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Bitcoin price display on September 18, 2026 as the asset climbed to $81,100 following the Bank of Japan rate hike
Photo: Fortune

Bitcoin Jumps 6% to $81,100 as BOJ Rate Hike Weakens Yen

Reuters via Yahoo Finance2 min read6 sources

Why is Bitcoin up today?

Bitcoin (BTC) surged about 6% to $81,100 on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised rates to a 31-year high but the yen fell, keeping carry trades intact and boosting crypto.

Key numbers

Bitcoin Close (Sep 18)$81,112+6.0% on the day
BOJ Policy Rate1.25%+25 bps (31-year high)
USD/JPY Intraday High158.05yen weakened despite rate hike
Bitcoin YTD Return~-7.4%from $87,500 Jan 1 open
Ethereum Close (Sep 18)$2,634+7.46% on the day
Triple Witching Notional~$7Toptions expired Sep 18

What happened

Bitcoin (BTC) surged about 6% to $81,100 on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised rates to a 31-year high but the yen fell, keeping carry trades intact and boosting crypto. The BOJ voted 7–2 to raise its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, the highest since 1995, yet the move pushed USD/JPY as high as 158.05 rather than strengthening the yen, leaving the carry trade — borrowing cheap yen to buy higher-yielding assets — intact. Bitcoin started the day near $77,979 and climbed to close above $81,100 on a Triple Witching day that rattled equities, with roughly $7 trillion in options expiring.

Why it matters

Bitcoin's price move shows how Japan's monetary policy now ripples directly into crypto markets. When yen carry trades are intact — meaning investors can still borrow in yen cheaply — they tend to put that borrowed money into riskier assets like Bitcoin. The BOJ's rate is now at a 31-year high of 1.25%, and if the yen eventually does strengthen, that could quickly reverse these flows and push crypto prices lower.

Who this affects

Marketmixed
Medium impact
Crypto rallied; global equity markets finished the week lower.
Companybullish
Medium impact
Crypto holders and exchanges gained on Bitcoin's 6% rise.
Competitorsbullish
Low impact
Ethereum outperformed Bitcoin with a 7.5% daily gain.
Industrybullish
Medium impact
Digital assets broadly gained from intact yen carry trades.

Bitcoin vs Ethereum, Gold, S&P 500

BitcoinBTC$81,112+6.0%-7.4%Best close since Aug
EthereumETH$2,634+7.46%—Outpaced BTC on day
GoldXAU/USD$4,435-0.4%—Near weekly high
S&P 500SPX7,650+0.17%—Triple Witching day

As of 2026-09-18

How we got here

  1. BOJ raised rates to 1.00% in first hike of 2026.

  2. Bitcoin hit 2026 low near $58,000 as risk sentiment soured.

  3. Bitcoin's best August since 2021; monthly close near $78,000.

  4. BOJ hiked 25 bps to 1.25%; USD/JPY spiked to 158.05.

  5. Bitcoin closed above $81,100 on Triple Witching day.

What to watch

  • Next BOJ meeting; yen strengthening could pressure carry trades.Q4 2026
  • Bitcoin holding above $80,000 — key for sustained crypto recovery.2026-10-01
  • US Fed's next policy decision and its effect on USD/JPY.Q4 2026

Educational content only. Not investment advice.

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