Bitcoin Slide Below $80,000 Sparks Crypto Rout, Liquidations Top $320 Million

Bitcoin’s push toward $80,000 lifted Ether, Solana and other major cryptocurrencies, underscoring renewed demand for risk assets. Round-number thresholds often attract concentrated leveraged positions, stop orders and profit-taking, making them important tests of market momentum. While technical signals point to a strong near-term trend, elevated leverage leaves prices vulnerable to abrupt reversals and cascading liquidations.

Bitcoin briefly challenged $80,000 before retreating toward $78,000, while Ether reversed after holding above $2,500 and fell 1.8%. Crypto-market liquidations over the latest 24-hour period were initially reported at $422 million, then climbed to $620 million in a more recent tally. An earlier snapshot showed more than 93,000 traders had been forcibly closed out. The Fear and Greed Index rose to 74, signaling bullish sentiment but also a heightened risk of an overbought correction.

Bitcoin and Ether are the crypto market’s two largest assets, and their prices often drive moves in altcoins and derivatives positions. Exchanges forcibly close highly leveraged contracts when their margin becomes insufficient, and cascading liquidations can deepen a decline. Liquidation totals therefore offer a gauge of market risk and investor sentiment.

In the early hours of June 10, 2026, Taipei time, Bitcoin broke below the $63,000 support level and fell through $61,000, while Ether tested $1,600. CoinGlass data showed that more than 120,000 traders were liquidated over 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching $380 million and the largest single order on Binance totaling $8.05 million. By June 25, BTC had fallen below $60,000 again, with liquidations exceeding $650 million and nearly 140,000 traders affected.

Bitcoin has continued to retreat from its highs, with $62,000 emerging as a key support level for the market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index (CPI) influences expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, which in turn affect dollar liquidity and valuations for risk assets including cryptocurrencies. That makes the U.S. inflation reading for May particularly important.

Bitcoin most recently fell below $62,000 and briefly approached $61,000. More than $426 million in positions were liquidated across the market over the past 24 hours, with long positions accounting for about 80%, while the Fear Index dropped to 12. U.S. core CPI subsequently rose 0.2% month on month in May, less than the market had feared, helping Bitcoin pare some losses. The $60,000 threshold nevertheless remains under pressure.

Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market rely heavily on leveraged capital. When prices fall sharply, exchanges forcibly close positions with insufficient margin, amplifying the decline. The latest selling came ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision as risk aversion intensified. Consecutive net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs and MicroStrategy’s first Bitcoin sale also undermined investor confidence.

Bitcoin fell below $67,000 early on June 3 and briefly touched $66,316, pulling Ether, Solana, Dogecoin and other major cryptocurrencies lower. Marketwide liquidations reached $1.78 billion over 24 hours, with long positions accounting for about 90%. The concentrated unwinding of leveraged bullish bets sent market anxiety sharply higher.

Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, and sharp price declines often force exchanges to liquidate highly leveraged positions, with the impact spreading to tokens such as Ether. After BTC fell below $69,000, the market is also watching whether its 200-week moving average will hold. If that support breaks, analysts’ downside target of $50,000 could come into focus.

Bitcoin fell about 6% in a single day over the weekend, briefly approaching $68,000. In the latest 24-hour period cited as of July 20, 2026, crypto liquidations across the market neared $400 million, including about $300 million in bullish long positions. Although a golden cross on the daily chart could provide near-term support, a recovery above $69,000 remains crucial.

Bitcoin has recently come under pressure from hawkish signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve, continued outflows from spot exchange-traded funds and geopolitical risks. The heavy concentration of leveraged long positions triggered cascading liquidations after the price broke below key support, further intensifying the market's “extreme fear” sentiment.

As of July 20, BTC had fallen as low as $72,582, a 14-day low, with about 152,000 traders liquidated for $755 million over 24 hours. Long positions accounted for more than 86% of the total. The market later plunged again to about $70,600, while the Fear and Greed Index dropped to 23 and ETH fell below $2,000.

Bitcoin and Ether are the crypto market’s leading assets, and sharp price declines can trigger forced liquidations on exchanges, amplifying selling pressure. Bitcoin’s slide toward $76,000 and Ether’s drop below $2,100 show that funds have yet to flow back into crypto in tandem with the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s record high.

As of July 19, preliminary data showed $53 million in liquidations across the market over four hours, with long positions accounting for 85%. Bitcoin later fell as low as $75,500, liquidating 64,000 traders for a combined $214 million. In the latest selloff, Bitcoin again dropped below $76,000 and Ether retreated to $2,000, while four-hour liquidations exceeded $134 million.

Bitcoin’s rally was driven mainly by a derivatives short squeeze and expectations of easing geopolitical tensions, rather than steady spot buying. Market maker Wintermute said spot trading volume had fallen to a two-year low, leaving the advance highly sensitive to leverage and news. Prospects for a U.S.-Iran ceasefire have therefore become an important factor for risk assets.

At 8 p.m. on May 6, 2026, Bitcoin rose to $82,860, its highest level since January 31. On May 7, Trump said on Truth Social that a ceasefire remained a “major assumption” and warned that airstrikes could intensify, sending Bitcoin down to $81,108. CoinGlass data showed $510.5 million in liquidations over 24 hours, affecting 131,277 traders.

Bitcoin’s $80,000 threshold is widely viewed as a key psychological and technical support level. Iran’s rejection of a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz heightened concerns over energy supplies and geopolitical risks. Meanwhile, divisions within the Federal Reserve over interest-rate cuts prompted investors to retreat from high-risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin fell below $80,000 early on May 8, touching an intraday low of $79,625. The sharp decline triggered more than $316 million in bitcoin long liquidations across the market within 24 hours, while the Fear and Greed Index dropped 9 points overnight. BTC is holding above its medium-term moving average for now, but Ether (ETH) and altcoins have weakened markedly.

Bitcoin is a key bellwether for the crypto-asset market, and sharp price declines often trigger cascading liquidations of highly leveraged positions. Investors turned cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, while stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations further dampened risk appetite.

On the morning of April 28, Bitcoin fell as low as $76,460 and breached the $76,400 level. More than $338 million in positions were liquidated across the market over nearly 24 hours, affecting about 100,000 traders, with long positions accounting for more than 80% of the total. The Fear and Greed Index also dropped overnight to 33, returning to the fear range.