Bitcoin Drops Below $85K Amid Panic Selling, ETF Outflows Soar
Bitcoin drops below $85,000 as extreme fear grips the market.

Bitcoin’s price plunged to as low as $83,330 late Wednesday, extending its downward trajectory as panic selling gripped the crypto market. The world’s largest cryptocurrency remains under pressure from macroeconomic factors, including ongoing tariff wars.
The Fear Greed Index plunged to 10, signaling extreme fear among traders—a level not seen since June 2022.
Bitcoin ETF Outflows Soar
The sharp decline follows a wave of institutional sell-offs, particularly in U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which saw record outflows of $1.136 billion on Tuesday and an additional $757 million on Wednesday. BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) saw a record outflow of 5,000 BTC on Feb. 26, surpassing the $332 million withdrawal recorded on Jan. 2.
The aggressive unwinding of basis trades—where investors profit from price gaps between spot and futures markets—has amplified the downturn, driving Bitcoin to its lowest level since November 2024. The short term predictions for Bitcoin are also not positive.
Ether followed suit, dropping over 5% to $2,300, while major altcoins like Solana (SOL), Binance Coin (BNB), and XRP also registered losses. The broader crypto market capitalization tumbled 5% in 24 hours, sinking to $2.88 trillion, according to Coingecko.
Bitcoin Sell-off Triggers Massive Liquidations
The downturn has triggered a cascade of liquidations, with over 185,186 leveraged traders wiped out in the last 24 hours. Total liquidations exceeded $768. million, with Bitcoin accounting for $461 million and Ether contributing $127 million, as per Coinglass data . The selloff has also impacted high-risk altcoins, with Solana, Lido, and Sonic suffering 5–6% losses.
Despite optimism earlier this year surrounding pro-crypto policies under the new U.S. administration, market sentiment has shifted amid weak macroeconomic data. Falling Bitcoin volatility alongside declining prices suggests that speculators are losing confidence in near-term gains.
Chief Analyst at Bitget Research, Ryan Lee noted:
The $3–5 billion in leveraged liquidations suggests market corrections may eliminate overleveraged positions, potentially creating a rebound opportunity if trade tensions de-escalate. For now, crypto remains tightly correlated with macroeconomic uncertainty, balancing bearish trade risks against structural bullish drivers like institutional adoption.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
XRP Forms Bearish Signal on Biweekly Chart - Analyst
Whale Activity Surges 450% for Floki Memecoin, Analysts Report
CryptoQuant CEO Compares Memcoins to Shamanic Practices

Australian Exchange Analyst Predicts Strong March for Bitcoin

Trending news
MoreCrypto prices
More








