Gemini, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2015, will focus on growth in the United States due to its deep capital markets.

Bitcoin touched new lows under $64,000 as market selling reached a historic level, and analysts warn that the bottom is not in. Does data support analysts’ sub-$60,000 prediction?

XRP plunges 17% in worst daily loss since 2025 but ETFs see $24M in weekly inflows and $1.2B total since launch in November.

The post XRP plunges 17% in sharpest one-day drop since 2025 as token crashes below $1.25 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Strategy faces $7.5B paper loss as Bitcoin nears $65K while the stock tumbles 14% ahead of earnings with analysts expecting a Q4 loss.

The post Strategy faces $7.5B unrealized loss as Bitcoin sinks near $65K ahead of Q4 earnings appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

XRP’s online mood is holding up even as prices slide, creating a split between what traders say and what markets are doing.

XRP Social Mood Outpaces Peers

According to Santiment, social chatter around XRP has a far higher positive-to-negative ratio than the big two coins.

The platform’s score for XRP sits at 2.19, while Ethereum posts 1.08 and Bitcoin 0.80. That gap points to a crowd that sounds confident even while values are falling.

Swyftx lead analyst Pav Hundal said holders have a different stance on volatility, adding that many view the token’s fundamentals as steady enough to ignore short-term drops. In plain terms: lots of talk, and most of it is upbeat.

Sentiment has turned extremely bearish toward Bitcoin and Ethereum following crypto’s major downswing this past week. XRP is seeing a more optimistic outlook among traders.

As we know, markets move opposite to the fear & greed of retail traders. There remains a strong… pic.twitter.com/1U23pQ48D6

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) February 4, 2026

Price Action Shows Weakness

XRP has been struggling in the first week of February 2026, falling towards multi-month lows in the mid-$1.50s. The major support levels, including the $1.80 level, have been breached, and the token is now trading below multiple moving averages.

In the last seven days, XRP has depreciated by approximately 6%, while Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen by 5% and 4.5%, respectively. Market participants have been closely monitoring the charts to determine if a relief rally is likely or if the downtrend will continue.

Hundal emphasized that XRP remains down about 35% over the past 30 days, highlighting the challenges the token faces despite optimistic chatter.

Reports note that exchange balances of XRP are shrinking. That suggests tokens are moving off trading platforms into private wallets, not being flushed onto the market.

When supply tightens while demand is uncertain, prices can stabilize faster than many expect. Santiment argued this kind of nervousness among small traders can sometimes spark a relief rally — a quick bounce driven more by halted selling than by fresh buying.

Models that look at exchange flows and on-chain metrics give a decent chance for a rebound if selling pressure eases.

https://t.co/Hh8ZXJC13c

— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) February 3, 2026

The CoinMarketCap Altcoin Season Index sits at 32 out of 100, a reading that signals a Bitcoin-focused market rather than one led by altcoins.

Reports say Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan warned on X that market participants are feeling the effects of a prolonged crypto winter that began in January 2025, though he suggested the low point might be closer to passing than arriving.

That view is cautious optimism: recovery is possible, but it is not guaranteed.

Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Only days after issuing a fresh warning to the Bitcoin (BTC) community, Michael Burry — the Wall Street investor made famous by his bet against the US housing market ahead of the 2008 financial crisis — appears, at least so far, to be proven right. 

As of Thursday, Bitcoin was trading near $65,850, extending losses that have dragged the cryptocurrency down nearly 50% from the all‑time highs of $126,000 reached in October of last year. 

Bitcoin Could Enter ‘Death Spiral’ 

In a Substack post, Burry cautioned that the decline could evolve into what he described as a self‑reinforcing “death spiral,” with serious and lasting consequences for firms that have spent the past year aggressively accumulating Bitcoin on their balance sheets.

Burry warned that additional price declines could quickly strain the finances of major corporate holders, forcing asset sales across the crypto ecosystem and triggering widespread destruction of value. He painted what he called “sickening scenarios,” arguing that they are no longer hypothetical. 

According to Burry, a further 10% drop in Bitcoin’s price would leave Strategy (previously MicroStrategy) — the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin — “billions of dollars” underwater and effectively shut out of capital markets. 

“There is no organic use case reason for Bitcoin to slow or stop its descent,” Burry wrote, emphasizing his belief that the current drivers of demand are insufficient to stabilize prices. 

