Why Bitcoin Is Sliding Again as U.S. Markets Open
If you’ve been watching the crypto markets today, you probably noticed that bitcoin took another sharp step down, slipping below the $86,000 mark during U.S. trading hours. And honestly, this move didn’t come out of nowhere. What we’re seeing right now fits into a pattern that’s becoming harder to ignore.
Bitcoin had been trading relatively calmly overnight, hovering just under $90,000 while Asian and European markets were active. But once the U.S. trading session kicked in, the mood clearly shifted. Selling pressure picked up, and by early afternoon on the East Coast, bitcoin had fallen to around $85,600. That puts it down more than 3% in just 24 hours, and it dragged the rest of the crypto market down with it. Ether dropped below $3,000, and most major altcoins followed the same downward path.
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What’s interesting here is how consistent this behavior has become. Bitcoin has repeatedly shown weaker performance during U.S. market hours compared to the rest of the day. Some analysts believe this points to softer demand from American investors, while others think the mechanics of spot bitcoin ETFs are playing a big role. In fact, data shows that if someone had only held certain bitcoin ETFs overnight, returns would be massively positive. But during regular U.S. trading hours, those same positions would actually be deep in the red. That contrast says a lot about when selling pressure is really showing up.
The weakness hasn’t been limited to crypto prices alone. Crypto-related stocks were hit even harder. Companies like Strategy and Circle dropped around 7%, Coinbase fell more than 5%, and several crypto mining firms plunged over 10% in a single session. This happened even as the Nasdaq and S&P 500 saw only modest declines, which makes it clear that this move is very much crypto-specific.
There’s also a broader macro backdrop adding to the caution. Key U.S. employment data is expected this week, and it could influence whether the Federal Reserve continues cutting interest rates into early 2026. At the same time, central banks in Japan, the UK, and Europe are meeting, keeping global monetary policy firmly in focus. With so many unknowns, risk appetite has clearly cooled.
Despite the drop, bitcoin hasn’t completely broken down. It’s still trading within a familiar range, staying above the late-November lows near $80,000. Strong buy orders have been clustered around the $85,000 level, which could provide short-term support. For now, this looks less like panic selling and more like year-end position cleanup, as investors lock in profits and reduce risk before closing out the year.
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