Bitcoin entered February 2026 about $45,000 below its cycle peak after a 10.1% January slide to roughly $78,700. Historical CryptoRank data show February delivered +13.4% average and +11.6% median returns, topping most months except April and October. Strategy's 712,647 BTC stack near $73,000-$76,000 is seen as a pivotal support zone for any rebound.

The crypto market has fallen to about $2.6 trillion in value after a sharp weekend sell-off, with Bitcoin losing support above $78,000 and traders eyeing $75,000 as the next key level. More than $2.58 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated in 24 hours, deepening losses across major altcoins including Ethereum, Solana, and BNB. Market sentiment has turned extremely fearful as indicators show many coins in oversold territory, while weak demand from large investors is failing to offset the forced selling.

Bitcoin stayed below $80,000 after a drop of more than 6%, and traders on X highlighted $74,400 and $49,180 as downside liquidity. Rekt Capital noted a 21–50 week EMA crossover last seen in April 2022, with BTC down 17% from $90,000 to $78,000, while a CME futures gap near $84,000 may pull price short term.

Bitcoin slid to roughly $78,000 after cascading liquidations stripped $1.3 billion from leveraged positions within 12 hours. Bull Theory said the turbulence was part of a $12 trillion cross-asset drawdown that also dragged metals and U.S. equities lower.

On February 1, 2026, Bitcoin dropped below $80,000 amid accelerating derivatives liquidations. According to market data, more than $500 million in long positions were wiped out within an hour and nearly $3.5 billion over three days, while reports indicate a well-known early holder lost over $120 million during yesterday’s sell-off.

In an email dated October 13, 2016, later released within the U.S. Department of Justice's 3 million-file document dump, Jeffrey Epstein claimed he had spoken with "some of the founders of Bitcoin" while pitching Saudi contacts on a dual Sharia-based currency system. The proposal combined a physical fiat "Sharia" currency with a digital version linked to the Bitcoin network, and additional emails from 2013 and 2014 placed Epstein inside early crypto debates involving major investors as well as tensions around Ripple and Stellar.

Bitcoin fell below the $76,000 long-term realized cost basis over the weekend, a level built over roughly 27 months of accumulation and seen as structurally important. The move, driven by ETF outflows, tighter liquidity and defensive derivatives positioning, pushed price to stabilize near $78,000 while traders now watch $80,000 as the first upside reclaim target.

Veteran trader Peter Brandt has outlined a medium-term downside objective for Bitcoin near $58,000 after the sharp rejection below $100,000 in January 2026. Using a long-term power law chart with a logarithmic growth channel, he argues that a return toward the channel's midline around $58,000–$60,000 would represent a reversion to fair value. Brandt's view comes after Bitcoin dropped from a high of $97,939 to a low of $75,555 in January, signaling strong selling pressure around the six-figure threshold.