He argued that adoption by corporate treasuries and the growth of crypto‑linked spot exchange‑traded funds (ETFs) may have expanded participation, but they do not provide a permanent floor for valuations or shield the market from severe downside risks.

$50,000 Price Could Push Miners Into Bankruptcy

Burry also warned that continued declines below key price levels could still spill over into other markets. He linked Bitcoin’s recent weakness to sharp moves in gold and silver, suggesting that corporate treasurers have been forced to de‑risk by selling profitable positions in tokenized gold and silver futures. 

These products, he noted, are not backed by physical metals and can overwhelm trading in the underlying commodities. Burry described this dynamic as a potential “collateral death spiral,” arguing that liquidations in crypto markets can spill into tokenized metals and then distort physical markets. 

The Wall Street veteran estimated that as much as $1 billion worth of precious metals was liquidated at the very end of the month as falling crypto prices forced investors to unwind positions.

Looking ahead, Burry warned that a drop in Bitcoin to $50,000 could have severe consequences. In that scenario, he said, Bitcoin miners would likely be driven into bankruptcy, while tokenized metals futures could “collapse into a black hole with no buyer.” 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP have all retreated to deep cycle lows, dragging the broader crypto market back to valuation levels not seen since late 2024, according to CryptoSlate's data.

While price action across the board appears uniformly grim, with BTC heading below $70,000 and XRP recently trading around $1.35, sentiment toward the Ripple-linked token is noticeably less pessimistic than that surrounding the two largest cryptocurrencies.

That relative optimism is not derived from immediate spot price performance, as XRP has reached its lowest price since November 2024, but rather from a cluster of near-term, adjacent ecosystems catalysts that traders can trade around.

With BTC and ETH behaving like high-beta macro assets tied to liquidity conditions, XRP is increasingly trading on idiosyncratic optionality linked to market structure upgrades and institutional access.

Institutional flows diverge as ETFs reprice risk

The most direct measure of this bifurcated market optimism is found in capital allocation, specifically through regulated exchange-traded funds.

Bitcoin has been losing institutional demand since early 2026 as macroeconomic stress intensifies.

Data from SoSo Value show that US spot BTC ETFs have recorded three consecutive months of outflows, with more than $1.6 billion in January, following outflows of around $5 billion in late December.

Notably, this streak has continued into this month, with the 12 products already recording outflows of around $255 million.

These outflows highlight a structural vulnerability for Bitcoin during liquidity crunches. As the premier macro hedge inside portfolios, it is often the first asset large allocators trim when tightening conditions force a retreat to cash.

Notably, the same outflow streaks are evident in Ethereum-focused products in the market. The ETF funds have seen net outflows of more than $2.4 billion since last November.

In sharp contrast, XRP is displaying the opposite pattern within the same investment vehicles.

XRP ETFs, which launched in November, have attracted approximately $1.3 billion in inflows and have recorded less than five days of net outflows since their debut.

During that same period, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs experienced net selling.

This suggests that while Bitcoin is treated as a source of liquidity, XRP is behaving like an incremental allocation, with investors adding exposure precisely because the asset has become easier to buy, hold, and hedge through familiar, regulated wrappers.

Ripple's ecosystem upgrades target institutional DeFi

Beyond flow dynamics, the optimism surrounding XRP is anchored in tangible infrastructure developments that aim to bridge traditional finance and on-chain liquidity.

On Feb. 4, Ripple announced that Ripple Prime now supports Hyperliquid, positioning the integration as a way for institutional clients to access on-chain derivatives liquidity through a prime-broker-style interface.

The release emphasizes consolidated access alongside margin and risk management, which are features that make decentralized finance venues legible to institutions accustomed to traditional prime workflows.

While this integration does not automatically create spot demand for the token, it reinforces a broader market perception that Ripple is aligning its institutional stack with on-chain venues just as market structure conversations push activity toward compliance-friendly rails.

This development coincides with the activation of “Permissioned Domains” on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) mainnet.

RippleXDev confirmed that these domains are now live, marking a major milestone for the network.

XRPL’s documentation defines Permissioned Domains as controlled environments that can restrict access to features such as Permissioned Decentralized Exchanges through credentialing.

