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    Qadir Ak is the founder of Coinpedia. He has over a decade of experience writing about technology and has been covering the blockchain and cryptocurrency space since 2010. He has also interviewed a few prominent experts within the cryptocurrency space.

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Why is Crypto Crashing? Ethereum Price Hits 4-Year Low Against BTC

Story Highlights
  • The crypto market experienced a sharp downturn, losing $115 billion in value, with Bitcoin and major altcoins crashing.

  • Ethereum's performance lagged behind Bitcoin, facing weak ETF inflows and hitting multi-year lows against BTC.

  • Despite short-term volatility and potential further drops, experts anticipate long-term growth in crypto adoption and potential recovery.

The crypto market took a sharp hit on Friday, wiping out most of the gains from earlier in the week. Bitcoin, which was trading close to $88,000, plunged to $83,800โ€”falling 3.8% in just 24 hours. Major altcoins like Avalanche (AVAX), Polygon (POL), Near (NEAR), and Uniswap (UNI) dropped nearly 10%. In total, the market lost about $115 billion in value, according to market data.

Ethereum also saw a steep decline, falling over 6% and reaching its weakest price against Bitcoin since May 2020. While Bitcoin ETFs have attracted over $1 billion in inflows in the past two weeks, Ethereum ETFs havenโ€™t seen any new investments since early March. This lack of demand is raising concerns about Ethereumโ€™s performance compared to Bitcoin.

Stock Market Decline Adds to Crypto Selloff

It wasnโ€™t just crypto that sufferedโ€”U.S. stock markets also took a hit after weak economic data was released. The S&P 500 dropped 2%, while the Nasdaq fell 2.8%. Crypto-related stocks faced even bigger losses, with Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, falling 10% and Coinbase (COIN) dropping 7.7%.

The latest inflation report showed a 2.5% year-over-year increase in prices, with core inflation at 2.8%, slightly higher than expected. Consumer spending rose only 0.4%, signaling slow economic growth. The Federal Reserveโ€™s GDPNow model now predicts the U.S. economy could shrink by 2.8% in Q1, raising fears of stagflation. On top of that, new U.S. tariffs set to take effect on April 2 have added to market uncertainty.

Bitcoinโ€™s Drop Was Expectedโ€”But Could It Fall Further?

Bitcoinโ€™s decline to $84,000 wasnโ€™t surprising, as traders anticipated a pullback due to the CME futures gap from earlier this week. Historically, Bitcoin tends to revisit these price gaps, making this correction likely. However, Bitcoinโ€™s price is closely tied to the Nasdaq, meaning if U.S. stocks continue to slide, crypto could see further losses.

Despite the downturn, analytics firm Santiment pointed out that Bitcoin still managed a small weekly gain, hovering around $84.3K. While global stock markets fell due to inflation and tariff concerns, Bitcoinโ€™s slight rebound after the market closed hints at a possible shift away from its past correlation with equities.

This is a contrast to 2022 when Bitcoin closely followed stock market trends.

Whatโ€™s Next for Bitcoin? Experts Weigh In

While short-term uncertainty remains, some experts see long-term positives. Joel Kruger, a strategist at LMAX Group, highlighted that crypto adoption is growing, with major financial institutions increasing their involvement. He believes that while Bitcoin may experience more dips, strong support around the $70,000โ€“$75,000 range could lead to a recovery later this year.

On the Downsideโ€ฆ

Crypto analyst Michaรซl van de Poppe warns that Bitcoin is losing momentum, with key liquidity levels below $84K at risk. If BTC breaks this support, further declines could follow. He suggests another week of drops might be on the way before a potential rebound in Q2.

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!

Stay ahead with breaking news, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the latest trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, and more.

History says Bitcoin loves a comeback, but for now, all eyes are on whether it can hold the line or if thereโ€™s more pain ahead.

FAQs

What crypto market is down today?

Weak U.S. economic data, rising inflation, and new tariffs triggered a broader selloff across both crypto and stock markets.

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