Bitcoin has fallen below US$80,000 as cryptocurrency markets struggle to build momentum, with weak institutional flows and continued macroeconomic uncertainty keeping buyers cautious.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency was trading around US$79,954 at the latest check, down about 1.0% on the session after moving between US$79,821 and US$80,946.
Bitcoin has now slipped back below the psychologically important US$80,000 level after spending much of the past week attempting to stabilise above it.
The latest move leaves the cryptocurrency around 36% below its record high and reinforces the sense that the October recovery has lost momentum.
Institutional demand remains weak
One of the main headwinds continues to be softer institutional demand.
Bitcoin exchange-traded fund flows have weakened substantially compared with the strong buying seen earlier in the quarter, removing an important source of support for the market.
Trading volumes have also been relatively subdued, suggesting investors remain reluctant to commit aggressively while global interest-rate expectations remain uncertain.
Bitcoin has increasingly traded in line with broader risk sentiment, leaving it vulnerable when bond yields rise or the US dollar strengthens.
Ethereum and altcoins under pressure
The broader cryptocurrency market was also weaker.
Ethereum was trading around US$2,330, down roughly 1.3% over 24 hours and more than 13% over the past month.
XRP was around US$1.30, while Solana was near US$101.50.
Both remain well below their early-October levels, highlighting how much more sharply higher-risk altcoins have corrected compared with Bitcoin.
The latest weakness has also extended declines across Dogecoin, Chainlink and several other major tokens.
US$80,000 becomes key battleground
Bitcoin’s immediate focus is whether it can quickly reclaim US$80,000.
A sustained move back above that level could help stabilise sentiment and reopen a path towards US$82,000-US$83,000.
Failure to recover, however, could expose support in the upper-US$70,000 range and increase the risk of another leg lower.
For now, cryptocurrency markets remain caught between long-term institutional interest and a short-term environment dominated by weak flows, elevated borrowing costs and cautious risk appetite.
Read More: Bitcoin slips below US$80,000 as weak institutional flows weigh on crypto
