North American hours become the strongest window for bitcoin returns, reversing late 2025 trend

Source: CryptoNewsNet Original Title: North American hours become the strongest window for bitcoin returns, reversing late 2025 trend Original Link: Bitcoin BTC $95,040.16 is up nearly 10% so far in 2026 after briefly touching $96,000 on Tuesday, a move largely driven by strong performance during the North American hours.

The cumulative return for bitcoin during that time of the day is roughly 8%, according to trading data. Prices gained a modest 3% in European hours, while Asian hours dragged performance down.

This trend marks a sharp reversal from late 2025, when bitcoin was down as much as 20% on a cumulative basis during the North American hours at the end of November when bitcoin bottomed near $80,000. During the fourth quarter, U.S. market opens frequently saw bitcoin selling pressure, while spot bitcoin ETFs faced near-daily outflows.

Breaking the data down further by hour reinforces the positive shift in sentiment during the North American hours. Data shows that the strongest returns now occur shortly after the U.S. market opens, between 2 PM and 4 PM UTC. While zooming out over the past six months, this same window had previously been the weakest period for bitcoin performance.