This represents a direct attempt to reconcile on-chain trading with real-world compliance requirements, effectively creating a “KYC layer” that allows regulated entities to participate on-chain without assuming blind counterparty risk.

Derivatives markets signal leverage washout and defensive positioning

The internal mechanics of the derivatives market further explain why sentiment for Bitcoin and ETH remains “extremely bearish” while XRP traders position for upside.

For Ethereum, on-chain data reveals a significant shift in market sentiment.

The Ethereum Coinbase Premium Index (a 30-day moving average) has plunged to its lowest level since July 2022, according to CryptoQuant data.

This index measures the price gap between the ETH/USD pair on Coinbase Pro, often a proxy for US institutional demand, and the ETH/USDT pair on Binance.

A deeply negative premium indicates that selling pressure is coming primarily from U.S. entities aggressively de-risking their positions.

Simultaneously, the market has seen a massive BTC leverage flush. CoinGlass data show Bitcoin investors have been liquidated for more than $3 billion in recent days amid the price slump.

Conversely, XRP derivatives hint at a cleaner market structure and asymmetric expectations. Data from CryptoQuant show that Open Interest for XRP on Binance has dropped significantly to $405.9 million, marking the lowest level since November 2024.

This plunge in Open Interest acts as a market reset, indicating that speculative froth has evaporated, which often serves as a prerequisite for a sustainable trend reversal.

Furthermore, XRP options open interest is heavily skewed to calls, with calls representing 86.87% and puts 13.13%. This skew suggests that while spot prices remain weak, traders are using options to seek upside exposure without catching a falling knife in the spot market.

Regulatory clarity and future market structure

Meanwhile, the structural optimism for XRP is also buoyed by a repricing of regulatory risk, a factor that previously defined the asset’s discount.

In August 2025, the SEC announced a joint stipulation dismissing appeals and resolving the civil enforcement action against Ripple, noting that the district court’s judgment would remain in effect.

This resolution has allowed the narrative surrounding Ripple and XRP to shift from litigation to financial plumbing.

Since then, the products have gained access to the CME Group, and Ripple has embarked on an acquisition spree to further embed its products within the traditional financial system.

Additionally, the rollout of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, which is one of the fastest-growing stablecoins in the market, with a supply of over $1.4 billion, also supports the narrative of XRP serving as a settlement rail.

Moreover, the upcoming Permissioned DEX features on the XRPL are expected to provide the regulatory certainty needed for institutional adoption.

What does the future hold for XRP?

Market analysts are now modeling three specific scenarios for how these divergent narratives will resolve over the coming months.

In the base case, risk assets stabilize, and XRP maintains a relative “catalyst premium” over the broader market.

Early adoption of XRPL's permissioned domains and DEX could help bridge liquidity between open and permissioned venues, sustaining the narrative even without a massive volume spike.

The bull case envisions the permissioned stack becoming the primary regulated on-chain venue for a subset of institutions, such as those dealing in tokenized real-world assets or cross-border settlement flows.

If Ripple Prime’s connectivity supports this migration, XRP could experience a market-structure re-rating where regulated on-chain order books command a higher valuation multiple than standard altcoin beta.

However, a bear case remains if macro conditions remain tight and ETF outflows continue to punish the complex. If permissioned infrastructure ships but adoption lags, liquidity could fragment, turning “compliance DeFi” into a second-half 2026 story rather than a first-quarter catalyst.

For now, the data indicates a clear split. Bitcoin and Ethereum are struggling under the weight of macro liquidity and defensive hedging, while XRP is being repriced by the possibility that the next phase of crypto market structure will be defined by permissioned, credentialed, and institution-ready rails.

The post XRP defiant amid Bitcoin collapse as a massive institutional migration quietly shifts billions into Ripple appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin is plummeting toward a dangerous $56,100 price floor as massive ETF outflows signal a demand crisis

At some point every cycle has the same moment, the one where the story stops being about charts and starts being about cash.

You can see it in the way traders talk, the jokes dry up, the group chats turn into screenshots of liquidation ladders, and everyone suddenly cares about the same thing, collateral, how much is left, how fast it can move, and what has to be sold to keep everything else alive.

This week that moment arrived across two markets that almost never share the same headline, Bitcoin and silver.

