JUST IN: Major US law enforcement group 'NSA' has withdrawn its opposition to the crypto Clarity Act.

Bitcoin climbed above $82,000 on Thursday, marking its highest level since May 11, according to CoinDesk. The move was reinforced by heavy short covering: about $510 million in short positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, intensifying buying pressure as traders rushed to close bearish bets. Major tokens advanced alongside bitcoin, pointing to firmer risk appetite across the market. Bitcoin was up 4.0% at $81,209.47. Ether gained 4.2% to $2,518.82. XRP rose 5.7% to $1.45, while BNB added 4.3% to $727.73. Broader macro conditions also improved. U.S. equities moved higher, with the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow Jones all posting gains, and gold and silver rising as well. Markets are increasingly positioning for reduced upward pressure on interest rates, a backdrop that tends to support risk assets. CoinDesk also highlighted that the U.S. Treasury plans to increase repurchases of long-term bonds. Alongside continued institutional bitcoin accumulation, that shift is seen as adding momentum to the latest leg of the rally.

Bitcoin's latest push higher was driven by a mix of macro tailwinds and a rapid short-liquidation cascade, rather than any crypto-specific announcement. On September 4, 2026, upbeat comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller signaling cooling inflation boosted risk appetite across both equities and digital assets. BTC reclaimed $80,000 and extended gains toward $82,000, with the rally accelerating as leveraged short positions were forcibly closed. Short squeeze mechanics: $415M–$510M liquidated Market data compiled across reports on September 4 indicates total crypto liquidations of roughly $415 million to $510 million, with shorts accounting for the bulk. The pattern is straightforward: as BTC rose, short sellers were pushed to buy back positions, adding incremental spot buying pressure and driving prices higher. The move also follows a prior leverage shakeout. In the earlier $369.67 million liquidation wave that hit BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP, leverage unwound sharply; positioning that rebuilt afterward appears to have concentrated on the short side, setting the stage for this squeeze. Why short liquidations amplify upside When short positions are liquidated, exchanges close them via market buys. That creates a feedback loop: forced buying lifts price, triggers stops and margin calls for additional shorts, and prompts more liquidations. Glassnode: on-chain cost basis aligns with leverage clusters Glassnode noted on September 4, 2026 that on-chain supply metrics and derivatives liquidation clusters were lining up in the same price regions. Cost-basis bands (levels where holder cohorts acquired BTC) are aligning with zones where leveraged shorts are concentrated. Based on the research cited around this setup: - Leveraged short clusters: $81,800–$82,300 - On-chain supply/cost-basis resistance: $83,000–$86,000 Glassnode detailed this framework in its September 4 newsletter. When holder cost-basis behavior and derivatives leverage stack at similar levels, price can overshoot in either direction. In this instance, the move has been to the upside. What determines whether the rally holds Sustainability hinges on two variables: 1) Price acceptance above $81,800–$82,300. Losing that zone would suggest the squeeze has largely run its course and positioning has reset. 2) The macro backdrop. If Fed messaging turns more hawkish or equities reverse, the risk-on impulse that initiated the move could fade quickly. The next major upside test is $83,000–$86,000, where Glassnode's cost-basis data suggests supply overhang. A clean break with sustained volume would materially improve structure. A rejection would be consistent with resistance holding. Key daily indicators to watch - Glassnode on-chain cost-basis distribution - Open interest across major crypto derivatives venues Bottom line The September 4, 2026 BTC rally is best explained by Waller's inflation commentary lifting macro risk appetite, with an estimated $415 million to $510 million in short liquidations supplying the mechanical fuel. Glassnode's confluence framing places $81,800–$83,000 at the center of near-term positioning, with $83,000–$86,000 the primary supply zone to watch next. DeFi also showed parallel strength, consistent with broader risk-on flows, following earlier gains highlighted in the September 1 coverage of CRV, UNI, and ARB. FAQ Why did Bitcoin surge on September 4, 2026? Two forces compounded: macro risk-on sentiment after Fed Governor Waller's comments on cooling inflation, and a short-liquidation cascade estimated at $415 million to $510 million, dominated by shorts. What does the Glassnode cost-basis confluence mean? It refers to on-chain cost-basis bands aligning with derivatives leverage concentrations: shorts clustered at $81,800–$82,300, with on-chain supply/cost-basis resistance higher at $83,000–$86,000. Is this move fundamentals-driven or leverage-driven? The immediate catalyst appears leverage-driven. Short covering amplified a macro-triggered rally. There is no verified evidence of a protocol upgrade, partnership, or regulatory catalyst behind the September 4 move. Which level should traders watch next? $83,000–$86,000 is the next key band, where Glassnode data indicates concentrated supply and cost-basis resistance. Source: Glassnode · Published by CoinsProbe Markets Desk

Memecoin MEME posted a one-day gain of more than 500,000%, briefly pushing its market capitalization above $250 million on Pumpfun. Blockchain tracker lookonchain said FrankDeGods turned $1,491 into more than $1.2 million after buying 11 million MEME tokens. A separate trader reportedly put in $2,972, with the position rising to over $2.1 million within 12 hours. The speculative surge comes as scrutiny builds around Robinhood's tokenized AMC shares. AMC CEO Adam Aron said the tokens are not affiliated with AMC and have never been authorized or endorsed by the company.

Binance said it will add AVA, GNS, SCR and TOWNS to its Monitoring Tag on Sept. 4 after completing its latest review. Tokens placed under the Monitoring Tag are subject to enhanced scrutiny and could be delisted if they fail to meet the exchange's listing requirements. Binance also announced that Binance Alpha will remove MTP, BDXN, TALE, BOS, MAIGA, TIMI, SAROS, U (Union), SERAPH, RVV, AIAV, PENGUIN, ODOS and SN3 from its recommended list. Users will still be able to withdraw and sell these tokens after the change.

