Bitcoin Breaks Below $65,000 as Crypto Liquidations Hit $251 Million

U.S. producer prices fell 0.3% in June, led by a 6.4% drop in energy costs, adding to softer consumer inflation and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve could shift toward easier policy. That backdrop matters for cryptocurrencies because lower rate expectations can support risk assets. Bitcoin and Ether had already been recovering from July 2 lows of $59,660 and $1,601, respectively, making the latest move a test of whether improving macroeconomic conditions can revive investor appetite.

Bitcoin climbed to $65,600 late on July 15 but slipped to about $64,608 on the morning of July 16, down 0.31% over 24 hours as buying momentum faded. Ether bucked the pullback, gaining 1.88% to $1,915 after touching $1,946.50. CoinGlass recorded $309 million in liquidations involving 78,540 traders during the period, with short positions accounting for nearly 60% of the total. Alternative.me’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index remained at 25, signaling extreme fear despite the two-week price recovery.

Heavy selling in US semiconductor and artificial intelligence chip stocks has sent turmoil across global financial markets and into cryptocurrencies, underscoring the close correlation between technology shares and digital assets. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives held a hearing on the CLARITY Act in New York in an effort to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins. However, negotiations over the timetable for further review and ethics provisions have reached an impasse, leaving policy uncertainty hanging over the market and drawing close attention from investors.

A collapse in US-listed AI chip stocks and a surge in oil prices triggered cascading crypto liquidations on July 18, 2026. Bitcoin fell below $64,000, forcing more than 85,000 investors into liquidation within 24 hours, with total liquidations exceeding $330 million. Long positions accounted for as much as 84% of the total. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index also plunged to 25, indicating that investor sentiment had entered “extreme fear.”

US spot Bitcoin ETFs had been seen as a key channel for institutional inflows, but recorded combined net outflows of $4.06 billion in June, signaling waning risk appetite among large investors. Delayed interest-rate cuts by major central banks and market sentiment mired in extreme fear have added funding and macroeconomic pressure on crypto assets.

Bitcoin and Ether both plunged on the morning of July 1, with Bitcoin falling below $58,200 and nearing a two-week low. The decline set off cascading liquidations of leveraged positions, with long liquidations across the market reaching $249 million over the previous 24 hours. Traders betting on a rebound bore the brunt of the losses, while short-term volatility risk rose sharply.

The cryptocurrency market is heavily dependent on leverage and capital flows, making sharp price declines prone to triggering cascading liquidations. The latest selling pressure was compounded by outflows from U.S. spot ETFs, fading expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts and a selloff in technology stocks, signaling a broader deterioration in risk-asset sentiment that rapidly amplified market volatility.

In early trading on June 26, cryptocurrencies fell across the board, with Bitcoin briefly dropping to $58,800 and Ether falling below $1,565. Market-wide liquidations reached $887 million over the previous 24 hours, with long positions accounting for about 83%, reflecting the concentrated unwinding of leveraged bullish bets that further intensified the decline.

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 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.

Investors are pulling money from riskier crypto assets as Bitcoin fluctuates around $63,000. Continued net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs and inflation pressures weighing on expectations for interest-rate cuts have kept crypto from following a strong U.S. stock market higher, with altcoins facing heavier selling pressure.

As of July 20, CoinGlass data showed $1.252 billion in crypto liquidations across the market over 24 hours, mostly involving bullish long positions. Bitcoin at one point struggled to hold near $63,000. Alternative.me’s Crypto Fear and Greed Index fell to 12, placing it in the “Extreme Fear” range.

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 and Ether are key bellwethers for the cryptocurrency market, and their prices have remained under pressure amid cooling demand for risk assets and adjustments to leveraged positions. Liquidation data from market-tracking platform CoinGlass offer a gauge of the scale of forced closures among derivatives traders and the strain across the market.

As of July 20, Bitcoin had briefly fallen to $76,700 before stabilizing near $77,000 in volatile trading. Ether dropped below $2,100 and was down about 3% over the previous 24 hours. CoinGlass showed that roughly 107,000 traders were liquidated during the period, with total liquidations reaching $670 million. The Fear and Greed Index fell to 28, its lowest level in nearly a month.

The correlation between U.S. equities and cryptocurrencies has deepened, with investors often withdrawing from volatile assets across both markets when risk sentiment weakens. Bitcoin's $77,000 level and Ether's $2,300 level are closely watched by traders. A break below them can trigger leveraged-position liquidations, intensifying short-term selling pressure and price volatility.

In the early hours of the 24th, U.S. stocks and cryptocurrencies faced a sharp simultaneous selloff. Bitcoin formally fell below $77,000, while Ether also dropped under $2,300. The plunge led to the liquidation of more than 100,000 derivatives traders across the crypto market, with total liquidations reaching $249 million as leveraged positions were rapidly unwound.