Bitcoin edges up near $82,500 as China GDP lifts Asian stocks

Bitcoin started the week on firmer ground, trading around $82,500, up 0.7% since midnight UTC and 1.3% over 24 hours, as risk appetite returned to Asian markets after stronger-than-expected Chinese data. Nasdaq futures climbed more than 1%, CoinDesk reported, after last week's sell-off in AI-related shares.

What moved

• Bitcoin: about $82,500, +0.7% on the day, +1.3% in 24 hours.
• Equities: Nasdaq futures +1%+, Japan's Nikkei +1.8%, South Korea's Kospi +0.6%, Chinese stocks +0.3%.
• Gold: largely flat near $4,180.
• Dollar: the Dollar Index held near Friday's lows, below 102.
• Oil: lower on both sides of the Atlantic, which Reuters linked to expectations that President Trump's Russia waiver will add supply.

China's numbers

China's economy grew 4.5% year on year in the third quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday, up from 4.3% in the second quarter. Retail sales rose 1.1%, more than double the 0.5% expected and up from 0.4% a month earlier. As the world's second-largest economy and a major buyer of commodities, stronger Chinese demand tends to encourage risk-taking across markets.

Why it matters for crypto

The bounce fits a pattern we flagged at the weekend: big Friday spikes in Wall Street's fear gauge tend to ease by Monday. It is also a reversal of the Asian stock rout that dragged bitcoin toward $80,000 last week. Cheaper oil could ease inflation worries; for now, the Federal Reserve is expected to hold its benchmark rate in the 4.75%–5% range this month after a 25-basis-point hike last month. Whether you follow BTC through funds or coins, our comparison of bitcoin ETFs vs buying bitcoin explains the trade-offs.

What to watch

The rebound is modest, and bitcoin remains below the levels it held before last week's slide. Traders will be watching whether the gains in US futures survive the cash open, whether oil keeps falling despite ongoing Middle East risks, and whether flows into spot bitcoin ETFs turn positive again after recent outflows.