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Mark Cuban dismisses Bitcoin's 20% rebound as a policy-induced short squeeze

8/23/2026

$1.37 billion in crypto short positions were liquidated over a single 24-hour window as $BTC climbed more than 20% from its Aug. 19 levels, briefly reaching $79,000 on Aug.

Mark Cuban, billionaire investor, says that liquidation figure explains the move. | Metric | Value (reported) | |---|---| | Weekly gain (week of Aug. 19) | +20%+ | | Intraday peak (Aug.

21) | $79,000 | | Short liquidations, 24h | $1.37B (CoinGlass) | | $BTC price at press time | $76,996 | | 24h gain at press time | +6% | The mechanics Two policy moves converged around Aug.

President Donald Trump hosted crypto executives at the White House and urged Congress to pass a "fair version" of the CLARITY Act, legislation that would establish clearer rules for determining whether digital assets are securities or commodities under U.S.