Bitcoin extends gains to $81,500 as tokenization push lifts Bullish, Galaxy, Centrifuge
Key takeaways
- The largest cryptocurrency rose another 2% over the past 24 hours and is now up more than 35% from its early February lows.
- Feeding that momentum is strong demand for spot bitcoin ETFs, according to Paul Howard, senior director at Wincent.
- The positive sentiment is likely to stay constructive unless geopolitical conditions deteriorate materially, he said.
Published May 5, 2026, 6:52 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Bitcoin (BTC) price on May 5 (Coin Desk)What to know: Bitcoin climbed to $81,500 on Tuesday, extending a rally fueled by more than $500 million of inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs led by BlackRock and Fidelity.The latest leg of the crypto rally is concentrating in tokenization plays, with shares of Bullish, Galaxy Digital, and native token of Centrifuge gaining on tokenization-related news.Bitcoin BTC$81,427.37 pushed higher Tuesday, climbing to $81,500 to its strongest level since January as the latest leg of the rally spread beyond major tokens into tokenization-focused plays.
The largest cryptocurrency rose another 2% over the past 24 hours and is now up more than 35% from its early February lows. Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) also advanced, though they lagged bitcoin’s pace.
Feeding that momentum is strong demand for spot bitcoin ETFs, according to Paul Howard, senior director at Wincent. More than $500 million has flowed into spot BTC funds led by BlackRock's and Fidelity's products on the Monday session, reflecting continued interest from large investors, he said.