Crypto prices today are in the red as forced liquidations and weak demand pushed major tokens lower.
Summary
- Extreme fear dominated sentiment, with the Fear & Greed Index at 12.
- Analysts see $70,000 as the next key level for Bitcoin.
- Short-term recovery possible if BTC holds $72,000–$74,000 and spot inflows resume.
At press time, total crypto market capitalization was down 4.4% to $2.35 trillion. Bitcoin fell 5.5% in the past 24 hours to $73,103. Almost all top 100 altcoins were in the red.
Solana briefly slipped below $90, a level last seen in 2024, and was trading at $91, down 7.6%. Uniswap declined 3% to $3.78, while Pump.fun dropped 6% to $0.002271.
Alternative’s Fear and Greed Index fell two points to 12, remaining in the extreme fear range. The average relative strength index across the market was at 40, showing weak short-term momentum.
In addition, total open interest fell 4% to $106 billion, indicating continued deleveraging.
Liquidations put pressure on crypto prices
Much of the selling pressure came from forced liquidations in leveraged futures and perpetual contracts. Traders holding highly leveraged long positions faced margin calls, leading exchanges to automatically close those positions. This added to the selling and contributed to cascading losses.
According to CoinGlass data, long positions accounted for $520 million of the $650 million in total liquidations, which rose by 22% over the previous day. Since late January 2026, cumulative liquidations have now reached about $7 billion, contributing to a market capitalization drop of roughly $500 billion in the same period.
Open interest is now at multi-month lows in several markets, indicating that over-leveraged positions are being cleared.
Other pressures are coming from risk-averse behavior across financial markets. Crypto has moved alongside declines in technology stocks, mostly AI-related shares. Hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve, including expectations for higher interest rates for longer, have reduced liquidity and made speculative assets less attractive.
Institutional flows have weakened as well. Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have seen outflows in recent weeks, while a negative Coinbase premiums and selling by large holders has added steady pressure.
Short-term outlook and analyst views
The short-term outlook for crypto is cautious. Bitcoin has broken support in the $75,000–$78,000 range, and many analysts are watching $70,000 as the next test level. If the price falls below that, it could move toward $65,000–$68,000 if selling intensifies.
On the upside, a hold above $72,000–$74,000 could allow a relief rally toward $82,000–$88,000 by late February. Liquidity is thin, and market swings could be sharp if macroeconomic news or Fed updates influence sentiment.
Polymarket odds now show an 82% probability of Bitcoin falling below $70,000. Analysts at Citi noted that slowing spot ETF inflows and regulatory uncertainty could push Bitcoin toward that level. In a February 4 report, Citi highlighted that the average entry price for spot ETF investors is $81,600.
Compared with gold, which has gained amid geopolitical concerns, Bitcoin is more sensitive to liquidity and risk appetite. According to Citi, delays in the U.S. CLARITY crypto bill and shrinking liquidity from the Federal Reserve are also adding pressure.
As of now, traders are watching closely to see whether oversold conditions and historical February trends will create opportunities for short-term relief.
