Bitcoin Breaks $70K Floor as Asian Markets Lead Selloff

$69,101. That's where Bitcoin landed on Bitstamp during Thursday's Asian trading session, breaking through what many considered the psychological floor of $70,000.

While other exchanges like Coinbase managed to hold just above the threshold at $70,002, the discount on Robinhood-owned Bitstamp tells a story of concentrated selling pressure hitting specific platforms harder than others.

The Numbers Behind the Nosedive

Bitcoin's journey from its October peak above $126,000 to today's sub-$70,000 levels represents more than just a typical crypto correction. The global average price tracked by CoinDesk shows a sustained downtrend that has wiped out nearly 45% of Bitcoin's value from its recent highs.

The selling pressure wasn't uniform across exchanges. Bitstamp's steeper discount suggests either concentrated institutional selling or regional factors affecting European and Asian trading hours more severely. This exchange-specific weakness often signals underlying liquidity stress or large block trades hitting the order books.

Asian Markets Leading the Charge Down

The timing of this breakdown during Asian trading hours is significant. Asian markets have historically been both the catalyst for Bitcoin's major moves and the first to react to global sentiment shifts. Whether it's regulatory concerns from major economies or institutional repositioning, Asian trading sessions often set the tone for global crypto markets.

The fact that Bitstamp saw the steepest decline while US-based Coinbase held relatively stronger suggests geographic differences in selling pressure. This could reflect varying regulatory environments, institutional strategies, or simply time-zone-based trading patterns.

The $60,000 Target: Where Bulls and Bears Agree

Market analysts are converging on $60,000 as the next major support level where Bitcoin might find its footing. This isn't arbitrary—it represents a 50% retracement from the October highs and aligns with previous significant support levels from Bitcoin's trading history.

But here's what makes this selloff different: it's happening against a backdrop of increasing institutional adoption and regulatory clarity in major markets. Traditional finance continues to build crypto infrastructure even as prices decline, suggesting this downturn might have different characteristics than previous crypto winters.