Bitcoin (BTC) climbed past the $104,000 mark

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed past the $104,000 (approx. ₹89.09 lakh) mark

Bitcoin (BTC) price rose past the $104,000 (roughly ₹89.09 lakh) mark on Friday, notching up a 1.30% gain in the past 24 hours despite broader crypto market instability. According to CoinMarketCap, BTC was trading at $104,010 globally, while on Indian exchanges, it went up nearly 2% to hit $104,770.

Amid this steady rally, financial giant JPMorgan has forecast that Bitcoin could outperform gold in the second half of 2025.

“Bitcoin continues to stay above the key $100K psychological mark for the seventh straight day, fluctuating between $101,700 support and $104,800 resistance levels. Meanwhile, BTC ETFs saw outflows worth $295 million (₹2,527 crore),” said Edul Patel, Co-founder and CEO of Mudrex.

In contrast, Ethereum (ETH) went down slightly by 0.15%, settling at $2,588. On Indian exchanges, Ether fell by 0.22% to $2,599. Analysts suggest a possible breakout could be on the horizon.

“Ethereum is forming a potential breakout pattern with $2,735 acting as a major resistance. The price seems to be in a consolidation phase, which may precede another bullish leg,” noted Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst at Delta Exchange.

Most altcoins saw slippages on Friday, with red dominating the charts for coins like Tether, Ripple, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, and Avalanche. Other laggards included Shiba Inu, Polkadot, Monero, Leo, Near Protocol, and Cronos.

Despite the mixed performance of altcoins, the total global crypto market cap went up slightly—less than 1% in the last 24 hours—to reach $3.33 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.

“The market is currently range-bound, awaiting Bitcoin’s next major move which will determine the overall direction,” said Himanshu Maradiya, Founder and Chairman of CIFDAQ exchange.

However, some coins such as Binance Coin, Tron, Stellar, Litecoin, IOTA, and Polygon managed to post marginal gains.

Experts remain cautious, warning of further choppiness in the days ahead. “The recent pullback is typical of post-hype corrections. Many altcoins have seen steep drops, but such moments often present opportunities for disciplined investors,” said Avinash Shekhar, Co-founder and CEO of Pi42.