Bitcoin’s sharp decline to 86,099 wiped out $1.06 billion across the crypto market, with long positions suffering $873 million in losses.
According to Feb. 26 data from Coinglass, as many as 230,000 traders have been liquidated in the past 24 hours. Open interest has dropped 5%, indicating widespread deleveraging. Exchange inflows have climbed 14.2%, potentially signaling more panic selling. In addition, funding rates have shifted negative, reflecting a change in investors’ attitude.
Strong withdrawals from U.S. spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs accompanied the massive sell-off. The five-day outflows totaled $1.1 billion, with ETFs losing $516 million on Feb. 24 alone.
Crypto-related stocks were also affected, with Coinbase (COIN) falling 6.4%, Robinhood (HOOD) falling 8%, and Bitcoin miners Bitdeer (BTDR) and Marathon Digital (MARA) falling 29% and 9%, respectively.
According to IntoTheBlock’s on-chain data, 12% of all Bitcoin addresses are currently holding at a loss, which is the highest percentage of unrealized losses since October 2024. There is now a greater chance of additional sell-offs because many investors who purchased close to all-time highs of $108,000 are underwater.
Whale activity has accelerated as well. Throughout the previous week, Bitcoin whales have offloaded more than $1.2 billion. The decline of Bitcoin has largely been triggered by worsening macroeconomic conditions.
Global markets have been shaken by Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which have heightened concerns about inflation and economic stagnation. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, specifically over trade restrictions on semiconductors, have undermined risk appetite.
There have also been declines in traditional financial markets, with the Nasdaq Composite plunging 2.8% and the S&P 500 losing 2.1%. A flight to safety, which usually puts pressure on riskier assets like Bitcoin, is indicated by the strengthening of the U.S. Dollar Index.
The $88,000 support for Bitcoin is still crucial since a decline below it can lead to yet another round of liquidations. Although excessive leverage, persistent economic uncertainty, and waning market confidence point to more volatility in the future, traders are eyeing $90,000 as a possible recovery level.