Since last week, Bitcoin has dropped by about 24%, from about $90,076 to as low as $66,700. Silver has fallen even harder, down around 34% over the same window. Gold is down over 6%. US equity futures are lower, down about 2%. The dollar has pushed higher, up about 2% on DXY. Oil has ticked up about 1.6%.

That mix matters, because it reads like stress, not rotation. When the dollar is rising, and the biggest risk assets are falling, the instinctive trade is to get smaller, raise cash, reduce leverage, and survive the next headline.

And headlines have been doing plenty of work.

Silver’s crash had a trigger, leverage got more expensive

Silver moved like a trapdoor.

The immediate catalyst was mechanical. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange  margin requirements for precious metals, asking traders to put up more cash to hold positions, after a period of extreme volatility.

Silver futures fell sharply after the move, with gold sliding too, as the new rules squeezed leveraged players who had ridden the rally.

The details show why it hit so hard. CME Clearing lifted COMEX silver’s margin in late December, first raising the initial requirement from $20,000 to $25,000, then hiking it again to $32,500 just days later.

From there, the squeeze intensified: by late January, CME shifted to steeper percentage-based settings, and in early February, it raised the rate again (from 11% to 15%), forcing traders to post substantially more collateral per contract. The cash required now scales higher as prices rise, a compounding squeeze that forces leveraged longs to cut risk quickly when the market turns.

For anyone running high leverage, that’s effectively an abrupt reduction in position size, fuel for a fast, disorderly unwind when prices wobble.

Margin hikes force a decision. Add cash, cut size, or close the position. When enough people get the same message at the same time, selling becomes the only language the market understands.

Silver did not fall because the world suddenly stopped needing silver. It fell because the price had become a leveraged bet, and the cost of that bet just went up.

That is what makes this week feel bigger than a normal crypto drawdown. The stress is showing up in places that are supposed to be boring.

Bitcoin is falling through floors, one level at a time

Bitcoin’s drop has been violent, yet it has been structured.

The chart since Jan 28 looks like a staircase lower, with brief pauses, then another break, then another fast flush. From the baseline, Bitcoin spent the first day slipping under the high $80,000s, then it lost the low $80,000s, then it broke into the $70,000s, and now it is fighting to hold the high $60,000s.

The key levels in my two-year channel map have been doing their job, and that is the problem for bulls.

On the 30-minute timeframe below:

• The first meaningful break came when Bitcoin lost the $83,500 region.
• The next breakdown was the $77,000 area, where the market tried to balance, then failed.
• The moment that changed the tone was $73,600, the 2024 high, the level that has been a memory anchor for months.

That $73,600 line is the one my longer-term chart below has been screaming about. Bitcoin is supposed to treat former highs as support in a strong trend. When it loses them, the market starts looking for the next shelf, and the next one down sits around $56,100, a level that was tested multiple times in 2024. Below that, we start looking to the $40,000s.

With price hovering around $70,000, the path to $56,100 is a risk map rather than a prdiction. It is roughly a 20% drop away, and it becomes more likely when the market is forced to sell instead of choosing to sell.

ETF flows helped build the rally, and they are now part of the sell pressure

The cleanest way to understand this Bitcoin move is to stop arguing about narratives and start watching the plumbing.

Spot Bitcoin ETF flows have been the most important marginal signal since these products went live. When flows are consistently positive, dips get bought faster. When flows flip and stay negative, the market loses its cushion.

Data from Farside shows the late January and early February tape has been defined by heavy outflows and failed rebounds.

In the days around the current breakdown:

• * Jan 29, net spot Bitcoin ETF flow was about -$817.8 million.
• Jan 30, net flow was about -$509.7 million.
• Feb 2, the market finally saw relief, about +$561.8 million in net inflows.
• Feb 3, the bid faded again, about -$272.0 million.
• Feb 4, the selling returned hard, about -$544.9 million.

That is a market that cannot keep good news. One strong inflow day lands, the bounce shows up, then it gets swallowed by the next wave of supply.

This does not mean ETFs are the only driver of price, yet they are the best daily read on whether there is real demand stepping in through the biggest, most regulated on ramp in the world.

The current pattern says demand is hesitant and supply is comfortable.

The October to February story is one long mood swing

If you want the longer arc, go back to October 2025, because it reads like the beginning of a finale.

