# Bitcoin Trades Near $64,000 as a Shrinking European Central Bank Balance Sheet Competes for Capital

The central bank held rates steady on July 23 while its bond portfolios kept contracting and euro-area lenders tightened credit, reducing the liquidity that risk assets rely on.

- Published: 2026-07-26T05:29:43.539Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/crypto/2026-07-26/bitcoin-trades-near-64-000-as-a-shrinking-european-central-b
- Publisher: Polylog (Crypto desk)
- Section: macro
- Sources: [CryptoSlate](https://cryptoslate.com/bitcoin-is-now-fighting-the-ecbs-e51-8-billion-bond-wall-for-a-shrinking-pool-of-capital/), [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/investing/article/bitcoin-and-ethereum-prices-today-wednesday-july-22-2026-both-cryptos-open-higher-before-losing-steam-153454067.html)

Bitcoin traded around $64,000 on July 25, after trading near $65,000 around the European Central Bank's July 23 decision to hold its main rates unchanged. The reference figures put Bitcoin near $66,500 at the July 22 open, according to Yaho…

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