The digital asset market started Monday with strong momentum following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by United States forces during the weekend. This geopolitical event has triggered a Bitcoin rally in 2026 that led the asset to briefly touch 93,000 dollars in the early hours of the day. According to Shaurya Malwa, the movement reflects a renewed interest in risk among global investors after a quite volatile and complex year-end period.
Likewise, market volatility caused the massive liquidation of more than 260 million dollars in derivative positions in just 24 hours of trading. Short sellers suffered the greatest impact, with approximately 200 million dollars wiped off the map while the price rose sharply against them. More than 121 million in short positions were eliminated in a span of just four hours this Monday morning due to the bullish momentum.
In addition to the leading cryptocurrency, other major assets such as XRP and Solana recorded significant gains during this day of generalized optimism in financial markets. However, Dogecoin led the weekly performance among the main coins with a 17% increase despite a recent slight correction in its price. The bullish sentiment has also extended toward Asian technology stocks and commodities because investors seek to diversify their portfolios with assets showing high growth potential.
The impact of Maduro’s capture on the dynamics of global assets
On the other hand, the political landscape in Venezuela has injected a dose of adrenaline into traditional and emerging risk markets alike this week. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that the presence of ground troops will not be necessary if the new Venezuelan leadership cooperates. This scenario has allowed the Bitcoin rally in 2026 to consolidate as a direct response to the search for safe haven and immediate speculative opportunity.
Furthermore, Brent crude managed to stabilize after initial weakness linked to the developments in Caracas, while gold surpassed 4,400 dollars per ounce. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at BTSE, noted that traders are taking advantage of current price inefficiencies in the crypto sector through aggressive strategies. Since digital currencies are still far from their all-time highs, they offer a very attractive relative value compared to stocks and traditional precious metals today.
Is this the beginning of a sustained bullish cycle for the crypto market?
However, the bearish leverage accumulated on decentralized platforms such as Hyperliquid suggests that the market is still vulnerable to sharp and unexpected price movements. Data indicates that shorts accounted for 54.4% of liquidations, showing a negative sentiment trapped by the sudden rise in market prices. Therefore, the continuity of this bullish momentum will depend on political stability and the constant flow of institutional capital into the global digital ecosystem.
It is also expected that the tokenization of real-world assets will play a fundamental role in the market structure during the coming months of this year. Investors should closely monitor the evolution of the Venezuelan conflict to anticipate possible adjustments in the global energy supply and its monetary impact. In this way, the crypto sector seems to be ready to capitalize on external uncertainty as a genuine growth catalyst for this entire new financial cycle ahead.
