Crypto Pullback: Bitcoin Slides Under $114K as Whale Triggers $310M Flash Crash

The global cryptocurrency market cap slipped to $3.95 trillion, a decline of 0.89 percent in the past 24 hours. Investor sentiment has cooled back to neutral, with the Fear & Greed Index at 50. The CMC100 index also reflected the weakness, dropping 1.18 percent to $244.57. While the long-term outlook for digital assets remains bullish, the latest pullback is a reminder that sudden whale activity can reset trends in a matter of hours.

Bitcoin Leads the Decline

Bitcoin dropped back below $114,000, erasing gains made after the Federal Reserve’s dovish rate outlook. Analysts point to a dramatic on-chain event as the cause: a whale dumped over 24,000 BTC, worth nearly $310 million, in one transaction. The wallets linked to this whale still hold over 152,000 BTC, with the funds traced back to deposits on HTX six years ago.

The move sparked liquidations across major exchanges, especially among leveraged traders. Bitcoin “reversed all of Friday’s gains” and emphasized that consolidation throughout August and September should be expected. While corrections are normal, Bitcoin is taking the heaviest hit compared to other large-cap cryptocurrencies.

Ethereum and Altcoins Hold Relatively Strong

Ethereum has shown more resilience, holding above $4,700 despite a mild 0.83 percent dip in the past day. Over the week, ETH is still up more than 10 percent, supported by staking inflows and growing institutional demand.

XRP traded at $3.04, slipping by 0.31 percent, while BNB hovered around $877.86, almost unchanged. BNB’s stability comes in the wake of a major announcement: China Renaissance has invested $100 million into BNB, becoming the first Hong Kong–listed company to hold the token. 

Solana, which has been one of the strongest performers in recent weeks, fell to $210.47, down 0.93 percent on the day but still holding a 15 percent weekly gain. Dogecoin slid to $0.2322, losing 1.54 percent, as meme coins followed the broader correction.