The crypto scene has just experienced a new episode of turbulence: Bitcoin fell to $83,400 on February 26, 2025, its lowest level
The crypto scene has just experienced a new episode of turbulence with Bitcoin falling to $83,400 on February 26, 2025, its lowest level since November 2024. This sudden correction led to over a billion dollars in liquidations in the derivatives market. Such a situation has shaken investors’ confidence.
A triple threat to Bitcoin
The main cause of this decline can be attributed to fears of a global recession, prompting investors to shy away from risky assets. At the same time, American protectionist policies, notably new taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico announced by Donald Trump, have increased tensions in the markets. This unstable economic context has heightened the appeal of U.S. government bonds at the expense of volatile assets like Bitcoin.
Even gold, historically a safe haven, fell by 2.2 % in just two days, a clear signal of the nervous climate settling over the financial markets.
At the very moment when the strength of Bitcoin ETFs and the influence of Strategy on the market are being questioned, the cryptocurrency experienced a triple threat. The sudden drop of Bitcoin to $83,400 on February 26, 2025, marked a major turning point for financial markets. In just three days, the crypto lost nearly $13,000. However, the asset has seen a rebound. The current price of Bitcoin stands at $86,300.
This loss triggered a massive liquidation of leveraged long positions, according to data from CoinGlass. In total, over $1.1 billion in cryptocurrency derivatives were liquidated in the last 24 hours, the majority of which were on February 24. This brutal correction notably affected the most exposed traders, amplifying the downward spiral and the intensification of volatility in the market.
The macroeconomic context also played a crucial role in this collapse. With fears of a global recession looming large, investors decided to exit their positions in risky assets to seek refuge in safer havens like U.S. government bonds. This shift in preference was triggered by the announcement of increased taxes by Donald Trump on imports from Canada and Mexico, actions that ultimately contributed to the deterioration of the market atmosphere.
Finally, the BTC options market is also expected to generate significant volatility. With $6.9 billion worth of options due to expire on February 28, 2025, the majority of which are buy positions (call options) at prices well above the current level, sellers (bears) have a clear advantage to continue exerting downward pressure and prevent any significant rebound.