In early October, the ETF bid was still showing real power. Farside data shows net inflows of roughly:

• +$675.8 million on Oct 1
• +$627.2 million on Oct 2
• +$985.1 million on Oct 3
• +$1.205 billion on Oct 6

That is the kind of flow that makes people feel smart for buying any dip, because the dips keep disappearing.

Then, later in October, the mood changed. On Oct 16, net flow flipped to about -$530 million. Farside shows more outflows followed, with other ugly days on Oct 29 and Oct 30 at around $-470 million and -$488.4 million, respectively.

November delivered the kind of outflow number that feels like a warning siren. Nov 20 alone showed around -$903.2 million in net outflows.

January was whiplash. Inflows returned, with Jan 5 showing around +$697 million. Then the selling came back, Jan 6 at about -$243 million, Jan 7 at about -$486 million, Jan 29 at about -$817 million.

The point is not to obsess over one day, the point is the character of the tape. When flows are large and choppy, the market becomes fragile, because positioning becomes fragile.

Since Jan 15, there have been only two days on which flows have been net positive.

Fragile positioning breaks on macro pressure.

Macro pressure is rising again, and inflation is the reason the market feels trapped

Bitcoin bulls can handle bad headlines when liquidity is expanding. They struggle when the central bank is sending a different message, even quietly.

On Jan 28, 2026, the Federal Reserve’s implementation note set the federal funds target range at 3.5% to 3.75%.

A 3 handle suggests cuts have already happened compared to the peak, yet the important part is the tone that sits behind it, inflation still matters, volatility still matters, and policy does not pivot just because markets want it to.

The inflation warning is getting louder, and it is coming from serious places.

An analysis from PIIE argues the risk of higher inflation in 2026 is being underpriced, pointing to tariffs, fiscal dynamics, labor market tightness, and shifting expectations as potential drivers.

Tariffs matter here, because they are the kind of policy that can hit growth and prices at the same time, and markets hate that combination.

The Fed itself has laid out the pathway in research. A note from FEDS shows higher trade costs, including tariffs and disruptions, can push CPI inflation higher, with measurable effects.

The political layer is messy, and the economic layer is slow. The market trades both, and it rarely does it gracefully.

Even the IMF’s tone has shifted toward caution around trade disruptions. In January, IMF wrote that the global economy has shown resilience after a tariff shock, while warning about rising risks and the negative effects of trade disruptions building over time.

Meanwhile, the trade policy world itself is being described as a roller coaster. CFR notes the return of tariff threats and the uncertainty that comes with a White House driven trade strategy.

Put all of that together and you get the feeling traders keep describing in private, the recovery trade looks like it wants to show up, then inflation risk pulls it back into the cage.

Bitcoin’s best moments happen when the market believes liquidity is coming, and when inflation is calm enough to allow it.

Right now, that calm is missing.

The cross asset signals look like a dollar squeeze, and Bitcoin is acting like high beta tech again

Bitcoin shows a clear relationship with the broader risk complex.

It has moved more closely with US equity futures than with gold, and it has tended to move the other way when the dollar firms. That is a fancy way of saying Bitcoin is still trading like a risk asset when stress rises, and this week stress has been rising.

That is also why the silver crash matters for crypto readers.

When silver is dropping double digits, and Bitcoin is dropping double digits, the common thread is leverage and forced selling. The first wave hits the most crowded trade, the next wave hits whatever can be sold fast.

Crypto is always sellable.

Oil is rising for the wrong reasons, and that adds to the unease

Oil has been up modestly in this same window, and the reasons are not comforting.

There has been the fresh geopolitical risk around Venezuelan supply. Price moves tied to the blockade announcement and broader supply risk headlines after the Maduro capture continue to strain markets.

At the same time, the medium term oil narrative has been about oversupply, with Trafigura warning about a 2026 “super glut” as supply growth runs ahead of demand.

Oil up on geopolitical risk while the market is already worried about inflation is a toxic ingredient. It adds noise to the inflation picture, it adds pressure to the Fed, and it adds anxiety to traders who are already staring at margin calls.

What to watch next, if you are trying to survive the next week

The temptation is to pick a bottom and build a story around it. The market has not earned that luxury yet.

Here is the cleaner way to view it.