ME News, Sept. 4 (UTC+8) — Options expiry data for Sept. 4 showed 29,600 BTC options settling, with a put/call ratio of 0.65, a max pain level at $73,000, and $2.39 billion in notional value. In ETH, 139,000 options expired, with a put/call ratio of 0.9, a max pain point at $2,400, and $350 million in notional. Analysts said Bitcoin, after a sharp rally two weeks ago, has been consolidating around $80,000. Price action has tended to follow a repeating pattern of brief, fast rallies followed by a slower sideways drift lower. One-month realized volatility (RV) climbed further to 40% from last week, while one-month implied volatility (IV) eased to 36%. The 15-day VRP briefly fell to 16% yesterday before rebounding to 6%, still well below last month's peak of 15%. Additional options indicators showed roughly 7% of contracts expiring this week. BTC open interest rose while ETH open interest fell, and overall trading activity jumped. Bullish GEX has continued to converge, with short call positioning building above $80,000, while bearish GEX is close to negligible. After a 10-month bear market, the current bull phase has run for nearly three weeks. A short lull in U.S. equities has also offered the crypto market breathing room. Sentiment remains strongly upbeat, and with one-month out-of-the-money IV still relatively subdued, directional long positioning is viewed as attractive. (Source: PANews)

House Republicans have sharply reduced the time left before the midterm elections to advance the CLARITY Act, dimming prospects for passage this year despite intensifying pressure from the White House, regulators and GOP leadership. House Republican leaders scrapped planned voting weeks for Sept. 21 and Sept. 28, moving the chamber's departure for the campaign stretch to Sept. 17 from Oct. 1. The House is set to return Sept. 14 for four voting days before leaving Washington until after the November midterms. That compressed timeline immediately complicates the crypto market structure bill. The Senate's first major procedural vote is slated for Sept. 15, just two days before the House departs. Galaxy Digital head of research Alex Thorn said the shift makes passage before the midterms "extremely unlikely." The Senate still has about three weeks of session time running into early October. Any bill it passes would ultimately need to align with the House-approved version before it could go to President Donald Trump. The House passed CLARITY 294134 in July 2025, and the Senate has been working on amended language, meaning a Senate win alone may not be enough. Punchbowl News reporter Brendan Pedersen said senators might be able to clear the required procedural steps in roughly a week and a half if the process runs smoothly, depending on amendments. Before the schedule change, the House still had enough runway to take up a Senate bill quickly. That late-September cushion is now gone. The calendar squeeze comes as calls for action grow louder. Trump urged Congress last week to pass "a fair version of the Clarity Act," and SEC Chair Paul Atkins has said legislation remains "indispensable" even as the commission develops its own crypto rules. House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill also pressed the Senate to move, highlighting that 78 Democrats joined Republicans when the House passed the bill. In a post on X, he asked: "Can Democrats work with Republicans and make sure America leads the world in distributed ledger technology and financial services?" Sen. Cynthia Lummis has warned the legislative window is closing. When she released updated CLARITY text in July, she said the coming weeks could be the "last real chance" for years to complete market structure legislation. Prediction markets remain doubtful. Polymarket traders put the odds of CLARITY becoming law by Dec. 31 at under 20%. Still, the calendar changes do not necessarily end the bill's chances. Lauren Belive, Ripple's head of policy, said major negotiated legislation has often moved during post-election lame-duck sessions, even after elections that shifted control of Congress. That scenario would put near-term pressure on the Senate: if senators can produce a broadly settled bipartisan bill before Election Day, the House could still consider it in a lame-duck session. That path carries political risk. One or both chambers could change hands in November, potentially reshaping lawmakers' incentives when they return to vote. For now, the Sept. 15 Senate vote is the first key test. CLARITY may still reach Trump's desk in 2026, but the House's shortened calendar has made enactment before the midterms far harder. The post CLARITY Act may be heading for lame duck after House Republicans slash the calendar appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Huoxing Finance reports that the U.S. will publish its August nonfarm payrolls report at 8:30 p.m. Beijing time on September 4. Markets are looking for payrolls to rise by 56,000, after July posted an unexpected drop of 23,000. Economists' estimates span from a decline of 25,000 to a gain of 121,000, underscoring sharply different views on the labor market. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.1%, though some forecasts point to 4.2%. Annual wage growth is projected to ease to 3.0% from 3.2%. Morgan Stanley chief economist Michael Gapen estimates that the revocation of temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants could cut payrolls by about 15,000. Offsetting support could come from a rebound in hiring in local government education, as well as leisure and hospitality. Most economists say the payrolls report is unlikely to be a decisive factor for the Federal Reserve's September 15–16 meeting unless the figures deliver a major surprise, with attention set to shift to next week's CPI. Fed Governor Waller said Thursday that if upcoming data confirms inflation pressures are easing, he would favor keeping rates unchanged this month. Markets currently price a 50% chance of a September rate hike, down from 63.2% on Wednesday.

Major Asian equity markets advanced after investors pared back expectations for additional U.S. interest-rate increases. Gains in U.S. stocks and a pullback in U.S. Treasury yields supported risk appetite across the region, helping South Korean shares stabilize following a highly volatile prior session. South Korea's KOSPI rose 1.09%, Japan's Nikkei added 0.67%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 2.22%, and China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.70%. In Korea, Wednesday's trade saw sharp swings: the KOSPI slid nearly 3% intraday to 6,641.94 before rebounding. KOSPI 200 futures surged as much as 5%, triggering a circuit breaker and underscoring elevated day-to-day volatility. Tech shares led Thursday's recovery. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each climbed more than 7%, providing the main boost to the broader South Korean market.