The crypto market took investors on a wild ride this past 24 hours, as a cascade of forced liquidations triggered a sudden 5% drop in total market capitalization. With more than $600 million wiped out and Bitcoin slipping below $87K, all eyes now turn nervously toward the Federal Reserve’s December 10 meeting-a potential game-changer for the entire crypto landscape. But calm traders know this dip is part of the game; here’s why patience might just be your best strategy.
Key Market Developments
The crypto market experienced a broad decline due to thin liquidity and heavy leverage, causing more than $600 million in liquidations. This sharp pullback dropped the total crypto m arket capitalization by about 5% to around $2.90 trillion.
The market is currently cautious ahead of the crucial Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for December 10, which is expected to strongly influence market sentiment and direction. No major news event triggered this immediate drop; instead, forced liquidations on derivatives platforms caused cascading selling pressure.
Despite a sharp decline, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index held steady at 20, showing that fear still reigns over the market.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Price Movements
Bitcoin slipped about 4.2% to approximately $86,200 during this period, l osing around $4,000 within minutes mainly due to leveraged selling amid thin liquidity. Ethereum dropped roughly 6% to near $2,833, reflecting similar selling pressures.
The decline was exacerbated by forced liquidations and a calm but cautious macro environment, with investors awaiting clarity on the Fed’s policy tone. November ended with significant losses for both BTC and ETH, with institutional outflows from related ETFs intensifying downward pressure.
Key On-Chain Bitcoin Metrics (Last 24 Hours)
From a purely psychological perspective, a sudden price drop when holding a long position is a very unpleasant experience. However, we do not trade based on fear or expectations here. Hopefully, you do too, dear reader, and have a clear, specific strategy in place — we trade Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) while leaving all emotions outside the trading platform. For now, we are taking no action with the position and are calmly waiting.
Key On-Chain Ethereum Metrics (Last 24 Hours)
We are also holding our position in ETHUSD without taking any action and patiently waiting.
Dollar Index (DXY) and Reasons
The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) remained near a three-month high, supported by anticipation of Federal Reserve’s likely continued hawkish stance. This strengthened dollar exerts downward pressure on cryptocurrencies as risk assets face headwinds amid tighter monetary policy expectations. The dollar’s strength is critical in crypto price dynamics, particularly amidst macroeconomic uncertainty.
Top 5 Altcoin Performers (24h Volume Change and Comments)
Market and Price Predictions
Expert sentiment suggests that the outcome of the Fed’s December 10 meeting will be decisive. A dovish Fed could lift BTC towards $100,000-$105,000, while a hawkish stance might push prices further down toward $80,000. Ethereum’s price is expected to remain volatile, possibly testing lows around $2,800, before stabilizing as network upgrades and DeFi growth continue.
Promising Crypto Projects with High Growth Potential
Bitcoin: Continued dominance as a digital gold store of value.Ethereum: Key Layer 1 blockchain with expanding DeFi and smart contract adoption.Polygon (MATIC): Layer 2 scaling solution with growing user base.Chainlink (LINK): Leading decentralized oracle network, vital for DeFi and smart contracts.Avalanche (AVAX): High throughput blockchain supporting decentralized applications and enterprise use cases.
Conclusion
In a world where crypto prices can dance like nobody’s watching, remember: panic-selling won’t win you any trophies. Hold tight, stay savvy, and maybe keep a coffee ready for that Fed meeting-it’s shaping up to be more dramatic than your favorite Netflix thriller.
Source: Coincentral.com, Tradingview.com, Coinranking.com, Coingecko.com, Coinmarketcap.com
Originally published at https://aipt.lt on December 1, 2025.
Bitcoin & Ethereum Plunge: How Will Your Portfolio Survive? was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.