Immy Dorse 
Well, that didn’t last long. Bitcoin, which was just celebrating a new peak, has stumbled back below $113,000. It’s the first time we’ve seen it at this level since the start of August. The drop feels like a sudden cold splash of water after last week’s euphoria.
It’s not just Bitcoin, either. The whole crypto market seems to be taking a breather, or maybe something more. Ethereum is down over 5%, and others like XRP and Solana aren’t faring much better. It appears investors are getting a bit skittish, pulling money out of what they see as risky bets.
A Mix of Macro Jitters and Profit-Taking
So what’s going on? According to Joe DiPasquale from BitBull Capital, it looks like a combination of things. There are broader economic worries—inflation, tariffs, all that stuff—and then there’s just plain old profit-taking after a huge run-up. When assets climb that fast, some people just want to cash out. And who can blame them?
It’s not happening in a vacuum, either. Traditional markets are also seeing red. The S&P and Nasdaq were down too. It seems like a general “risk-off” mood has settled in, where people move their money to safer places. Crypto, being volatile, often gets hit first and hardest when that sentiment shifts.
All Eyes on the Fed
A lot of attention is fixed on the Federal Reserve right now. There’s pressure from the administration to cut rates, but the bank has been holding firm. Inflation, while maybe not as bad as some feared, is still above the Fed’s own target. That makes it tricky.
This week is a big one for clues. The Fed is releasing minutes from its last meeting, and interestingly, there were two dissenting votes against holding rates steady. That hasn’t happened in decades. Then later in the week, we get jobs data and a key speech from Chair Jerome Powell. Everyone will be hanging on his every word, looking for any hint of a change in direction.
The Mechanics of a Sell-Off
Beyond the big economic picture, there are technical factors at play. Juan Leon from Bitwise pointed out that the slide might be fueled by “cascading liquidations.” Basically, when the price starts to fall, it can trigger automatic sell-offs from traders who use borrowed money, accelerating the decline. Data shows hundreds of millions in long positions have been closed recently.
So where does it go from here? It’s testing some important short-term support levels. If it holds, we might see a bounce. If it breaks, well, the mood could get a lot more cautious. For now, the market is just watching and waiting, like everyone else.