Bitcoin climbs back above $66,000 as Bank of Japan hikes rates; BlackRock’s BITA ETF clears SEC step

Bitcoin rose back above $66,000 on June 16, extending a rally that began over the weekend amid expectations of a U.S.-Iran peace deal, slowing ETF outflows, and the Bank of Japan’s rate increase. Liquidations accelerated, topping $536M over the past 24 hours, including $375M from short positions. ETH and HYPE led gains among large-cap tokens, up +4% and +12%, respectively. The Fear & Greed Index rose to 23/100 from 20/100 a day earlier, while remaining in “Extreme Fear.”