Strategy Resumes Bitcoin Buys as Fed Rate Fear and ETF Filings Shake Markets

Bitcoin traded near $77,900 on Thursday morning as markets digested a trio of headline events pulling sentiment in competing directions. As of September 3, 2026, Bitcoin sits at $77,927.99, holding just above a cluster of daily moving averages that have defined the uptrend for months. Bitcoin dominance climbed to 59.58% as the total crypto market cap slipped 2.70% to $2.63 trillion, per CoinGecko data, reflecting a defensive rotation into BTC.

Crypto, gold, and silver prices all followed a similar pattern this week, with stronger openings giving way as mounting expectations that the Fed will raise rates weigh on prices. According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, there is currently a 66.4% chance the Fed raises rates by 25 basis points later this month. A September 2026 hike would be the first increase since July 2023. The market's immediate focus is split between renewed institutional demand through U.S. spot exchange-traded funds, seasonal weakness typically associated with September, and uncertainty over U.S. monetary policy ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on September 15 and 16.

Strategy Ends Ten-Week Bitcoin Buying Pause

Strategy's Bitcoin buying resumed after a roughly 10-week pause, adding 4,603 BTC for approximately $370M. The purchase lifts the company's total reported holdings to 845,050 BTC, reinforcing its standing as the largest corporate Bitcoin holder. The company funded the latest purchase with newly issued shares, reflecting continued use of equity to support its Bitcoin-centric capital allocation. Strategy shares rose nearly 3% following the announcement.

On the regulatory front, Franklin Templeton filed proposals for two Bitcoin DRIP ETFs designed to direct stock-dividend proceeds into Bitcoin, with a potential launch targeted for September 2026, subject to regulatory approval. If approved, such products could establish another route for equity-market capital to reach the BTC market, although the proposals remain unapproved. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated over $99 billion in net assets since launching in January 2024 and pulled in $3.52 billion in August alone, their strongest month of the year. The September 15 CLARITY Act vote could strongly influence market sentiment as lawmakers weigh a clearer statutory framework for digital assets heading into the fall.