Bitcoin Soars Past $68,000 as U.S. Treasury Doubles Bond Buybacks

Bitcoin surged past $68,000 on August 19, 2026, after the U.S. Treasury announced it would double the maximum size of its long-end bond buyback operations from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation.

The move sent long-dated Treasury yields lower and lifted risk assets broadly, with Bitcoin climbing more than 6% in a single day.

Roughly $1.4 billion in short liquidations over four hours amplified the rally, while total crypto liquidations reached $1.6 billion over 24 hours.

Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick said the policy shift strengthens the case that Bitcoin's cycle low is already in, and positioned for a move toward $100,000 by end-2026.