Key HighlightsBitcoin sustained levels above $81,000 following a continued recovery throughout Asian market hours.NEAR Protocol rallied approximately 23% driven by increasing Zcash swap volume through NEAR Intents platform.U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $6.2 million in net positive flows for the week following a robust $433 million surge on Friday.Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF captured $310.7 million of Friday’s total inflow volume.Ether ETFs experienced $140 million in weekly outflows, breaking a four-week positive flow trend.Bitcoin maintained its position above $81,000 on Monday as digital asset markets extended their recovery while Asian equity indices posted gains.Bitcoin (BTC) PriceThe leading cryptocurrency registered a modest increase of under 1% across the 24-hour period, building on momentum that emerged following U.S. regulatory approval for certain onchain tokenized stock trading activities.Market analysts also highlighted short position liquidations as a contributing element to Bitcoin’s weekend price movement.Bitcoin Sustains $81,000 Support LevelBitcoin maintained trading levels just above $81,000 during Asian market sessions as market participants responded to improved risk appetite throughout global financial markets.Asian stock markets rallied following statements from U.S. officials characterizing trade negotiations with China as constructive, prior to a scheduled summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.U.S. equity futures also demonstrated upward momentum, with Nasdaq 100 futures showing stronger performance relative to S&P 500 contracts.Brent crude declined approximately 2% to settle just above $101 per barrel, representing its fourth straight session of losses.The pullback in oil prices provided some relief regarding inflation pressures, while Treasury futures similarly advanced.BTSE Chief Operating Officer Jeff Mei attributed Bitcoin’s weekend rally to the SEC’s regulatory decision on tokenized securities and forced liquidation of short positions.Market focus is now shifting toward upcoming commentary from Federal Reserve officials in advance of the central bank’s policy meeting scheduled for late October.NEAR Protocol Rallies on Zcash Integration MomentumNEAR Protocol emerged as one of the top-performing major digital assets, climbing approximately 23% to reach levels just above $4.The significant price appreciation came alongside elevated activity on NEAR Intents, a cross-chain service enabling users to exchange assets across multiple blockchain networks without requiring manual fund transfers between platforms.Several wallet providers, including ZODL and Vizor, have incorporated the service to facilitate Zcash trading functionality.Daily Zcash transaction volume processed through NEAR Intents expanded roughly six times over the previous week.Zcash itself appreciated around 3% to trade above $1,500.BNB advanced approximately 2% to approach $777, while Ether and Hyperliquid similarly posted gains near 2%.XRP, Dogecoin, Solana and Tron registered more modest increases of approximately 1% or less.Bitcoin ETF Investment Flows Rebound on FridayU.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds concluded the previous week with $6.2 million in cumulative net inflows.Spot Bitcoin ETFs See $6.21 Million in Weekly Net Inflows, While Spot Ethereum ETFs Post $140 Million in Net OutflowsFrom September 14 to September 18 (ET), spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $6.21 million in net inflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $121 million. Spot Ethereum ETFs… pic.twitter.com/Va0TqUYhFY— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 21, 2026The weekly figure was salvaged by a substantial $433 million of inflows recorded on Friday, representing the strongest single-day performance since September 3.Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF captured $310.7 million of Friday’s aggregate inflows, while BlackRock’s product attracted an additional $108.4 million.Earlier in the trading week, these investment vehicles had experienced significant redemptions, including $450.3 million on Tuesday and $296 million on Wednesday.Bitcoin ETFs continue to show approximately $1.45 billion in net outflows for the current year, though cumulative inflows since product launches total $55.16 billion.Ether ETFs exhibited contrasting flow patterns.These products registered approximately $140 million in weekly net outflows, terminating a four-week streak of positive flows that had collectively accumulated $1.94 billion.Bitcoin begins the new trading week maintaining levels above $81,000 as market participants track ETF demand dynamics, Federal Reserve policy signals and whether the strength observed in NEAR and alternative cryptocurrencies persists.The post Bitcoin (BTC) Maintains Position Above $81K While Ethereum Gains Momentum and NEAR Soars appeared first on Blockonomi.