Bitcoin Falls Below $65,600 as $338 Million in Daily Liquidations Precede FOMC

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.

Bitcoin and Ether, the crypto market’s two largest risk assets, have become increasingly sensitive to shifts in technology stocks and inflation expectations. Disappointing reactions to earnings from Alphabet and Tesla renewed concern over the returns on heavy artificial-intelligence spending, while Brent crude’s move above $100 a barrel added to inflation worries and pressured demand for volatile assets.

On July 24, 2026, Bitcoin fell 1.66% over 24 hours and touched a low of $64,650, while Ether dropped 3.18% to as little as $1,859. CoinGlass reported $251 million in crypto liquidations, including $189 million in long positions, affecting 81,719 traders. The Fear & Greed Index compiled by alternative.me declined to 28 from 31, remaining in the “fear” range.

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.

New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh struck a hawkish tone in his first public remarks on monetary policy, signaling that the pace of interest-rate cuts could slow and fueling expectations of rate increases. Higher rates typically squeeze dollar liquidity and risk-asset valuations, leaving the highly leveraged, round-the-clock cryptocurrency market particularly exposed.

As of July 19, Bitcoin had briefly fallen below $62,000, while Ether dropped below $1,750 and traded as low as $1,700. The market fear index fell to 20. The sharp decline triggered cascading forced liquidations, totaling about $177 million over four hours and $401 million across the market over 24 hours.

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 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 has remained range-bound near recent lows amid outflows from US spot ETFs and the Federal Reserve’s higher-for-longer interest-rate policy. Risk appetite has cooled markedly, with the Fear and Greed Index falling to 29, indicating that investor sentiment has entered fear territory.

As of the latest report, Bitcoin had fallen below $74,000 and at one point traded weakly around $73,400. Crypto liquidations across the market reached $193 million over the past 24 hours, with short positions also squeezed. Markets will next focus on upcoming US CPI data and the Federal Reserve’s FOMC interest-rate decision.

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.