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

Bitcoin and Ether remain key gauges of liquidity and risk appetite in digital-asset markets, with $80,000 and $2,500 serving as closely watched psychological levels. Stronger-than-expected US nonfarm payrolls data raised expectations for higher interest rates, weighing on demand for risk assets. Even so, the two largest cryptocurrencies have maintained a firmer near-term technical setup despite the less supportive macroeconomic backdrop.

Bitcoin held above $80,000 while Ether rebounded past $2,500, as a crypto-market fear gauge continued to ease. Liquidations across the market reached $231 million over the latest 24-hour period, with short positions accounting for most of the total. The imbalance suggests the recovery forced bearish traders to close leveraged positions, reinforcing short-term momentum even as renewed rate concerns continued to restrain broader investor risk appetite.

Bitcoin and Ether serve as key gauges of risk appetite across digital-asset markets, with their moves often spilling over into smaller tokens and leveraged derivatives. The latest decline is significant because breaks below closely watched price levels can trigger automated selling and forced liquidations, amplifying losses as traders unwind positions financed with borrowed money.

Bitcoin fell below $78,000 in the latest selloff, while Ether slipped under $2,500. More than $470 million of cryptocurrency futures positions were liquidated across the market over the past 24 hours, with long positions accounting for 77% of the total. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index eased to 68, indicating sentiment remained positive but had become more cautious as prices extended their decline.

Bitcoin has struggled to break decisively away from $64,000 while Ether trades around the closely watched $1,900 threshold, signaling limited conviction across digital-asset markets. Softer-than-expected U.S. producer inflation for July and record highs in major U.S. equity indexes have supported broader risk appetite, but crypto investors remain cautious. The Fear and Greed Index is still in fear territory despite improving from recent lows.

Bitcoin was hovering near $64,000 in the latest 24-hour period, while Ether eased to about $1,862. Crypto derivatives liquidations totaled roughly $203 million, with short positions accounting for nearly 67% as the market’s rebound forced bearish traders out of leveraged bets. The Fear and Greed Index recovered to 46 but remained below the greed threshold, leaving prices vulnerable to incoming U.S. economic data and further shifts in leveraged positioning.

Bitcoin traded near $63,000 as cryptocurrencies struggled to find a catalyst independent of US equities, which retreated from recent highs. The market’s heavy use of leverage can amplify relatively small price moves, forcing exchanges to close positions and accelerating declines. Liquidation totals are therefore closely watched as a gauge of short-term stress and the vulnerability of speculative positioning.

Bitcoin remained pinned around the $63,000 threshold, while Ether approached $1,900 and major tokens including SOL and XRP weakened. Marketwide crypto-derivatives liquidations reached $166 million over one reported 24-hour window, while a more recent rolling tally stood near $80 million. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index slipped to 31, and Bitcoin traded close to the lower Bollinger Band, signaling that near-term momentum remained subdued.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.