Crypto Market Loses $230 Billion as Bitcoin Dropped Below $90K Amid Investor Uncertainty

The cryptocurrency market experienced significant turmoil on Monday, with its global market capitalization dropping by over 6%, from $3.34 trillion to $3.11 trillion.

This sharp decline wiped out more than $230 billion in investor wealth as Bitcoin and Ethereum approached critical support levels. Altcoins like XRP , BNB , Solana ( SOL ), Cardano ( ADA ), and SUI also saw significant losses, with AI tokens taking the biggest hit.

Market data from Coinglass revealed that over $685 million worth of cryptocurrencies were liquidated in the past 24 hours, affecting more than 250,000 traders.

Economic Data Fuels Investor Caution

Stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data has signaled a resilient economy, leading to increased speculation that the Federal Reserve may delay further rate cuts. Inflationary concerns under the incoming administration have compounded uncertainty, with Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America forecasting no rate cuts for the remainder of the year.

The U.S. dollar index (DXY) rose above 110 for the first time since 2022, while the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.8%, the highest level in over a year. These factors have placed additional downward pressure on Bitcoin, which fell below $90,000 before surging to $92,000, and Ethereum which briefly broke through the $3,000 support.

Institutional Activity and Market Indicators

Institutional and whale investors have added to the selling pressure, with outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs signaling a retreat from major players. Bitcoin network activity has dropped to its lowest point since late 2024, while the short-term holders’ SOPR (Spent Output Profit Ratio) has dipped below 1, indicating many investors are exiting their positions at a loss.

The 1-day technical analysis from TradingView also reflects the bearish sentiment, with the summary, moving averages and oscillators pointing to “sell” with 12, 10 and 2 signals, respectively.