New York, February 24, 2026, 12:51 EST — Regular session.
- Bitcoin eased about 0.7% in the last 24 hours, trading near $64,200.
- Crypto fund outflows and fresh tariff uncertainty kept risk appetite thin.
- Traders are watching U.S. inflation data in March and key support near $60,000.
Bitcoin prices edged lower on Tuesday, with the token hovering around $64,200 after another choppy stretch that left buyers cautious. (CoinMarketCap)
The drift matters now because crypto has been trading like a high-beta risk asset again, leaning on the same forces moving equities — rates, the dollar and headline risk. When that mix turns sour, liquidity can vanish fast.
Tariff headlines did not help. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariff took effect on Tuesday, keeping markets on alert for follow-through and retaliation. (The Guardian)
Money has also been leaving the space. Digital-asset investment products saw $288 million of outflows last week, the fifth straight weekly withdrawal, CoinShares said, with bitcoin accounting for $215 million. Trading volumes in crypto ETPs fell to $17 billion, the lowest since July 2025, the report showed. (CoinShares)
In the U.S. spot bitcoin ETF market — exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin directly — a separate tracker showed about $199 million of net outflows on Feb. 23, led by roughly $117 million from BlackRock’s IBIT. (Bitbo)
Forced selling has been part of the story. CoinGlass data showed about $508 million of positions were liquidated in the last 24 hours — liquidations are forced closures of leveraged bets — Economic Times reported. “Bitcoin continues to consolidate around $64,000 after failing to reclaim the $65,000 mark,” Akshat Siddhant, lead quant analyst at Mudrex, said in comments carried by the publication. (The Economic Times)
“Crypto markets remain under pressure into Tuesday, with Bitcoin extending its pullback toward the February low,” said Joel Kruger, crypto strategist at LMAX, pointing to “macro-driven risk aversion” alongside higher yields, a firm dollar and geopolitical uncertainty. (Finance Magnates)
Corporate buying has not stopped, even with prices under strain. Strategy Inc said in a U.S. SEC filing it bought 592 bitcoins between Feb. 17 and Feb. 22 for $39.8 million, lifting total holdings to 717,722 bitcoins. (SEC)
The selloff has spilled into crypto-linked stocks as well. Strategy and Robinhood slid about 5% to 6% in Monday’s U.S. session as bitcoin weakened, Barron’s reported. (Barron’s)
Elsewhere in tokens, ether held near $1,850 and was little changed on the day, suggesting the market’s pressure was more about broad positioning than any single crypto-specific headline. (CoinGecko)
Bitcoin is still a long way from its last peak. It hit an all-time high above $125,000 in October 2025, before the market rolled over. (Reuters)
But the risk for bulls is simple: no bounce, then another leg down. An Investing.com analysis published Tuesday said the crypto market was retesting early-February lows, warning that failure to rebound could “open the potential for a further 25% decline” into older consolidation ranges. (Investing)
Traders now pivot to U.S. inflation data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ schedule shows the next CPI report — for February — is due on March 11 at 8:30 a.m. ET. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Two days later comes the personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) — the inflation gauge the Federal Reserve tracks closely — with the BEA listing March 13 as the next release date. (Bureau of Economic Analysis)
Then there is the Fed itself. The central bank’s next policy meeting runs March 17-18, a date many crypto traders have circled as the next major test for risk appetite. (Federalreserve)
