1 month ago
Bitcoin (BTC) heads into the extremity of February connected caller section lows arsenic $50,000 BTC terms targets enactment successful place.
Bitcoin sellers heap successful astatine the play close, with statement seeing rebounds yet failing.
Geopolitics and ostentation woes heap up for planetary assets, with tariffs spoiling the mood.
Bitcoin whales predominate speech inflows, starring to expectations of a $60,000 rematch.
BTC terms behaviour continues to transcript the 2022 carnivore market, arsenic viewed done onchain data.
Crypto marketplace sentiment matches historical lows arsenic the Crypto Fear & Greed Index hits conscionable 5/100.
Bitcoin slumps beneath $65,000 connected play close
Bitcoin saw instant sell-side unit astatine Sunday’s play close, driving terms beneath $65,000 earlier a humble recovery.
Data from TradingView puts the latest section debased astatine $64,258 connected Bitstamp, with BTC/USD inactive down astir 3% astatine the clip of writing.
BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
Commenting, X trading relationship Castillo Trading was hopeful that those lows would signifier a suitable agelong entry. Bitcoin, it noted successful a post connected Monday, had revisited its bare point-of-control (nPOC) terms — a caller high-volume country that had not antecedently been retested.
The nPOC astatine $64,979 formed 1 of respective cardinal terms points, with an accompanying illustration eyeing a rebound arsenic precocious arsenic $78,200.
BTC/USDT perpetual inverse swap four-hour chart. Source: Castillo Trading/X
Continuing, chap trader BitBull flagged $76,000 arsenic a imaginable upside people earlier different BTC terms dip.
$BTC is doing precisely the aforesaid happening which it did successful Q4 2025.
This means, a pump towards $75K-$76K volition hap earlier the adjacent dump. pic.twitter.com/Ti1ieoHgb0
Still afloat bearish, meanwhile, trader Roman maintained expectations of new macro lows, presently centered connected $50,000.
“Volume expanding portion terms is going down is the explanation of beardown bearish terms action,” helium told X followers connected Monday.
“We should expect inclination to proceed lower, particularly to 50-52k area. Likely get a bounce determination but yet I’m expecting little aft that.”
Crypto liquidations (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass
The latest information from monitoring assets CoinGlass confirmed cross-crypto liquidations staying elevated, continuing a pattern from caller weeks. These totaled astir $500 cardinal successful the 24 hours to the clip of writing.
Markets “on edge” from tariffs, geopolitics
A operation of geopolitics and ostentation worries is acceptable to make uncertain conditions for crypto and hazard assets this week.
Tensions implicit Iran supply the backdrop arsenic markets respond to new planetary commercialized tariffs by US President Donald Trump.
After the Supreme Court ruled immoderate tariff measures amerciable past week, Trump vowed to combat back, with US stocks futures opening the week down connected quality of a 15% replacement.
“We person a engaged week ahead,” trading assets The Kobeissi Letter told X followers, describing markets arsenic “on edge.”
Bitcoin itself saw akin pressure, remaining truthful into Monday’s Wall Street unfastened and starring to warnings of further lows.
“It’s imaginable that implicit the adjacent 2 weekends, the US-Iran struggle escalates, arsenic a caller mode to divert attraction from the Supreme Court ruling that declared the erstwhile tariffs illegal. Bearish uncertainty,” trader CrypNuevo wrote successful an X thread connected BTC terms action.
CrypNuevo argued that BTC/USD should effort to “fill” its regular candle wick to sub-$60,000 from aboriginal February.
“I deliberation terms could scope $61k wrong 2-3 weeks (-10%),” the trader said.
BTC/USDT one-week chart. Source: CrypNuevo/X
Later this week, meanwhile, the January people of the Producer Price Index (PPI) is due, with the erstwhile 2 months’ releases some coming successful higher than expected.
As Cointelegraph reported, past week’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) effect likewise showed ostentation heating up.
“A cardinal study connected user ostentation showed the Fed’s preferred gauge remaining good supra people and accelerating the astir since past February,” trading assets Mosaic Asset Company commented successful the latest variation of its regular newsletter, “The Market Mosaic.”
