Bitcoin falls to $78.000 amid global tensions: Is it time to worry or buy?

Bitcoin's price fell to $78.000 following geopolitical tensions and the temporary US shutdown, triggering $2.500 billion in market liquidations.

The digital asset ecosystem is facing one of its most severe tests of resilience at the start of 2026. After reaching an all-time high of $126.000 last October, Bitcoin has fallen 35% until it reached the $78.000 mark. This adjustment in its price not only represents a drop in value, but has also caused a seismic shift in the derivatives markets with the elimination of $2.500 billion in leveraged positions. 

According to Coinglass platform records, January 30th has become the tenth largest liquidation event in the history of cryptocurrencies, affecting more than 300.000 traders, who saw their guarantees evaporate in a matter of hours. 

This correction in the price of Bitcoin, far from being an isolated phenomenon in the blockchain market, is due to a complex network of macroeconomic and geopolitical factors that have pushed investors towards extreme caution and the search for immediate liquidity.

Geopolitical tensions impact the crypto market

Over the weekend, the cryptocurrency market went through a new wave of instabilityTensions between the United States and Iran escalated after the deployment of a US warship to the Middle East, a move that sparked alarm among investors. 

Although the Trump administration expressed its willingness to maintain a dialogue with Tehran to avoid a direct confrontation, financial traders interpreted the military action as a sign of increasing risk. In times like these, geopolitics often serves as a reminder that volatility isn't solely driven by charts. When international uncertainty rises, capital seeks refuge in more traditional assets, and higher-risk markets, such as cryptocurrencies, quickly come under pressure.

Adding to this uncertainty was the signing of an executive order imposing tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba. According to international trade analysts, this measure reinforces a protectionist trend that directly impacts global growth expectations. 

The situation became even more complicated with a new partial shutdown of the federal governmentThis is a consequence of the political deadlock surrounding the budget. For Bitcoin, which in recent years has become increasingly correlated with traditional financial markets, these political decisions act as a drag.

The combination of a potential crisis in the Persian Gulf with new trade barriers created a favorable scenario for investors to reduce their exposure, triggering selling pressure that current buy orders could not contain at higher price levels.

Bitcoin suffers a leverage purge

The Bitcoin crash also mirrored the poor performance of tech giants on Wall Street. Microsoft shares suffered a 10% drop Last Thursday, it recorded its worst daily performance since the start of the pandemic in 2020. According to the company's earnings report, despite solid revenue, increased capital expenditures and a slowdown in the cloud services division raised doubts about the sustainability of the tech rally. 

Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at BTSE, argues that the correlation between the crypto sector and growth stocks is undeniable today. When institutional investors rebalance their portfolios in response to disappointing Nasdaq results, digital assets are often the first to be sold off to cover margins or secure profits.

Likewise, the pullback of more than $2.500 billion showed the extent to which the market was overexposed to optimismAlmost all of the liquidations, 93%, came from long positions that relied on leverage to multiply profits. As we have reported, this type of strategy can become a trap for many traders because, upon reaching technical risk levels, the platforms' automated systems triggered massive sell-offs to protect borrowed capital, exacerbating the price drop in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 

Bitcoin facing the storm: technical signals amid volatility

Despite the magnitude of the current price drop, the sentiment among the most experienced analysts is not one of panic, but rather of technical observationFor many specialists, Bitcoin is going through a process of capitulation by so-called "weak hands" and overleveraged traders. 

According to market technical reports, the $78.000 level is an area where there has historically been strong institutional demand. If the price manages to consolidate above this point, it could lay the groundwork for a more robust and less credit-dependent recovery. However, the persistent geopolitical instability This suggests that volatility will continue, and some specialists do not rule out declines that could bring Bitcoin closer to $60.000 per unit.

Even so, the health of the blockchain network remains intact, with a hash rate that continues to demonstrate the strength of the mining infrastructure. Therefore, analysts maintain that Bitcoin's fundamentals as a programmed scarcity asset have not changed, although its current price is being dictated by global liquidity and US domestic politics. In this sense, the market is at a crossroads where the question is not only whether the price is low, but also whether the external context will allow for an influx of new capital in the short term. 

Investors are now closely watching upcoming inflation reports and statements from the Federal Reserve to determine if the 2025 bull market still has room to maneuver in this turbulent 2026.