New York, February 23, 2026, 16:35 EST — After-hours
- Bitcoin slipped roughly 4.4%, trading around $64,500 after sinking to its lowest point in over two weeks.
- Traders cited fresh questions over tariffs, along with a wider retreat from risk assets.
- Analysts pointed to $60,000 as the next major threshold. Crypto-related stocks also dropped.
Bitcoin slid Monday, breaking below $65,000 as renewed U.S. tariff jitters cooled risk appetite. By 4:35 p.m. EST, the cryptocurrency was changing hands at $64,546, down roughly 4.4%. Earlier in the session, it touched $63,955.
Markets pulled back more broadly. The S&P 500 slipped 1.02%, while the Nasdaq dropped 1.10%. Investors juggled renewed trade fears and uncertainty over what rapid advances in AI tech might mean for expenses and profit margins. (Reuters)
Trade policy took the spotlight. A 15% temporary import duty will kick in at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday, stepping in for the expired emergency tariffs, per the order. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it’s dropping the old duties at that moment. (Reuters)
Crypto traders now zero in on just a few key price points. “The crypto market continues to be fragile, with market participants counting on support at US$60,000,” said Caroline Mauron, co-founder of Orbit Markets, pointing to a zone where buyers historically step up. According to CoinGecko, about $100 billion in value vanished from the crypto market over the past 24 hours. Deribit options data — often a hedge play — showed a cluster of downside protection interest at $60,000. (The Business Times)
Ether, the No. 2 cryptocurrency, slid alongside bitcoin and was recently off roughly 4.2% at $1,862.
Crypto-exposed shares lost ground after hours. Strategy slipped 5.6%, Coinbase dropped 6.5%. Among miners, Marathon Digital fell 1.2%. Riot Platforms barely moved.
Strategy, one of the biggest corporate holders of bitcoin, picked up another 592 coins over Feb. 17 to Feb. 22, according to a filing, spending $39.8 million as prices fell. The latest buy brings its stash to 717,722 bitcoin. (SEC)
On-chain signals caught traders’ attention as well. Data from CryptoQuant indicated a pickup in bitcoin transfers from so-called “whale” wallets to exchanges—a setup that sometimes signals looming sales, according to Investing.com. (Investing)
The dollar slipped, with traders weighing tariff repercussions and escalating concerns over Iran. Fed Governor Christopher Waller signaled he’d consider keeping rates unchanged at the March meeting, provided the February jobs numbers reflect a stronger labor market—comments that curbed expectations for a rate cut. (Reuters)
But the tariff proposal isn’t likely to put markets at ease right away. Under Section 122, duties can run as high as 15% for up to 150 days, with any extension requiring sign-off from Congress. Analysts are already flagging potential legal fights that might drag on even after the tariffs are in place. (Reuters)
Traders barely get a breather before the next hurdle: tariffs flip at midnight in New York. Bitcoin’s $60,000 level could be in play if risk-off selling accelerates. After that, it’s Nvidia’s quarterly numbers and the conference call set for February 25, post-U.S. close—often a barometer for market mood. (Nvidia)
