With two hours left in today’s session, Nifty 50 is holding firmly above 24,200 while Bitcoin has exploded past ₹66.5 lakh on the back of a Trump-hosted White House crypto summit and a wave of SEC-friendly regulatory news. Here’s your 2 PM markets update.
📈 Afternoon Session: Market Snapshot
Indian benchmarks staged a strong rebound after seven straight sessions of losses. As of the early-afternoon check, the Nifty 50 was trading at 24,244.80, up 165.55 points or 0.69% from the previous close, while the Sensex was at 77,527.42, up 617.74 points or 0.80%. The rally is being driven by easing US Treasury yields, a firmer rupee, short covering, and stronger Asian markets overnight. IT stocks are leading the charge — Infosys is up 1.87%, with Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra and TCS also among the day’s top gainers. Broader markets are participating too: the BSE Midcap Select Index added 129.54 points and the BSE Smallcap Select Index rose 71.01 points (0.78%) to 9,148.12. Institutional flows are supportive — DIIs were net buyers of ₹3,973.70 crore and FIIs added ₹408 crore in the most recent cash-segment session, pointing to broad-based buying interest across investor categories.
₿ Crypto at 2 PM — Live Prices
Crypto markets are on fire this afternoon. Bitcoin has jumped 8.1% in 24 hours to $69,581 (≈₹66.55 lakh), with its market cap back above $1.39 trillion. Ethereum is the standout performer, surging 18.4% to $2,263 (≈₹2.16 lakh) as it breaks decisively above the $2,000 mark. The rally is being fuelled by US Treasury bond buyback announcements and fresh regulatory clarity — President Trump is chairing a White House summit on the CLARITY Act with SEC and CFTC officials alongside executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Gemini and Robinhood, while the SEC has separately proposed a new “Regulation Crypto Assets” framework offering capital-raising exemptions and a safe harbor for digital-asset startups.
💰 Live Rates — 2 PM IST
| Asset | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nifty 50 | 24,244.80 | +0.69% |
| Sensex | 77,527.42 | +0.80% |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | ₹66.55L / $69,581 | +8.1% (24hr) |
| Ethereum (ETH) | ₹2.16L / $2,263 | +18.4% (24hr) |
| Gold (10g, 24K) | ₹1,59,420 | +2.77% |
| Silver (1kg) | ₹2,55,000 | +4.08% |
| USD/INR | ₹95.64 | -0.11% |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | $93.01 | +1.52% |
📰 Top 5 Financial News Stories of the Day
- Sensex, Nifty snap seven-day losing streak — Benchmark indices rebounded sharply on easing US bond yields, a firmer rupee and short covering, with Nifty reclaiming the 24,200 mark after a rough patch for the market.
- DIIs pour in nearly ₹4,000 crore — Domestic institutional investors were net buyers of ₹3,973.70 crore, dwarfing FII inflows of ₹408 crore, underlining that local money is doing the heavy lifting in this rebound.
- Bitcoin and Ethereum stage a coordinated breakout — BTC surged 8.1% and ETH 18.4% in 24 hours as Trump’s White House crypto summit on the CLARITY Act and the SEC’s proposed “Regulation Crypto Assets” framework boosted sentiment across digital assets.
- Gold and silver rally on safe-haven demand — Bullion prices climbed alongside crude oil as renewed Middle East tensions and elevated geopolitical risk pushed investors toward safe-haven assets; silver’s nearly 4% jump was especially sharp.
- IT majors lead the market higher — Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Bajaj Finance topped the Sensex gainers list, suggesting renewed appetite for large-cap tech and financials as global risk sentiment improved.
🌐 Global Markets & Tomorrow’s Outlook
Overnight, Asian equities advanced and US Treasury yields eased, both of which helped set the tone for today’s rebound in Indian markets. However, crude oil’s climb — Brent near $93 a barrel — on the back of Middle East tensions remains a watch point, since sustained strength in oil prices could pressure the rupee and import-sensitive sectors going forward. Investors should keep an eye on any fresh developments from Washington’s crypto summit and the SEC’s regulatory proposals, as these could continue to drive volatility in digital assets into tomorrow’s session. On the domestic front, continued DII buying support and a stable rupee would be key for markets to build on today’s gains when trading resumes tomorrow morning.
Data sourced from live market feeds. Last updated: 2:00 PM IST, 20 August 2026. This is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.
