readMake preferred on

What to know:

Bitcoin is trading in a tight range around $76,500, with muted activity as traders wait for a clear macroeconomic catalyst.
Prediction markets see a solid chance that bitcoin holds above $74,000 and ends the week above $76,000, reflecting expectations for stability rather than a sharp move in either direction.
Analysts say bitcoin’s limited reaction to recent macro shocks shows either resilience or exhaustion, with tight supply and cooling ETF inflows leaving the next U.S. inflation report as a key driver for institutional demand.

Bitcoin BTC$76,709.50 hovered near $76,500 mid-day Hong Kong time, according to CoinDesk market data, holding a narrow range as trading remains muted after a long weekend in the U.S.

Prediction market traders on Polymarket see BTC as likely to hold above $74,000 this week, with a 60% chance it finishes the trading week above $76,000. In a note to CoinDesk, Singapore-based market maker Enflux wrote that the "bid is there" but no one is adding size.

A Glassnode weekly report adds the same split: buying and selling pressure is becoming more balanced, but weaker trading activity points to a cautious market waiting for the next macro catalyst.

Traders are not positioning for a sharp breakdown, but they are equally unconvinced that a breakout is imminent.

Enflux argues the current range says as much about what bitcoin has not done as what it has. Despite recent macro shocks, including Moody’s downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt and retailer Walmart warning that geopolitical fuel costs and weaker consumer spending are hitting margins, BTC has barely moved.

For some traders, that kind of muted response could signal resilience. Enflux sees something closer to exhaustion.

The missing ingredient is fresh institutional demand.

After pulling in $2.44 billion in April, U.S. spot bitcoin ETF inflows have cooled, and exchange reserves remain near decade-low levels at roughly 2.3 million BTC, suggesting the structural supply backdrop remains supportive. But tight supply alone does not push prices higher if buyers are not stepping in.

Next week’s Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation report, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, could reshape expectations for U.S. interest rates. A hotter-than-expected reading could reinforce the higher-for-longer rates narrative, lifting the dollar and Treasury yields while pressuring bitcoin.

A softer print could do the opposite, reviving hopes for easier monetary policy and bringing institutional buyers back into crypto exposure.

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What to know:

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