Crypto 26.07.2026: BTC holds 64,000, SHIB +23%

Global Crypto Market on 26th July: Bitcoin Holds $64,000, Meme Tokens Rise

On Sunday, 26th July, the cryptocurrency market stabilised and partially recovered after two weak trading days. Bitcoin held the $64,000 support level and rose to approximately $64,250-64,500 (around +0.4 to +0.6% in 24 hours), while Ethereum approached $1,880 (around +1.1%). According to CoinGape (26.07.2026), a competitor to CoinGabbar, the total market capitalisation was approximately $2.2 trillion (+0.73%) with a 24-hour volume of around $38.23 billion. Market sentiment remained cautious - the Fear and Greed Index stood at 26 points ("fear"). Meme tokens were in focus: Shiba Inu (SHIB) climbed approximately 22.8-25%, while liquidations were relatively small - around $82 million in the last 24 hours.

Market Overview

26th July marked a break in the previous two days' downturn, but the movement was moderate, rather than a pronounced recovery. According to CoinGape (26.07.2026), Bitcoin traded around $64,483 (+0.56% in 24 hours), while The Currency Analytics (26.07.2026) recorded a slightly lower level - around $64,256.16 (+0.44%). CryptoPotato (26.07.2026) noted that BTC held the $64,000 support over the weekend and climbed to approximately $64,500. The discrepancy between sources reflects different snapshot times and should be taken as an approximate range around $64,300-64,500.

Ethereum showed a slightly larger increase than the leading coin. CoinGape (26.07.2026) recorded ETH at around $1,878 (+1.06%), while The Currency Analytics (26.07.2026) reported it at around $1,878.61 (+1.12%). CryptoPotato (26.07.2026) described Ethereum trading close to $1,900 after a gain of approximately 1.5%. XRP, according to CoinGape, was around $1.09 (+0.76%).

The total cryptocurrency market capitalisation, according to CoinGape (26.07.2026), was approximately $2.2 trillion (+0.73%), but CryptoPotato indicated that it remained below $2.3 trillion. Regarding Bitcoin's dominance, sources varied: CoinGape (26.07.2026) reported approximately 58.7%, CryptoPotato close to 57%, while TradingView Hub (July 2026) recorded BTC.D at around 56.3%. This difference is due to various methodologies (e.g., inclusion or exclusion of stablecoins from the calculation), so a precise, single figure cannot be asserted; it is safer to speak of a range of 56-59%. Ethereum's dominance, according to CoinGape, was approximately 10.3%.

The most characteristic feature of the day was the concentration of speculative activity in meme tokens. According to CoinGape (26.07.2026), Shiba Inu (SHIB) rose by approximately 25% to $0.0000055 with a trading volume increase of around 782%; The Currency Analytics (26.07.2026) recorded a SHIB increase of around 22.8%, while CryptoPotato reported an even sharper movement and a two-month high. The meme token category's capitalisation, according to CoinGape, increased by approximately 11% to $24.74 billion. Other gainers included Pepe (PEPE) (approximately +7.5 to +9.6% depending on the source), Dogecoin (DOGE) at around $0.073 (+5.8%), Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) (+5.2%), and Avalanche (AVAX) at around $6.78 (+8.1%). Among the losers, The Currency Analytics (26.07.2026) mentioned Algorand (ALGO) (-4.7%), Uniswap (UNI) (-3.8%), and Injective (INJ) (-3.0%). The Fear and Greed Index, according to CoinGape (26.07.2026), was 26 points ("fear"), confirming that the rises in individual tokens occurred against a backdrop of generally cautious sentiment.

What Influenced the Market

The moderate recovery on 26th July was primarily due to a reduction in geopolitical risk and a technical bounce after the previous days' decline, rather than a new wave of institutional demand. According to CryptoPotato (26.07.2026), market sentiment improved with news of the US decision to halt planned military actions and await resumed negotiations in the region, which reduced the risk premium and supported risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. This is a qualitative explanation based on a single source, so it should be taken as a possible driving force, not a confirmed cause.

The backdrop of institutional demand remained volatile. As context, it should be recalled that according to Bitcoin.com News (25.07.2026), US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced net outflows of approximately $225 million on 24th July, most of which came from BlackRock's IBIT fund, thus breaking a streak of approximately seven sessions of inflows totalling almost $999 million. These flow figures relate to 24th July and serve as an indicator of the institutional context, not a specific event on 26th July; US ETFs do not trade on weekends.