Bitcoin has one job if it wants to stop bleeding, reclaim $73,600, and hold it. That is the 2024 high, and it is now the line between a bruising correction and a deeper reset toward the next major shelf around $56,100.

Read my piece from November, where I literally called out this exact scenario below:

ETF flows have one job too, stabilize. The table from Farside has been swinging from heavy outflows to brief inflows and back again, and that is what a fragile market looks like.

Macro has its own job, calm down. That means inflation expectations need to stop creeping higher, tariff headlines need to stop adding uncertainty, and the Fed needs room to breathe, because right now the market is trading like it is constantly bracing for the next upside inflation surprise.

Silver is the wild card, because silver has already shown you what happens when leverage meets a margin hike.

That is why this week feels like the moment margin calls went global.

Crypto traders have lived through forced selling for years, it usually starts inside the ecosystem, it usually ends inside the ecosystem.

This time the stress is showing up in the old world too, in metals, in rates anxiety, in trade disruption headlines, and in the dollar.

The story is still Bitcoin, yet the setting is broader, and it looks a lot less forgiving.

The post Markets plunge as Bitcoin and silver just triggered a global margin call after inflation warnings made a recovery look impossible appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Zcash price remains under heavy pressure as bearish momentum continues to build across the market. After losing nearly 35% since late January, Zcash (ZEC) is now slipping deeper inside a falling channel that has guided prices lower for months.

Weak volume, fading whale interest, and shrinking derivatives activity are all reinforcing the downside trend. With multiple indicators flashing warning signs, charts now suggest that Zcash may be entering another breakdown phase.

Falling Channel and OBV Breakdown Show Sustained Selling Pressure

Zcash has been trading inside a clear falling channel since November, marked by consistent lower highs and lower lows.

After peaking above $740, ZEC entered this declining range and has already experienced one major collapse of more than 56% inside the channel, also the breakdown target. Each rebound has become weaker, showing that buyers are unable to shift momentum.

The weakening structure is confirmed by On-Balance Volume (OBV) tracks buying and selling pressure by adding volume on up days and subtracting it on down days. Rising OBV suggests accumulation, while falling OBV signals distribution.

From early November through late January, Zcash’s OBV was forming an ascending trendline. This showed that some Zcash buyers were still trying to accumulate, even as the price traded inside a falling channel.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

That support finally failed on January 29. Since this breakdown, Zcash has already fallen nearly 36%. This validates the OBV signal and shows that the loss of volume support directly translated into lower prices.

On-chain behavior reinforces this trend. Over the past seven days, whale holdings have declined by around 36%, with large wallet counts falling toward the 8,000 range. This suggests that major holders are trimming exposure rather than accumulating.

At the same time, exchange balances have surged by nearly 160%. Rising exchange supply usually means more tokens are being prepared for sale, increasing immediate selling pressure.

Together, the falling channel, OBV breakdown, whale reduction, and exchange inflows point to sustained distribution. Retail participation is weakening, long-term holders are reducing exposure, and supply is moving toward selling venues. This combination explains why ZEC continues to struggle to hold support.

Derivatives Activity Weakens as Remaining Long Positions Add Risk

With spot participation fading, the next question is whether derivatives can push prices up, as they have during past short squeezes.

So far, the data suggests limited support.

Zcash open interest peaked near $1.13 billion in December. It has now dropped to around $395 million, a decline of nearly 65%. This shows that speculative interest has cooled sharply, with many traders closing positions and moving to the sidelines.

When open interest falls this much, it signals reduced conviction. There is less leverage in the system to drive strong rebounds, and fewer traders willing to defend key levels.

At the same time, funding rates have cooled since October but remain slightly positive. Positive funding means that long positions still dominate, even though overall participation is shrinking. In simple terms, fewer traders are active, but many of those who remain are still betting on higher prices.

This creates a fragile setup. If prices fall further, these remaining longs become vulnerable to liquidation. When liquidations occur in low-liquidity conditions, they can trigger rapid downside moves.

So even though derivatives no longer have enough “fuel” to drive a major rally, the presence of exposed long positions still amplifies breakdown risk. Instead of supporting price, leverage now increases the chance of accelerated selling.

