The cryptocurrency market registered a sharp drop as Monday’s recovery gave way to bearish sentiment. Altcoins led the losses as the cryptocurrency market cap fell nearly 2% to $3.84 trillion. Bitcoin (BTC) briefly crossed $116,000 on Monday but lost momentum after reaching this level, falling below $115,000 and moving to its current level. BTC is down approximately 2% over the past 24 hours, currently trading at around $113,770.
Ethereum (ETH) is also trading in bearish territory, down almost 4%, trading around $4,080. Ripple (XRP) is down over 1%, while Solana (SOL) is down nearly 3%, slipping below $200 to $199. Dogecoin (DOGE) is down over 4%, while Cardano (ADA) is down almost 4%, trading around $0.657. Chainlink (LINK) is down nearly 5%, while Stellar (XLM) is down over 2%. Litecoin (LTC), Toncoin (TON), and Polkadot (DOT) also registered notable declines. However, Hedera (HBAR) bucked the bearish trend and is up nearly 14%, trading around $0.206.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy Hit By Junk Rating
S&P Global Ratings has hit Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc. with a B- junk rating, placing it six positions below investment grade. According to a report, the rating reflects Strategy’s deep concentration in Bitcoin (BTC) and limited diversification. S&P also flagged concerns about liquidity and risk-adjusted capitalization. Strategy has transformed itself from an enterprise software firm into a proxy for BTC. The firm holds 640,808 BTC, valued at around $74 billion at current prices.
According to S&P Global, Strategy is vulnerable to market changes, thanks to its lopsided exposure to BTC. The agency stated that its primary software business makes very little money and would provide an inadequate defense in the event of declining cryptocurrency prices. Strategy reported $37 billion in negative operating cash flow during the first half of 2025, and maintains minimal dollar reserves, with most of its treasury in BTC. S&P also highlighted liquidity and currency mismatch risks.
Strategy holds $8 billion in USD-denominated convertible debt, set to mature between 2028 and 2031. Additionally, preferred stock dividends exceed $640 million annually. A prolonged bear market could make it difficult for Strategy to meet its obligations.
Michael Selig Confirms CFTC Nomination
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official Michael Selig has confirmed his nomination for Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair. The nomination still requires Senate approval and comes as the agency operates with several vacancies. Selig and White House crypto and AI czar David Sacks confirmed the news in a post on X, clearing the way for the departure of acting Chair Caroline Pham. Selig stated on X,
“I am honored to be nominated by President Trump to serve as the 16th Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. With the President’s leadership, a Great Golden Age for America’s Financial Markets and a Wealth of New Opportunities stand before us. I pledge to work tirelessly to facilitate Well-Functioning Commodity Markets, promote Freedom, Competition, and Innovation, and help the President make the United States the Crypto Capital of the World.”
Selig’s nomination comes amid a prolonged US government shutdown, which has entered its fifth week, as Republican and Democratic lawmakers struggle to reach an agreement on a funding bill due to concerns about healthcare cuts and subsidies. The CFTC has functioned solely with Pham at the helm since the departure of CFTC Commissioner Kristin Johnson in September. Pham has also signaled her intention to leave her position once her replacement has been confirmed by the Senate.
US Lawmaker Seeks To Ban Trump From Crypto, Stock Trading
A US lawmaker is looking to ban President Trump, his family, and members of Congress from trading crypto or stocks. US Representative Ro Khanna has raised several conflict-of-interest concerns regarding President Trump’s association with his son’s crypto project, World Liberty Financial. He also alleged that the recent pardon given to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao was a sign of “blatant corruption.”
“The pardon of Zhao is corrupt. I explain simply what’s going on. I am today introducing legislation to ban the president, his family, members of Congress, and all elected officials from trading crypto or stocks.”
Bitcoin ETPs Rally Following Lower-Than-Expected Inflation Data
Crypto ETPs have registered a sharp recovery as investor sentiment improved following lower-than-expected inflation numbers. According to a report by CoinShares, crypto ETPs registered $921 million in inflows last week, easily offsetting the $513 million in outflows the week prior. According to the CoinShares report, the primary drivers of this resurgence were rising expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve and softer-than-expected CPI data. CoinShares head of research James Butterfill stated,
“The ongoing US government shutdown, and the resulting absence of key macroeconomic data, has left investors with little guidance on the direction of US monetary policy.”
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Analysis
Bitcoin (BTC) dropped sharply over the past 24 hours as market sentiment returned to negative territory. The flagship cryptocurrency rallied on Sunday, rising nearly 3% to reclaim $114,000 and settle at $114,548 thanks to positive US-China trade talks and growing expectations of a rate cut. BTC reached an intraday high of $115,542 on Monday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and settled at 114,087, ultimately dropping 0.40%. The current session sees BTC marginally up, trading around $114,205.
