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Bitcoin has recently traded below US$70,000, and some analysts now warn about a slide into the US$50,000s if macro risks intensify.
The token slipped as much as 3.2% to US$66,604 on Tuesday, which extended a 27% four-week decline and kept pressure on the market’s key resistance zone.
Investors also watched AI-related swings in stocks, which have fluctuated with broader risk appetite recently.
Executives and strategists tie the weakness to geopolitics, shifting rate expectations, and softer demand from US spot Bitcoin ETFs. Robin Singh, chief executive officer of crypto tax platform Koinly, said that another bout of uncertainty could push Bitcoin toward the US$50,000 range.
Traders have tracked escalating geopolitical tensions involving Iran and wider volatility in US equities. Bitcoin has traded more like a high-beta risk asset in recent months, so it often moves with technology shares when markets turn cautious.
Investors have also adjusted expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts after fresh inflation data. Those shifting assumptions have added uncertainty to risk markets, and they have reduced near-term buying appetite across crypto, according to market analysts.
US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a fourth straight week of net outflows, with about US$360 million leaving the products in the latest week. That trend has limited fresh demand as Bitcoin tries to reclaim US$70,000.
Noelle Acheson, author of the “Crypto is Macro Now” newsletter, said traditional institutions keep expanding digital-asset adoption, yet prices have not followed. She said the gap has pushed sentiment lower. CryptoQuant’s Fear and Greed Index stood at 12 out of 100 since last week, which placed it in “extreme fear” territory.
Quarterly filings also showed mixed positioning among endowments. Harvard Management Company trimmed its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF stake by roughly a fifth and opened exposure to the iShares Ethereum Trust. Another college endowment increased its crypto holdings.
Chart analysts have highlighted US$70,000 as the key resistance level for the Bitcoin price. Sellers have defended that level during several recent attempts, and traders now watch the mid-$60,000 zone for signs of renewed support.
Several analysts highlight US$60,000 as an important support area. Singh said sustained trading in the mid-US$60,000s could tip the market into a sharper move lower. Technical traders also monitor consolidation patterns that resemble a symmetrical triangle, where a decisive break below rising support can open room toward lower price targets.
Corporate holdings have remained part of the debate. Strategy disclosed that it bought 2,486 Bitcoin for about US$168.4 million at an average price of about US$67,710, bringing its total to 717,131 Bitcoin as of 16 February 2026. The purchase highlighted ongoing corporate demand, but it also showed how quickly treasury strategies feel pressure when prices fall.
Paul Howard, senior director at market maker Wincent, expects Bitcoin to remain range-bound as it awaits a catalyst. He said a US Supreme Court ruling on tariffs expected on Friday, Feb. 20, could influence markets more than routine Fed minutes or inflation releases.