Key Zcash Price Levels Show Why the $100 Zone Remains in Focus

The Zcash price remains trapped inside its falling channel, with the lower trendline continuing to guide the price lower. The first major support zone sits at $230.

A sustained daily close below $230 would expose the next support near $212, but not without triggering a trendline breakdown.

If $212 fails, the channel projection and Fibonacci extensions both point toward the $103 region. This zone represents the full downside move implied by the current structure.

On the upside, recovery remains difficult. ZEC must first reclaim $286 to regain short-term stability. A move above $389 is needed to improve the medium-term structure. A rally toward $557 would require a major revival in volume, whale accumulation, and derivatives participation, making it unlikely under current conditions.

As long as Zcash remains below $230 and fails to hold $212, downside risks dominate. Without renewed participation and capital inflows, the charts continue to favor a move toward the $100 zone.

The post Critical Zcash Price Warning — Here’s Why Charts Now Point Toward $100 appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Global markets sold off sharply this week, hitting cryptocurrencies, equities, and even traditional safe havens like gold and silver. The synchronized decline points to a broader liquidity shock rather than asset-specific weakness.

Bitcoin led losses in risk assets, while gold and silver posted their steepest weekly drops in months. The unusual correlation signals forced de-risking across portfolios, not a shift in investor preference.

A Liquidity Squeeze, Not a Rotation

Normally, stress in crypto pushes capital toward gold or cash. This time, investors sold everything that could be sold.

That pattern typically emerges when leverage unwinds. Traders facing margin calls liquidate liquid assets first, including Bitcoin, gold, and silver. The selling is mechanical, not ideological.

Fed Actions Failed to Calm Markets

At the center of the turmoil is confusion around US monetary conditions. The Federal Reserve halted quantitative tightening in December and began buying short-dated Treasury bills to stabilize bank reserves.

When the Fed halted QT, it stopped actively draining cash from the financial system. For banks, this means reserve levels are no longer shrinking. For households and businesses, it reduces the risk of sudden funding stress in the banking system.

By buying short-term government debt, the Fed ensures banks have enough cash to meet daily funding needs and keep money markets functioning smoothly.

These actions support the financial system’s plumbing, not market prices. They do not lower borrowing costs for consumers, reduce mortgage rates, or encourage risk-taking. 

Long-term interest rates remain elevated, and financial conditions remain restrictive.

As a result, markets interpreted the move as a sign of underlying stress rather than relief. 

Jobs Data Added Pressure Instead of Clarity

US labor data released this week deepened uncertainty. Job openings continued to fall. Hiring slowed. Layoffs rose. Consumer confidence dropped to its lowest level since 2014.

At the same time, unemployment remains relatively low and inflation has not cooled enough to justify rapid rate cuts. This left markets trapped between slowing growth and tight financial conditions.

Why Gold and Silver Fell with Crypto

Gold and silver declined despite rising uncertainty because investors needed cash. Both assets had rallied strongly earlier this year, making them easy sources of liquidity.

In addition, real yields remained elevated and the dollar strengthened during the sell-off. That combination removed short-term support for precious metals.

Cryptocurrencies fell more sharply because they sit at the bottom of the liquidity hierarchy. When leverage unwinds, crypto is sold first.

Bitcoin derivatives data showed long positioning had built up in recent weeks. As prices dropped, liquidations accelerated. ETF inflows slowed at the same time, reducing demand.

A Broader Market Reset is Underway

The last two weeks reflect a single theme: markets priced in easier conditions too early. Liquidity did not expand fast enough to support those bets.

As a result, risk assets corrected together. The move reset positioning across crypto, equities, and commodities.

What this Means Going Forward

This sell-off does not signal a failure of Bitcoin or gold as long-term hedges. It reflects a short-term liquidity stress phase that often appears before policy or macro clarity improves.

For now, markets remain fragile. Until liquidity expectations stabilize or economic data decisively weaken, volatility is likely to persist.

The post US Economy is Crashing Every Market, And It’s Not a Crypto Problem appeared first on BeInCrypto.

Bitcoin has finally swept the sell-side liquidity that had been building beneath the market, driving price into a deep demand zone where stronger buyers are expected to step in. With the downside move now largely complete, attention shifts to whether this level can spark a meaningful reaction or mark the start of a broader reset.

