[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Bitcoin briefly regained the $82,000 level on Oct. 19 but has fallen 2 percent so far in October, which is typically seen as a bullish month.

Bitcoin traded around $82,393, up about 2 percent on the day, Bitcoin Magazine reported. It was still in negative territory over the past 7 days.

The issue is not the rebound itself but the slowdown in upward momentum. Bitcoin failed to extend gains enough during last week’s volatile trading. October is often cited as a period when bitcoin strength appears frequently, but that pattern has yet to show clearly this year.

On the supply and demand side, outflows from spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds weighed on the market. Based on Farside Investors data, $228.4 million of share redemptions occurred last week in products run by BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale. As investors pulled money through ETFs, pressure was also applied to the spot price.

It is hard to say the medium-term trend has turned down. Analysts say bitcoin spent most of this year below $70,000, but has recently entered a bullish phase. It remains far below the record high (ATH) of $126,080, but assessments say the mood has changed compared with the lows.

Changes in U.S. macro policy are also cited as a backdrop to the rise. Bitcoin moved into an uptrend after the U.S. Treasury said it would more than double the size of its government debt buybacks. August performance was the best in the past 3 years and the third-highest for August on record.

Another factor cited was the so-called "currency debasement trade." This refers to investors buying certain assets to prepare for the possibility of currency value declines. In August, the dollar weakened and bitcoin, a risk asset, benefited during that period.

The upward trend continued in September. Bitcoin rose about 6 percent over the past 30 days, and its third-quarter performance was the best since 2024. After a record third quarter, whether it can extend gains into October remained a point of interest.

Ultimately, the market is focused on whether the third-quarter strength can carry into October. Bitcoin has regained the $82,000 level, but to confirm the historically strong October pattern again, a recovery in ETF inflows and a weekly reversal of declines are expected to be needed first.