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Bitcoin Drops Below $100K as Trump Iran Warning Triggers $636M Liquidations Ahead of FOMC

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Crypto Markets Tremble as Trump Warns Iran Amid FOMC Suspense

Crypto started the day with two familiar enemies. Geopolitics. Additionally, the Federal Reserve. However, this time they hit together. President Trump’s warning to Iran landed. As traders watched something. A growing US naval presence. In the region. Therefore, risk appetite thinned fast. And liquidity went missing. In the usual places.

Bitcoin slipped under $100,000. Printing $99,822. After holding above the line earlier. Meanwhile, Ethereum fell about 4%. To $2,201. Solana dropped over 5%. To $121. And XRP slid 3.1%. To $1.80. The tape felt heavy. Even before the macro event risk arrived. Consequently, leveraged traders paid first. And loudly.

Mass Liquidations Strike

Across major venues, roughly $636M of futures liquidations hit the market. Wiping out about 166,000 positions. Most of the damage clustered. In BTC. Additionally, ETH. Furthermore, SOL. Moreover, XRP.

That pattern matters. When the big four get forced out at once? Smaller tokens rarely find a bid. Even if their own news looks “good.”

Middle East Risk Returns to the Front Page

Traders reacted to Trump’s messaging. Around Iranian sites. Including Fordow. Additionally, Natanz. Furthermore, Isfahan. Although crypto sells itself as borderless? It still trades like something. A high beta proxy. For financial stress. Therefore, when headlines hint at escalation? Participants grab dollars. Shorten duration. Additionally, cut leverage.

Market Behavior Patterns

Gold moved higher. As the day wore on. Meanwhile, equity indices kept their calm. Which only underlined something. Crypto’s awkward spot. In the risk ladder. In practice, digital assets still struggle. To behave like a “hedge.” When real world conflict risk rises.

Markets now fixate on Trump’s scheduled 19:00 UTC address. If he signals de-escalation? Shorts may cover. Into thin order books. However, a harder line could trigger something. A second wave. Especially if running stops sit just below. The round numbers.

FOMC Day Adds a Second Fuse

At the same time, the Federal Open Market Committee decision hangs over everything. Traders expect the usual choreography. First comes the statement. Then comes the press conference. Finally, the market decides something. Which adjectives matter.

Jerome Powell’s remarks later will shape something. The near-term path. For liquidity. Additionally, real yields. Consequently, crypto will trade every nuance. About inflation persistence. Additionally, labor market cooling. Furthermore, balance sheet stance. Even if rates stay unchanged? Guidance can still hit like something. A rate move.

Competing Perspectives

Some macro-focused voices argue something. Bitcoin benefits when central banks lean dovish. Others point to tighter financial conditions. Additionally, fading savings buffers. Either way, this is not a day. For casual leverage. Therefore, spot tends to outperform perpetuals. When uncertainty rises.

XRP Headlines and the Temptation of Side Quests

While the majors slid, XRP kept drawing attention. On policy chatter. Additionally, long-range forecasts. However, the market also saw familiar noise. Yield promises. Additionally, “daily return” pitches. Furthermore, breathless claims. About easy payouts. Those offers typically flourish. When volatility spikes. And traders feel bruised.

Meanwhile, several token-specific stories floated around. From exchange flows to new listings. Yet in a tape driven by geopolitics? And the Fed? Idiosyncratic catalysts often struggle. To matter. Therefore, traders should separate something. Genuine liquidity events. From pure narrative heat.

Institutions Keep Building, Even as Prices Wobble

Corporate activity continued. Additionally, regulatory activity. In the background. Payments firms kept pushing. Additionally, exchanges. Further into Europe. As MiCA compliance becomes something. A selling point. Meanwhile, lawmakers in several jurisdictions keep drafting digital asset rules. Which tends to be slow. Additionally, messy. And ultimately market shaping.

Tether’s disclosure around gold holdings also fed something. The ongoing debate. About what “backing” means. In practice. However, stablecoin headlines can cut both ways. Transparency helps confidence. Yet it also invites scrutiny. At exactly the wrong moment.

By the Numbers

BTC: $99,822 after losing $100,000 support.

ETH: About $2,201. Down roughly 4%.

SOL: About $121. Down over 5%.

XRP: About $1.80. Down 3.1%.

Liquidations: About $636M across roughly 166,000 positions.

Key Takeaways

Watch $100,000 in BTC as a sentiment switch. Not a valuation truth.

Prefer spot or defined risk options. Into Powell. Rather than open-ended perps.

Headline risk may dominate until Trump’s 19:00 UTC address clears.

Forced liquidations often mean something. A second leg. If funding turns extreme.

Ignore “guaranteed yield” pitches today. And focus on liquidity. Additionally, spreads.


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