Bitcoin consolidated near the $77,000 mark on Wednesday amid macro uncertainty, with $648 million in ETF outflows adding pressure. The cryptocurrency was trading at the $76,679 mark.
In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin and Ethereum were down 0.2% and 1% respectively. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, and Cardano fell up to 2.5% whereas Hyperliquid was up 0.9%.
Bitcoin is trading in a narrow range around the $77,000 level as investors remain cautious amid broader macro uncertainty and Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 pushed the 30-year Treasury yield to its highest level since July 2007, reducing appetite for risk assets like Bitcoin, said Akshat Siddhant, Lead quant analyst, Mudrex.
Siddhant further said that adding to the pressure, Bitcoin ETFs recorded single-day outflows of $648 million and markets are now looking for a fresh catalyst to regain momentum, with Wednesday's FOMC minutes likely to play a key role.
The global crypto market capitalisation edged down 0.2% to $2.55 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap. “Nearly 60 whale addresses holding 10,000 Ethereum or more have completely emptied or consolidated their balances,” said CoinDCX Research Team.
Ethereum and Bitcoin were down 8% and 5% respectively in the past week. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin and Cardano fell up to 12% whereas Tron and Hyperliquid were up 2% and 19% respectively.
Vikram Subburaj, CEO, Giottus said Bitcoin’s pullback to the $76,000-$77,000 zone on May 20 underscores its renewed sensitivity to liquidity conditions, ETF flows, and broader macro risk. Bitcoin fell to about $76,700 after touching a more than 2-week low. The broader sell-off triggered nearly $661 million in crypto liquidations over 24 hours.
What other analysts say
CoinSwitch Markets Desk
Bitcoin dipped below $77K as macro pressure returned. Markets are now watching the next 48–72 hours closely, with US and Iran both signaling the possibility of further military action. ETF flows are also seeing outflow with spot Bitcoin ETFs adding $1.68B+ in the first five days of the month, but those gains have now been erased after outflows. $76.5K is the immediate support zone.
Avinash Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Pi42
The correction reflects a shift in market positioning as traders turn cautious amid rising geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation concerns, both of which have reduced risk appetite across crypto markets.
Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange
Bitcoin is currently trapped within a tight $75K–$80K range, with volatility compression becoming increasingly visible through sharply narrowed Bollinger Band Width and subdued ATR readings. Ethereum spot ETFs recording combined net outflows of nearly $2 billion between May 11-18, reflecting reduced risk appetite among larger investors.
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