Bitcoin Explodes to $95K as $754M Floods Into ETFs: Trump vs Powell Drama Fuels Rally

The crypto market is painting the screen green today as Bitcoin blasts through $95,000 and institutional money pours back in at levels not seen in weeks.

After days of consolidation and uncertainty, the floodgates opened. Bitcoin surged 4.34% to reclaim $95,000, Ethereum rocketed 7.4% above $3,300, and the Fear & Greed Index leaped from deep fear (25) to neutral territory (47) in just 24 hours.

But the real story isn't just the price action—it's what's driving it.

The Numbers: Institutions Are Back

Bitcoin ETF Inflows (January 13):

Total: $754 million in a single day
Fidelity's FBTC led with $351 million (largest single-day inflow in weeks)
This marks a dramatic reversal from the $250M+ outflows seen just days ago

Ethereum ETFs:

$130 million in net inflows
Strong institutional interest returning to ETH

Altcoin ETFs:

Solana: $5.91 million
XRP: $12.98 million
Broad-based buying across major crypto assets

The message is clear: institutions stopped selling and started buying—aggressively.

What Changed? Trump Declares War on Powell

The catalyst for today's rally came from an unexpected source: President Trump's explosive comments about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

What Trump Said (Detroit Economic Club):

Called Powell a "jerk"
Stated Powell "will be gone soon"
Doubled down on pressure for immediate rate cuts
DOJ probe into Fed leadership continues

Why Crypto Cares:

Powell has been the face of "higher for longer" interest rates—the biggest headwind for risk assets like crypto. Trump wants the opposite: aggressive rate cuts to juice economic growth.

If Powell is replaced with a more dovish Fed chair willing to cut rates faster, crypto stands to benefit massively. Lower rates = cheaper borrowing = more liquidity = higher asset prices.

Markets are pricing this scenario in today. The expectation of a "Powell-free Fed" is driving capital back into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins.

Technical Breakout: Bitcoin Reclaims Key Level

Bitcoin didn't just pump—it broke through critical resistance.

Key Technical Levels:

$94,000: Major resistance that held for days → BROKEN
$95,000: Reclaimed and holding (critical for continuation)
Next target: $96,500, then psychological $100,000

Bitcoin pushed above $96,495 briefly before consolidating around $95,000. The move was backed by strong volume (31.77 billion), confirming this isn't a fake-out.

RSI Warning: The Relative Strength Index hit 70.18—overbought territory. This suggests a short-term cooldown could happen, but the overall trend remains bullish.

What Traders Are Watching:

Bull trigger: Sustained hold above $95,366
Bear trigger: Drop below $93,848 invalidates the rally
Macro confirmation: MACD showing bullish momentum

If Bitcoin can hold above $94,000, the path to $100,000 becomes realistic. If it fails, expect a pullback to the $89,000-$92,000 range.

Ethereum Outperforms: The Silent Winner

While Bitcoin grabbed headlines, Ethereum quietly posted the bigger gain.

ETH Performance:

+7.4% (vs Bitcoin's +4.34%)
Trading above $3,300
Strong ETF inflows ($130M)
Layer 2 and DeFi activity picking up

Standard Chartered recently predicted Ethereum could outperform Bitcoin in this cycle, potentially reaching $100,000 by 2030. Today's price action lends credibility to that thesis.

Ethereum benefits from:

Smart contract platform dominance
DeFi and NFT ecosystem growth
Layer 2 scaling solutions gaining traction
Institutional adoption through ETFs

If the rally continues, watch for Ethereum to test $3,500 resistance.

Market Sentiment Flips From Fear to Neutral

The crypto Fear & Greed Index tells a powerful story:

Yesterday: 25 (Deep Fear)
Today: 47 (Neutral)
Change: +22 points in 24 hours

This is one of the sharpest sentiment reversals in months. When fear dominates, markets bottom. When fear disappears this quickly, rallies tend to continue.

Historically, moves from extreme fear to neutral signal the early stages of bull runs—not the end.

Altcoins Join the Party

Bitcoin and Ethereum aren't alone. Broad-based strength hit meme coins, RWA tokens, Layer 2s, DeFi, and CeFi sectors.

Notable Gainers:

Meme coins: Double-digit gains across the board
Real World Assets (RWA): Strong recovery
Layer 2 solutions: Benefiting from Ethereum momentum
DeFi protocols: Volume returning

This type of widespread green suggests capital isn't just rotating—it's flowing in from outside crypto. When institutional ETF inflows coincide with altcoin pumps, it signals broader market confidence.

What Happens Next?

Several catalysts loom over the next few days:

January 15 (Tomorrow):

Senate Banking Committee markup of CLARITY Act (crypto regulation bill)
MSCI reindex could force $15 billion in sales from MicroStrategy and other Bitcoin-heavy stocks
Supreme Court could still rule on tariffs (though delayed from today)

Short-Term Scenarios:

Bullish Case:

Bitcoin holds $95K, breaks $96.5K, eyes $100K
ETF inflows continue at $500M+ daily pace
Trump-Powell drama intensifies, dovish Fed expectations rise
Altcoins extend gains, DeFi summer redux

Bearish Case:

Bitcoin fails to hold $94K, retests $89K-$92K
ETF inflows reverse (profit-taking after big day)
Supreme Court tariff ruling creates macro uncertainty
RSI overbought signals short-term correction

Most Likely: Consolidation around $93K-$96K for a few days before the next major move. Markets digest the gains, wait for regulatory clarity, then decide.

The Big Picture: Why This Rally Matters

Today's move isn't just a bounce—it's a signal.

What Changed:

Institutions stopped fleeing → $754M ETF inflow proves it
Fed expectations shifted → Trump vs Powell changes the game
Fear evaporated → Market sentiment flipped in 24 hours
Technical levels broke → $94K resistance became support

If this rally sustains through tomorrow's catalysts (CLARITY Act markup, MSCI reindex), we could be looking at the start of Q1's major leg up.

Bitcoin hitting $100,000 in January was always possible—now it's probable.

Bottom Line

Bitcoin at $95,000. Ethereum at $3,300. $754 million flooding into ETFs. Fear turning to optimism.

The market spoke today, and it said: We're not done yet.

Whether this rally continues to $100K or pulls back to $90K depends on how institutions react to tomorrow's events. But one thing is clear—crypto is back in "risk-on" mode.

And when Trump is calling the Fed Chair a "jerk" while billions flow into Bitcoin ETFs, you know something big is brewing.

The question isn't if we hit $100K anymore. It's when.

References

Cryptonews - "[LIVE] Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for Jan. 14, 2026" (January 14, 2026)
CoinPedia - "Why Crypto Market Is Going Up Today [Live] Updates, Reasons & Price Action" (January 14, 2026)
Bitcoin Ethereum News - "Why is Crypto Up Today? It Had To Do with Trump's Fed Comments..." (January 14, 2026)
Bitcoin Ethereum News - "BTC: Rise or Fall? January 14, 2026 Scenario Analysis" (January 14, 2026)
Crypto News - "Crypto market forecast: BTC, ETH & XRP outlook" (January 14, 2026)
SoSoValue - Bitcoin ETF Flow Data (January 13, 2026)