Crypto markets took a cold shower over the past 24 hours as leverage unwound fast and fear returned with force. Nearly $1 billion in liquidations, collapsing sentiment, and global macro stress pushed Bitcoin and Ethereum lower — yet beneath the surface, ETF flows and on-chain data whisper a different story. Is this panic… or preparation?
Crypto markets experienced a risk-off wave over the past 24 hours, with Bitcoin pulling back amid leverage unwinding and global equity weakness. Total liquidations hit around $1 billion, mostly longs, signaling overleveraged positions getting shaken out. Institutional ETF volumes remain high despite the dip, hinting at underlying strength.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has plunged to 34, signaling not just the market’s struggle to find direction but extreme investor pessimism ripe for a rebound.
Bitcoin & Ethereum Prices
Bitcoin traded between $88,408 and $90,250, closing around $89,751 after a roughly 1–3% decline from recent highs. The drop stems from $1.07B in liquidations, US-EU trade war fears, and Japanese bond market weakness pressuring risk assets. Ethereum led liquidations at $197M, falling toward $2,900 after breaking $3,170 support, down over 10% weekly due to regulatory fog in DC and seller dominance below $3,200.
Bitcoin On-Chain Metrics
Key Bitcoin metrics show mixed signals with exchange outflows reducing sell pressure but volume spiking on the dip.
24-Hour BTC Price Chart
The chart below captures Bitcoin’s 24-hour action, with VWAP as the volume-weighted average, support at $88,400 (24h low), and resistance at $90,600 (near high). Bitcoin 24-Hour Price Action with VWAP, Support & Resistance.
On the BTCUSD chart, price consolidation is evident near the local bottom. What to do when the market could suddenly break in either direction at any moment? A logical approach is the Double-stop strategy — placing a Buy Stop long order and a Sell Stop short order using Williams Fractals. You can implement this freely. Meanwhile, await clearer trend formation and/or a stronger bottom confirmation. Moreover, we already have a Buy long order set up. Fre the calm weekend…
Ethereum On-Chain Metrics
Ethereum on-chain activity shows staking recovery balancing inflows/outflows amid rising gas fees from DEX volume and network congestion.
ETHUSD mirrors the same setup: consolidating near local lows. Traders should either wait for a breakout or deploy a Double-stop strategy to manage risk.
DXY & Market Reasons
The US Dollar Index (DXY) fell 0.42% to 104.65, driven by stock rallies reducing liquidity demand and eased European tensions after President Trump canceled tariff threats on opposing nations. This dollar weakness typically supports crypto as a risk asset, but short-term liquidation cascades and trade war fears overshadowed it, causing the broader market pullback. Weaker DXY eases pressure on emerging markets, indirectly aiding crypto flows.
Top 5 Altcoin Performers
Despite the downturn, select altcoins bucked the trend with volume spikes on niche narratives like DeFi and memes.
Price Predictions
Current market sentiment leans cautious short-term but bullish medium-term, with BTC potentially stabilizing above $88k support before testing $91k. Ethereum eyes $2,948-$3,313 in late January, with upside to $3,600 if it reclaims $3,200, driven by staking and ETF flows. Overall, expect volatility but upside if DXY stays weak and liquidations ease.
High-Growth Crypto Projects
Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER): BTC Layer 2 for utility, $30M presale raised, mainnet launch catalyst.Solana (SOL): Fast L1 with ETF inflows, targets $50–100.Trust Wallet (TWT): Web3 wallet with staking/swaps, premium adoption growth.
Crypto Conclusion
Short-term sentiment remains shaky, but markets are often at their most brutal right before a turn. With the Fear & Greed Index down at 34, history tends to favor the contrarians. Volatility may still bite, but if the DXY stays weak and liquidation pressure fades, this “red weekend” could end up as tomorrow’s green screenshot. Stay patient, manage risk, and don’t confuse noise with trend.
Source: Coincentral.com, Tradingview.com, Coinranking.com, Coingecko.com, Coinmarketcap.com
Originally published at https://aipt.lt on January 23, 2026.
Crypto Shaken, Not Broken: What the Dip Really Means was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.