“The rally successful commodity indexes threatens further upside unit connected inflation.”Whale inflows hazard “significant selling” next
Bitcoin whales are inactive keen to merchantability astatine existent levels, caller investigation covering speech flows warns.
In a “Quicktake” blog station for onchain analytics level CryptoQuant, contributor GugaOnChain revealed that whales proceed to nonstop ample tranches of BTC to exchanges.
Inflows successful peculiar are dominated by whales, with CryptoQuant’s Exchange Whale Ratio metric hitting 70%.
“Historically, levels supra 70% person preceded important selling movements, arsenic whales usage exchanges to recognize profits,” GugaOnChain wrote.
“At the aforesaid time, an atypical question is observed: aged coins are returning to platforms successful ample volume, portion short-term holders proceed to recognize losses, creating a hybrid proviso script that tends to propulsion Bitcoin's terms toward little levels.”
Bitcoin Exchange Whale Ratio information (screenshot). Source: CryptoQuant
The effect is “strategic tension” — consenting sellers and expanding BTC proviso availability, with fewer buyers stepping successful to sorb it.
GugaOnChain frankincense predicts an “imminent flush toward BTC's contiguous enactment successful the $60K region.”
“With proviso connected the rise, caution is warranted,” helium concluded.
2022 Bear marketplace roadworthy representation inactive successful play
As 2022 bear-market comparisons multiply, a cardinal BTC terms metric is sounding the alarm.
CryptoQuant coverage of Anchored Volume-Weighted Average Price (AVWAP) present warns of “bearish confluence” betwixt terms and onchain data.
During Bitcoin’s aboriginal February drop, it closed beneath its AVWAP — the terms constituent with the largest mean measurement arsenic measured from its latest artifact subsidy halving successful 2024.
“The past clip a akin bearish confluence was observed aft an ATH was successful May 2022,” contributor Facundo Fama noted.
An accompanying illustration showed 1 of CryptoQuant’s proprietary indicators, measuring maturation successful Bitcoin’s marketplace headdress versus its realized cap. It is presently heavy successful “bear market” territory.
Bitcoin maturation complaint difference. Source: CryptoQuant
Earlier, Cointelegraph reported connected assorted realized terms levels present connected the radar arsenic BTC/USD attempts to find its adjacent semipermanent floor.
Crypto sentiment matches grounds lows
Bitcoin terms enactment whitethorn not yet beryllium astatine its 15-month lows from the commencement of the month, but the feeling of doom and gloom is arsenic beardown arsenic ever.
Related: Bitcoin humanities terms metric sees $122K ‘average return’ implicit 10 months
This is reflected successful the latest readings from the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, a classical marketplace sentiment gauge that continues to diverge from its TradFi equivalent.
Fear & Greed fell to conscionable 5/100 connected Monday, representing “extreme fear” and matching its lowest levels connected record.
🚨 NOW: Crypto Fear and Greed Index has fallen backmost to 5, remaining heavy successful Extreme Fear territory. pic.twitter.com/5PmNwgbRMd
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 23, 2026“People person fixed up,” autarkic expert Cryptoinsightuk reacted connected X.
“I had ne'er seen a 5 connected Fear and greed scale earlier this past month. Now I’ve seen multiple.”
Crypto Fear & Greed Index (screenshot). Source: Alternative.me
Pseudonymous trader and capitalist BitcoinHyper added that crypto has present spent longer successful the “extreme fear” portion than astatine immoderate constituent since the 2022 carnivore market.
Crypto Fear & Greed Index has been successful utmost fearfulness for astir 3 weeks
It hasn’t stayed this debased for this agelong since 2022 pic.twitter.com/JjRI8UEkZs
The modular Fear & Greed Index, which covers stocks, presently sits conscionable wrong “fear” territory astatine 43/100. When sentiment archetypal deed 5/100, regular Fear & Greed bottomed retired astatine 33/100 earlier rebounding.
This nonfiction does not incorporate concern proposal oregon recommendations. Every concern and trading determination involves risk, and readers should behaviour their ain probe erstwhile making a decision. While we strive to supply close and timely information, Cointelegraph does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, oregon reliability of immoderate accusation successful this article. This nonfiction whitethorn incorporate forward-looking statements that are taxable to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph volition not beryllium liable for immoderate nonaccomplishment oregon harm arising from your reliance connected this information.
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