Bitcoin plunged below $100,000 for the first time in five months, hitting an intraday low of $99,980 before rebounding to $101,600.
Total liquidations exceeded $1.3 billion, with longs accounting for $1.113 billion, marking one of the largest single-day deleveraging events since May 2021.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $578 million in outflows, their fifth straight day of redemptions; Ethereum ETFs lost $219 million, while Solana ETFs extended their winning streak with $14.83 million in inflows.
Crypto market capitalization fell 2.5% to $3.39 trillion, erasing $289 billion in value within 24 hours.
Short-term holders (STHs) continue to capitulate, sending 30,300 BTC to exchanges at a loss, while the STH-SOPR hovers near 1, reflecting persistent stress.
Bitcoin futures open interest collapsed by over $10 billion, a washout comparable to May 2021 and the FTX 2022 unwind, a structural reset more than full capitulation.
For the first time since it began accumulating Bitcoin in 2020, Michael Saylor signalled the company may sell part of its holdings — a shift in the buy-and-hold model that has defined Strategy's identity and underpinned its equity premium.
The exchange's third major headcount reduction in three years tracks closely with the crypto market cycle, even as Armstrong points to AI as a structural reason to operate with fewer people.
The SEC this week delayed the launch of more than two dozen prediction market ETFs, citing concerns about product mechanics and disclosures. A Bloomberg analysis published last week suggests the retail-friendly pitch underpinning these products doesn't quite hold up to scrutiny.
A wave of exchange-traded funds designed to give investors exposure to prediction market outcomes was expected to begin trading as early as Thursday — until U.S. regulators intervened.