Bitcoin Holds Above $81K as CLARITY Act Optimism and $577M ETF Inflows Fuel Institutional Bid!

Bitcoin is trading at $81,321, up 0.64%, with momentum underpinned by growing confidence around the CLARITY Act ahead of its May 21 Senate deadline. Spot crypto ETFs logged over $577 million in fresh inflows in a single day, and April closed as the strongest monthly inflow period since October 2025, totalling $2.44 billion — a figure that signals sustained institutional conviction rather than a one-off rotation.

The broader market is holding at a $2.77 trillion total cap, with <a class="ticker-mention" href="/en-US/token/btc">BTC</a> dominance at 58.8%. Ethereum slipped 0.32% to $2,364. The Fear &amp; Greed Index sits at 46, still in fear territory, which historically has coincided with accumulation phases rather than distribution.

On the news front, Coinbase announced a 14% staff reduction as AI reshapes crypto operations, Strategy is exploring a BTC sale to fund a $1.5 billion dividend, and Drift has outlined a recovery plan following a…