Bitcoin up 25% in August as White House fuels reserve hopes

Bitcoin is up 25% in August to trade near $78,500, its best month since 2017, after a White House meeting raised reserve hopes.

The token reclaimed the short-term holder cost basis and is holding above its weekly moving average at $81,000, according to CoinGlass data.

The rally began Aug. 17 when Bitcoin traded at $62,000, before surging to an intraday high of $81,000 on Aug. 25. The move accelerated after President Donald Trump suggested at an Aug. 19 White House meeting with crypto executives that the US government might begin buying Bitcoin for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The token crossed $75,000, the approximate average acquisition price of Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, flipping its holdings from a $10 billion loss to a $1.4 billion gain.

The question now is whether the rally extends toward $100,000, a level analysts increasingly target for year-end. August has historically been weak for Bitcoin — the token hasn't posted a positive August since 2021 — but the last blockbuster August, in 2017, preceded a year-end surge that left the token up 1,250% for the year.

Strategy's $10 billion swing

The White House meeting was supposed to be a last-minute push for passage of crypto's Clarity Act, but it turned into a cheerleading event for Bitcoin. Trump's suggestion that the US government might start buying Bitcoin for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve sent the token past $75,000 within days.

That price point matters because it's approximately the average acquisition price of Strategy, the world's biggest Bitcoin treasury company. As soon as Bitcoin eclipsed that level, Strategy's holdings flipped from a $10 billion loss to a $1.4 billion gain, potentially clearing the way for the company to resume buying. Strategy's return to the market would add another layer of institutional demand to an already crowded trade, and its buying has historically been a reliable source of upward pressure on the token.

Historical precedent

Bitcoin hasn't had a positive August since 2021, and the last blockbuster August came in 2017, when the token soared 65%. That year ended with Bitcoin up 1,250%. While there's no guarantee history repeats, the current setup — a White House endorsement, a corporate treasury flip, and reclaimed technical levels — mirrors conditions that preceded the 2017 year-end rally.

However, much of Bitcoin's gains stem from bullish comments at a single White House event rather than any fundamental change to the investment thesis. The token remains down 11.66% year to date and 28.55% over the past 12 months, trading at $78,385 as of 8:15 a.m. ET on Aug. 26. Its 52-week high of $126,198 was set Oct. 6, 2025, while its 52-week low of $57,748 occurred June 30, 2026. Bitcoin's market capitalization stands at $1.57 trillion.

Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency, trades at $2,462, down 0.47% in 24 hours and 17.94% year to date. The divergence between the two largest tokens — Bitcoin up 25% in August while Ethereum remains down for the year — highlights how concentrated this rally has been in Bitcoin-specific drivers rather than broad crypto market strength. If the rally extends toward $100,000, the question becomes whether Ethereum and altcoins follow, or whether Bitcoin continues to outpace the broader market.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.