Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is up 5.8% in the last 24 hours as of 2:54 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, as lower oil prices and a regulatory change from the SEC lift the crypto market.
The S&P 500 lost 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite was flat in Friday’s session.
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Oil’s retreat eased one source of rate anxiety
Bitcoin’s rebound comes after a rough stretch for assets that investors view as risky. Oil prices surged earlier in the week — international benchmark Brent Crude nearly hit $110 on Monday — feeding worries about inflation. That helped push the 30-year Treasury yield higher.
By early afternoon on Friday, Brent crude is back below $104, and while the 30-year is still elevated, it’s down nearly 1% from Tuesday’s high.
When bond yields rise, investors tend to move out of “risk-on” assets like Bitcoin as the safe returns of U.S. Treasuries look more attractive.
Image source: Getty Images.
The SEC gave crypto markets a limited win
After a comprehensive crypto bill failed to advance in the Senate on Tuesday, the SEC approved a five-year exception for companies to trade “tokenized” U.S. stocks.
The bottom line
The whole crypto market surged on Friday, but with the macro environment changing from day to day, I would caution investors from seeing this as the start of a major rally, long-term, Bitcoin can still be a valuable addition to a well-diversified portfolio.
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Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Why Bitcoin Is Up Today was originally published by The Motley Fool