The volume of liquidations was relatively small, consistent with the moderate price movement. According to CoinGape (26.07.2026), positions worth approximately $82 million were liquidated in the last 24 hours, of which long positions accounted for approximately $43 million and short positions for approximately $39 million. The relatively balanced ratio of long and short liquidations suggests that the day was not an example of one-sided pressure. Market participants continued to prepare for the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on 28th-29th July, the outcome of which may determine the near-term direction of risk assets.

Exchange and Industry Events

On 26th July, no new large-scale exchange listings or regulatory incidents with a clear dating for that day were published. In the industry news flow, institutional and regulatory developments outside traditional Western exchanges stood out. According to CoinGape (26.07.2026), Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, announced plans to launch a cryptocurrency trading platform and a digital asset custody system by December 2026, in preparation for new regulations coming into force on 1st September. This is a plan announcement, not an already operational service, and its impact on global liquidity is currently indirect.

In the broader European context, realignment continued within the MiCA regulatory framework: after Binance ceased operations in the EU market, MiCA-licensed exchanges - Coinbase, Kraken, and OKX - are competing for former users, affecting liquidity distribution, including in the Baltic and Nordic markets. This is a multi-week process, not a specific event on 26th July, but it forms the backdrop against which users in the region operate.

Security Incidents

On 26th July, no new large-scale security incident with a clear dating for that day was reported. The closest context is a few days prior. According to Bitcoin.com News, citing PeckShield (approximately 25.07.2026), Singaporean payment gateway Triple-A's hot wallets (always-online infrastructure) were compromised for approximately $9.3-9.7 million across several networks, including TRON, Ethereum, TON, and Solana. According to available information, the attackers exploited compromised executor keys rather than a smart contract vulnerability; the figures remain provisional, based on on-chain estimates.

This incident fits into July's high intensity of attacks. According to CryptoRank (July 2026), July's crypto hacking losses approached $100 million, including the AFX Bridge exploit of approximately $24 million (23.07.2026). On a half-year scale, bitcoinfoundation.org, citing PeckShield (June 2026), reported that over $750 million was stolen from the crypto industry in the first half of 2026, and approximately $75.87 million in June alone across 40 incidents. These are contextual indicators, reminding us that hot wallet infrastructure and cross-chain bridges remain a recurring attack vector.

Context and Outlook

The dynamics of 26th July fit well into the summer 2026 market landscape, where in low-liquidity weekends, major coins fluctuate within a narrow range, while speculative activity concentrates on smaller-cap and meme tokens. The sharp rises in Shiba Inu and other meme tokens against a backdrop of generally cautious sentiment (Fear and Greed Index 26) indicate that this is not a broad market recovery, but rather localised, volume-driven speculation in specific assets.

In the near term, market participants' attention will likely be focused on the FOMC meeting on 28th-29th July and whether spot Bitcoin ETF flows will return to positive territory at the beginning of the week after the 24th July outflows. Geopolitical risk developments and interest rate expectations remain key short-term uncertainty factors. This section is a general analysis of the situation, not a forecast or investment advice.

Sources

• CoinGape, "Crypto Market Brief July 26", 26.07.2026.
• The Currency Analytics, "Shiba Inu Surges 22.8% as Altcoins Rally - Daily Movers July 26", 26.07.2026.
• CryptoPotato, "These Meme Coins Steal the Show as Bitcoin Defends $64K Support: Weekend Watch", 26.07.2026.
• TradingView Hub, "Bitcoin Dominance July 2026: Currently at 56.3%", July 2026.
• Bitcoin.com News, "Bitcoin Continues to Flirt With $64,000 After $225 Million ETF Outflow Rattles Confidence", 25.07.2026.
• Bitcoin.com News (PeckShield), "Triple-A Hot Wallets Drained of $9.7 Million Across Six Chains", approximately 25.07.2026.
• CryptoRank, "AFX Bridge Exploit Drains $24 Million as July Crypto Hack Losses Near $100 Million", July 2026.
• Bitcoin Foundation (PeckShield), "Hackers Drained from Crypto $750M in H1 of 2026", June 2026.