Crypto 18.07.2026: BTC Stabilises Around $63,900

Global Crypto Market on 18th July: Bitcoin Stabilises Above $63,000, Market 'Defies Gravity' After Friday's Drop

On Saturday, 18th July, the cryptocurrency market experienced a quiet day of consolidation, halting the previous day's decline. Bitcoin held steady around the $63,900 mark (approximately -0.2% to +2% in 24 hours, depending on the reference point), while Ethereum traded in the $1,840 range (approximately -0.75% for the day). The total market capitalisation remained stable at around $2.19-2.27 trillion, with Bitcoin's dominance staying at approximately 56.4%. Despite low weekend liquidity and a still cautious sentiment - the Fear and Greed Index plunged to 25 points ('extreme fear') - the market maintained its resilience. The background news flow was dominated by FTX's announcement of approximately $900 million in creditor payouts and positive ETF flows recorded at the end of the week.

Market Overview

18th July was a day of stabilisation following the correction on 17th July. Price snapshots from various sources differed slightly. According to CoinGabbar data (18.07.2026), Bitcoin traded around $63,898.27 (+0.2% in 24 hours) with a trading volume of approximately $26.4 billion and a market capitalisation of around $1.28 trillion. The Crypto Times (18.07.2026) recorded a slightly higher level - around $63,957 (approximately +2% in 24 hours, measured from Friday's low) - noting that BTC consolidated in the range of approximately $62,489 to $64,942 over two days (16-17.07), closing 16th July around $63,796 and 17th July around $63,902 (approximately +0.17% net over two days).

Ethereum remained relatively weaker. CoinGabbar (18.07.2026) showed ETH around $1,840.28 (-0.75% for the day) with a trading volume of approximately $9.98 billion and a market capitalisation of around $222.08 billion; The Crypto Times (18.07.2026) mentioned a broader range - approximately $1,800-1,850. Ethereum's dominance, according to CoinGabbar, was approximately 9.77%.

The total cryptocurrency market capitalisation was stable: CoinGabbar (18.07.2026) indicated approximately $2.27 trillion (-0.2% for the day, total trading volume approximately $62.3 billion), while The Crypto Times (18.07.2026) reported approximately $2.19 trillion with a minimal fluctuation of 0.3-0.4%. Bitcoin's dominance remained around 56.4% in both sources. The difference in price and capitalisation figures between sources reflects different snapshot times over the weekend and should be taken as an approximate range rather than a precise value.

In the altcoin segment, the most notable movements were upwards. According to CoinGabbar (18.07.2026), the day's biggest gainers among major coins were Pi (PI) at around $0.08305 (+9.57%), DeXe (DEXE) (+6.53%), and Injective (INJ) (+6.23%). Market sentiment, however, remained cautious: the Fear and Greed Index, according to CoinGabbar (18.07.2026), was 25 points ('extreme fear'), down from 27 points on 17th July, indicating that investors viewed the weekend's stability with reservation.

What Influenced the Market

The resilience on 18th July was largely determined by low weekend liquidity and a balance of opposing macro forces. According to The Crypto Times (18.07.2026), the market 'defied gravity' - on one hand, it was supported by reduced concerns about interest rate hikes following weaker labour market data and slower inflation (15th July consumer price data was perceived as supportive), as well as historical July seasonality, which tends to be favourable for Bitcoin. On the other hand, the upside was limited by higher oil prices, stock market volatility, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which had triggered a broader risk-off movement on 17th July.

The derivatives market was relatively calm. According to The Crypto Times (18.07.2026), perpetual contract funding rates were slightly positive, but liquidations were limited compared to previous, more volatile periods. This contrasts with 17th July, when, according to Cryptobriefing (17.07.2026), positions worth approximately $432 million were liquidated in 24 hours; the low liquidation activity on 18th July confirms that forced selling pressure had subsided.

On the institutional demand side, the end of the week was positive. According to The Crypto Times ETF summary (18.07.2026), crypto exchange-traded funds collectively attracted approximately $200 million in net inflows in the week ending 17th July: US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted approximately $75.67 million during the week, while Ethereum ETFs attracted approximately $105.4 million. On a daily basis, Bitcoin ETFs attracted approximately $79.15 million on 16th July (BlackRock IBIT approximately $33.44 million) and approximately $107.8 million on 15th July (IBIT approximately $80.82 million); Ethereum ETFs attracted approximately $36.73 million on 17th July (BlackRock ETHA approximately $31.68 million). Overall, US spot Bitcoin ETF net assets, according to the same source, reached approximately $77.72 billion with cumulative inflows of approximately $51.22 billion.