Why The 100-Week SMA Remains A Proven Bitcoin Accumulation Zone

Crypto analyst Brett emphasized that accumulating Bitcoin below the 100-week Simple Moving Average has repeatedly proven to be one of the most reliable long-term investment strategies. According to the expert, this zone has historically marked periods of maximum pessimism, where risk-to-reward strongly favors patient buyers rather than short-term traders.

Brett explained that his personal approach deliberately avoids trying to pinpoint the exact market bottom. Instead, he focuses on steady accumulation by placing buy orders across a wide range between $55,000 and $75,000, supported by daily recurring purchases.

For investors with a more conservative mindset, Brett pointed out that waiting for confirmation can be just as effective. Looking at past cycles, Brett noted that buying after Bitcoin moves back above the 100-week SMA has consistently delivered strong returns. He stressed that BTC has never fallen below the previous cycle’s 100-week SMA, reinforcing its importance as a structural support level. Those who followed this strategy in prior market cycles are now sitting on significant long-term profits.

Breakdown Confirmed As Key Lows Failed To Hold

According to the latest BTC Heatmap update by Columbus, the market has followed the exact trajectory previously mapped out. Columbus notes that the inability of the local lows to hold, combined with weak reactions on the tape, signaled that the liquidity stacked below would act as a magnet. Consequently, the continuation leg played out as an inevitable result of this structural weakness.

In his analysis of the current price action, Columbus highlights that Bitcoin is now trading directly within a cluster of heavier bids located around the low-$70,000 region. The analyst identifies this specific zone as the first area where a “real reaction” is likely to occur, as it represents a significant concentration of buy-side interest. For Columbus, the sweep into these deeper pockets was the necessary clearing event to reach this primary demand zone.

Columbus concludes that since the anticipated downside has fully played out, the focus now shifts entirely to the immediate response from buyers. With the liquidity targets hit and the price sitting on heavy support, Columbus is now closely watching for a definitive reaction to determine if this level will provide the foundation for the next leg of the trend.

XRP investors are closely monitoring market signals as the cryptocurrency navigates turbulent trading conditions and choppy price action. A recent analysis by market analyst Egrag Crypto identifies a critical exit candle, which could signal the next major step for XRP holders. As volatility increases and downside risks intensify, traders are debating whether to hold, sell, or buy more assets. 

Analyst Identifies XRP Investors’ Next Exit Candle

Egrag Crypto shared a cautious chart analysis for XRP on X this week, highlighting the importance of understanding upcoming price movements if the market is indeed in a bearish phase. He warned that if traders truly believed XRP could decline another 50-60%, then the pump after this price crash should be considered the traders’ next exit candle.

Although he highlighted an exit pump for investors, Egrag Crypto stated that he will not sell his XRP and intends to hold it even if prices fall below $1. He emphasized that, unless XRP breaks below the blue support channel in the chart, his strategy remains long-term, ignoring the market noise. 

The analyst further noted that XRP’s market structure could soon challenge bearish sentiment, potentially forcing many traders to exit in panic. He said that external factors, such as regulatory changes in the United States (US), could pose significant risks for investors. In particular, Egrag Crypto highlighted the possibility of US President Donald Trump appointing Kevin Warsh as new FED chair, replacing former chairman Jay Clayton. The crypto expert said that if this happens, things could get even worse in the market, potentially accelerating downside pressure. 

Despite the warnings of a bearish outlook for XRP, Egrag Crypto emphasized that many investors will follow their own strategies. He said that some will continue to hold XRP even if it goes back to $0.5, marking a more than 83% decline from its price high above $3 earlier last year. He also stated that other investors might see the decline as an opportunity to buy and accumulate more tokens, ahead of any future price surges. 

Market Discipline and Emotional Strategy Remain Critical

At the start of his post, Egrag Crypto stressed that his XRP chart analysis is meant to guide investors facing panic, confusion, or emotional overload due to recent market downturns and sudden price crashes. He compared being a crypto investor and trader to competitive sports like basketball or football, describing it as a game that requires skills, preparation, and patience to succeed. 

Since the market runs 24/7, Egrag Crypto asserts that managing both emotional and financial resources is essential. He advised traders to step away from the market when needed and avoid letting any asset dominate their emotional state. He also highlighted the importance of strategy and discipline when investing or trading.