Today's Bull vs Bear Market Sentiment

On July 18, 2026, Bitcoin's price showed a slight upward trend, closing at $64,105, a 1.03% increase over 24 hours. This price movement occurred amidst a mix of positive and negative factors in crypto-related news. On the positive side, news of Tenet Fintech's $1.5 million capital increase and resumption of trading, coupled with its first profit turnaround, is expected to accelerate its North American expansion. Furthermore, T. Rowe Price's launch of an active cryptocurrency ETF, including Solana and BNB, indicates growing interest from institutional investors. Kraken's enhancement of its NFT and illiquid asset valuation tools signifies intensifying competition in institutional services, and the continuous net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs for four consecutive trading days, along with the recovery of net inflows into spot Ethereum ETFs, reflect positive market sentiment. Notably, the news of the cessation of an $8 billion outflow from crypto investment products due to weak US inflation highlights the impact of macroeconomic factors on the crypto market.

On the other hand, the resurgence of the CLARITY Act and the White House review of the SEC's crypto rule proposals have increased regulatory uncertainty in the US, acting as a burden on the market. Despite cooperation between the SEC and CFTC on coin classification, the rekindled regulatory confusion has heightened investor caution. For Ethereum, analysis suggests its rebound has stalled due to the re-emergence of policy uncertainty, despite ETF expectations. Additionally, news of Bitcoin's decline due to weakness in tech stocks and warnings about potential volatility expansion amplified market anxiety.

Overall, while positive institutional investor sentiment and ETF inflows are driving short-term price increases, regulatory uncertainty and macroeconomic volatility continue to exert downward pressure on the market. Bitcoin is at a critical juncture, attempting to reclaim the $64,000 level while being supported by the $60,000 support line, indicating a potential for increased volatility.