Bitcoin staged a partial recovery on Tuesday but continued to trade beneath the $80,000 threshold after a violent sell-off over the weekend. By 01:42 ET (06:42 GMT) the largest cryptocurrency had risen 2.8% to $78,558.4.
The rebound followed a sharp drop in the prior 24 hours that pushed bitcoin as low as $74,635.5, its weakest level since early April. That decline was amplified by a wave of stop-loss triggers and margin calls that forced the rapid closure of leveraged positions.
Market-watchers said the weekend move underlined how extensive speculative positioning had become during last year’s rally. Data compiled by derivatives tracking firms showed that several billion dollars worth of crypto bets were eliminated over a short span, with long positions making up the majority of forced liquidations. Observers also pointed to thin liquidity conditions as a factor that allowed relatively modest market moves to produce outsized price swings.
Beyond technical forces and concentrated leverage, macroeconomic and policy uncertainty weighed on sentiment. Investors are recalibrating expectations after Kevin Warsh was nominated as the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Warsh is broadly perceived as favoring a more hawkish stance, prompting concern that interest rates could remain elevated for longer and that financial conditions may therefore be tighter for an extended period.
Adding to uncertainty, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the release of the January U.S. jobs report - originally scheduled for Friday - was delayed because of a partial government shutdown. Market participants said the postponement leaves another important data point off the calendar during an already volatile stretch for crypto assets.
Stablecoin yields remain unresolved after White House meeting
Talks hosted in Washington between industry executives, major U.S. banks, and government officials failed to bridge stark differences over whether stablecoin issuers should be permitted to offer yield-like returns. Media reports indicated the meeting produced little progress on the question of yield-bearing stablecoins.
Banking representatives argued that stablecoins offering yields could accelerate deposit outflows and pose risks to financial stability, while crypto firms maintained that such features are essential for growth and competitiveness. The lack of consensus highlights continuing obstacles to passing comprehensive crypto legislation.
Altcoins also gained ground on the session
- Ethereum advanced 4.6% to $2,325.92.
- XRP rose 2.1% to $1.61.
- Solana increased 3.5%.
- Cardano jumped 5%.
- Polygon surged more than 10%.
- Meme tokens Dogecoin and $TRUMP each climbed about 3.5%.
Overall, the market’s rebound was modest and came amid lingering questions over liquidity, leverage, and the direction of U.S. monetary policy. Traders and institutions watching both derivatives flows and regulatory developments said that volatility could remain elevated while these uncertainties persist.
For now, bitcoin’s move above intra-day lows offers a technical reprieve, but market participants noted that the asset remains under pressure until clarity on policy direction and on stablecoin regulation emerges.