- Bitcoin fell 3.4% to $81,387, tracking a 2.6% drop in the Nasdaq Composite.
- U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $635 million in net outflows on Oct. 22, the largest since June.
- Crypto liquidations totaled $440.9 million over 24 hours, mostly long positions.
Bitcoin slid below $81,500 late Thursday as a tech-driven sell-off in U.S. equities spread to Asian markets, pressuring risk assets across the board. The world’s largest cryptocurrency traded at $81,387, down 3.4% over 24 hours, according to The Block.
The decline mirrored weakness in traditional markets. The Nasdaq Composite closed down 2.6% on Thursday, its worst session since June, while the S&P 500 fell 1.21%, The Block reported, citing broader concerns over AI spending and geopolitical tensions. Asian equities followed lower Friday morning, with South Korea’s Kospi down 2.3% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 off 1.6%.
Ethereum dropped 3.5% to $2,388, XRP slid 3.8%, and the broader crypto market fell about 3%. Crypto derivatives liquidations reached $440.9 million in the past 24 hours, with $397 million in long positions, per CoinGlass data referenced by The Block.
Institutional flows reversed sharply. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $635 million in net outflows on Oct. 22, the largest single-day withdrawal since June 25, according to SoSoValue data cited by Cointelegraph. The outflows wiped out Wednesday’s $528 million in inflows and pushed October’s net flows to negative $175 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led with about $254 million in redemptions, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at roughly $217 million.
The three-day inflow streak that had brought in about $1.08 billion earlier in the week ended abruptly as equities weakened. Bitcoin had briefly approached $84,800 on Wednesday before retreating.
Traders are watching the $80,000–$81,000 support zone closely. A sustained break lower could open further downside, while a rebound in tech stocks or stabilizing ETF flows might support a recovery toward prior resistance near $84,000–$85,000. Macro factors, including AI-related spending concerns and elevated oil prices, continue to influence risk appetite.