Exchange and Industry Events

The most significant news event on 18th July was related to the FTX bankruptcy process. According to an official PR Newswire announcement and The Block (18.07.2026), FTX estate managers announced a fifth distribution to creditors of approximately $900 million, set to begin on 31st July 2026. KuCoin (18.07.2026) clarified that some creditors would receive up to 120% of their claim (including interest), while AMBCrypto (18.07.2026) noted that this round brings the total announced distributions to over $9.7 billion. Such large payouts are sometimes viewed by market participants as a potential source of liquidity, but their actual impact on prices is uncertain.

Consolidation also continued at the corporate level. According to a Crypto Integrated summary (18.07.2026), SBI Holdings completed the majority acquisition of Singaporean exchange Coinhako, while derivatives exchange GRVT moved its Token Generation Event (TGE) to 30th July. The same summary mentioned that wallet developer Tangem launched version 6.0 of its app with a Bitcoin DEX exchange function, while Base network's native account abstraction was promoted as approximately 63% cheaper for USDC transfers compared to the ERC-4337 standard.

In the broader regulatory context, MiCA reorganisation continued in Europe. Following the end of the regulation's transition period on 1st July, Binance has begun phasing out its EU services, while Coinbase, Kraken, and OKX are actively offering incentives to transitioning users. These are broader industry processes, not specific 18th July events, but they form the backdrop against which European - including Baltic and Nordic - users operate.

Security Incidents

No new major security incidents were reported on 18th July, but information about recent events in decentralised finance (DeFi) continued to circulate over the weekend. According to The Crypto Times (17.07.2026) and Bloomingbit (17.07.2026), cross-chain bridge protocol Across reported its first attack on the Solana network after over $34 billion in bridge volume; the protocol confirmed that user funds were not affected. Separately, Solana-based protocol DeFiTuna was exploited for approximately $580,000 on 16-17th July, leaving a deficit in the USDC lending pool (The Crypto Times, 17.07.2026).

These incidents fit into a broader trend for 2026. According to CertiK's 'Hack3D' half-year report (published 07.07.2026), approximately $1.315 billion was lost to theft in 344 incidents in the first half of 2026; the largest of these (Kelp DAO approximately $291.3 million and Drift Protocol approximately $285.3 million) occurred in April, and wallet compromise has become the most expensive attack vector. These half-year figures are context, not an 18th July event.

Context and Outlook

The quiet trading on 18th July well illustrates the dynamics of summer weekends in 2026, where prices tend to stabilise under low liquidity conditions, but sentiment remains fragile. After the 15th July surge above $65,000 on softer inflation data and the 17th July correction amidst geopolitical tensions, Saturday was a day of respite, with Bitcoin holding the $63,000 support, but the Fear and Greed Index remaining in the fear zone (25 points).

Looking ahead, the points of attention mentioned in the sources are whether Bitcoin will be able to return to the $65,000 resistance and whether institutional ETF flows will remain positive after a week that saw both strong inflows and individual outflow days. Market participants will also monitor developments around oil prices and Middle East tensions, as well as the impact of the anticipated FTX payouts on liquidity on 31st July. This overview is a factual account and analysis of causes; it is not investment advice.

Sources

• CoinGabbar - "Latest Crypto News Today: Pi Coin Price Jumps 10% Amid Extreme Fear 25" (18.07.2026)
• The Crypto Times - "Bitcoin and The Crypto Market Is Defying Gravity Right Now – Here's Why" (18.07.2026)
• The Crypto Times - "Crypto ETFs Ended the Week with Nearly $200M in Inflows" (18.07.2026)
• PR Newswire / The Block - "FTX Announces Fifth Distribution of Approximately $900 Million to Creditors on July 31, 2026" / "FTX to distribute roughly $900 million to creditors in fifth wave of payouts" (18.07.2026)
• KuCoin - "FTX Announces $900M Fifth Distribution to Creditors, Some Receiving 120%" (18.07.2026)
• AMBCrypto - "FTX schedules another $900M creditor payout, taking announced distributions past $9.7B" (18.07.2026)
• Crypto Integrated - "Crypto News. July 18, 2026" (18.07.2026)
• The Crypto Times / Bloomingbit - "Across Protocol Reports First Attack on Solana After $34B in Bridge Volume" / "Across Says Solana Hack Did Not Affect User Funds" (17.07.2026)
• The Crypto Times - "Solana Protocol DeFiTuna Hit by $580K Exploit, USDC Pool Left Short" (17.07.2026)
• Cryptobriefing - "Over $432M liquidated from crypto market in 24 hours as leveraged longs get crushed" (context, 17.07.2026)
• CertiK Hack3D - 2026 Half-Year Security Report (published 07.07.2026)