Bitcoin (BTC) slid by as much as 2.9% since midnight UTC, briefly breaking below $82,000, as investors reassessed AI-related spending following mixed earnings from Tesla Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. The selloff broadened across digital assets, with decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens underperforming and ethereum (ETH) retreating toward $2,400.
Risk sentiment deteriorated alongside Asia equity markets, where Chinese stocks fell into a bear market, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped by more than 3%, South Korea’s Kospi declined 3.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 2.7%. U.S. equity futures were also lower, with Nasdaq 100 contracts down 1.32% and S&P 500 futures off 0.66%.
Why did Bitcoin and DeFi fall today?
Renewed doubts about the pace and profitability of AI-related spending, after mixed quarterly updates from Tesla and Meta, pressured risk assets broadly, pulling bitcoin lower and hitting higher-beta crypto sectors hardest. DeFi tokens led losses as a sector gauge slid 5.6%, amplifying a market move that saw BTC briefly trade below $82,000.
Bitcoin’s decline of up to 2.9% marked its steepest pullback in two weeks, undoing part of recent gains. While spot bitcoin ETFs absorbed more than $1 billion in net inflows over the first three days of the week, that demand was not enough to offset risk-off flows sparked by equity weakness and AI-spending skepticism. The rotation was most acute in DeFi, where liquidity can thin quickly during macro-driven risk aversion.
Asset/Index | Notable figure | Session change |
|---|
Bitcoin (BTC) | Intraday low below $82,000 | -2.9% since midnight UTC |
Ethereum (ETH) | $2,490.55 (near $2,400) | -2.6% |
DeFi sector gauge | Sector benchmark | -5.6% |
Hang Seng Index | Hong Kong equities | >-3.0% |
Kospi | South Korea equities | -3.5% |
Nasdaq 100 futures | U.S. tech proxies | -1.32% |
How broad was the selloff across crypto and equities?
Losses were broad across both markets. A large-cap crypto gauge fell 3.2%, outpacing a 2.5% decline in a top-five token index, while ether dropped 2.6% and a DeFi benchmark sank 5.6%. In equities, the Hang Seng lost more than 3%, the Kospi fell 3.5%, and the Nikkei 225 slid 2.7%.
The cross-asset move reflected a swift de-risking across tech-sensitive exposures. Nasdaq 100 futures were lower by 1.32% and S&P 500 futures by 0.66%, signaling pressure ahead of the U.S. cash open. Within crypto, higher-beta segments like DeFi bore the brunt as traders trimmed leverage and rotated into cash, while bitcoin’s retreat to sub-$82,000 underscored fading momentum after a steady, ETF-supported run earlier in the week.
What should crypto investors watch next?
Focus turns to whether ETF demand can counter risk-off flows and stabilize bitcoin above recent support. Spot bitcoin ETFs took in more than $1 billion over the first three days of the week, offering a potential cushion if equity weakness persists and AI-spending skepticism lingers into U.S. trading hours.
Traders will also watch ether’s ability to hold near $2,400 after a 2.6% slide from $2,490.55, and whether DeFi underperformance abates after a 5.6% sector drop. On the macro side, further cues from U.S. mega-cap earnings and any shifts in AI investment guidance could recalibrate risk appetite across both equities and cryptocurrencies.
For now, the tape shows a classic macro-led pullback: crypto underperforms as equities wobble, with DeFi leading declines, bitcoin testing psychological levels near $82,000, and futures signaling a softer U.S. open.