BTC briefly crossed $116,000 on Monday, reaching an intraday high of $116,410. However, markets remained unconvinced, and the bulls lost momentum at upper levels. One analyst reiterated weakness on higher time frames, along with low volumes and bearish divergences on Bitcoin’s RSI. The trader stated in a post on X,
“Watching for this potential HTF Head & Shoulders bearish reversal setup. Validates on a break below 109k neckline. I’ve been very adamant that HTF is exhausted, and I’m not expecting higher. We shall see if this turns into a reversal or more consolidation for higher.”
BTC’s recovery has eased sell pressure and improved market sentiment. Additionally, a significant change is visible after the downturn, which compelled miners to sell their BTC to cover operating expenses. Analysts have noted that miner holdings are leveling out, along with a notable improvement in hashprice metrics. BTC is currently trading between $110,000 and $118,000, with resistance around $120,000. Big on-chain wallets are consistently accumulating. This, along with miner reserves stabilizing, indicates reduced sell pressure. Transaction costs have also risen, increasing miner profitability and allowing them to retain their BTC instead of selling.
Analysts believe BTC will consolidate after testing the resistance around $116,000 as markets turn cautious ahead of the FOMC meeting. However, overall market sentiment has improved, with the Fear & Greed Index in “neutral” territory. Edul Patel, CEO of Mudrex, stated,
“Institutions are also showing signs of a comeback, with global crypto investment products seeing $921 million in weekly net inflows. Public companies like Strategy have also resumed accumulating crypto, adding BTC worth $43.4 million. With this setup, Bitcoin’s resistance stands at $116,900, and support has strengthened around $111,400, indicating a healthy base for the next move up.”
BTC ended the previous weekend in positive territory, rising 1.37% on Sunday and settling at $108,676. Buyers retained control on Monday as the price rose nearly 2% to reclaim $110,000 and settle at $110,568. BTC surged to an intraday high of $114,082 on Tuesday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and dropped 1.99% to $108,362. Selling pressure persisted on Wednesday as BTC fell 0.72% to a low of $106,639 before settling at $107,585. Despite the selling pressure, the price recovered on Thursday, rising over 2% to cross $110,000 and settle at $110,116. BTC continued pushing higher on Friday, rising almost 1% to $111,042.
Source: TradingView
Price action remained positive over the weekend with BTC rising 0.56% on Saturday and settling at $111,666. Bullish sentiment intensified on Sunday thanks to positive macroeconomic developments, including positive trade talks between the US and China, and rising odds of a rate cut. As a result, BTC rose 2.58% to cross $114,000 and settle at $114,548. The flagship cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of $116,410 on Monday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and settled at 114,087, ultimately dropping 0.40%. BTC is marginally up during the ongoing session, trading around $114,410.
Ethereum (ETH) Price Analysis
Ethereum (ETH) lost momentum after reaching an intraday high of $4,266 on Monday as market sentiment turned cautious. The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency registered a sharp rally on Sunday, rising over 5% to reclaim $4,000 and settle at $4,157. The price continued pushing higher on Monday, reaching an intraday high of $4,266. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level, ultimately settling at $4,120, down almost 1%. ETH is marginally up during the ongoing session, trading around $4,131.
While ETH has faced selling pressure on Monday, corporate holders continue to accumulate the asset. SharpLink Gaming announced the purchase of 19,271 ETH worth $78.3 million, taking its total holdings to over 859,000 ETH, worth over $3.6 billion. The purchase is the latest accumulation move by the sports gaming technology firm, which resumed accumulation after a month-long pause. The purchase highlights SparpLink’s conviction in ETH as a treasury asset and a long-term strategic reserve.
Corporate treasuries collectively hold over 5.98 million ETH valued at around $25.18 billion, representing 4.94% of ETH’s total supply. SharpLink’s latest purchase indicates renewed investor interest and improving market conditions.
ETH started the previous weekend in the red, dropping 1.57% to a low of $3,680 before settling at $3,834. The price recovered over the weekend, rising 1.51% on Saturday and 2.39% on Sunday to settle at $3,985. ETH faced volatility on Monday as buyers and sellers struggled to establish control. Sellers ultimately gained the upper hand as the price registered a marginal decline and settled at $3,981. Selling pressure intensified on Tuesday as ETH fell almost 3% to $3,876. The price fell to an intraday low of $3,709 on Wednesday. However, it rebounded from this level and settled at $3,807, ultimately dropping 1.78%.
Source: TradingView
Despite the overwhelming selling pressure, ETH recovered on Thursday, rising 1.33% and settling at $3,857. The price continued pushing higher on Friday, rising 1.33% and settling at $3,935. Price action remained positive over the weekend as ETH rose 0.45% on Saturday and 5% on Sunday, reclaiming $4,000 and settling at $4,157. ETH reached an intraday high of $4,266 on Monday as positive sentiment persisted. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and settled at $4,120, ultimately dropping almost 1%. ETH is marginally down during the ongoing session, trading around $4,117.
Solana (SOL) Price Analysis
Solana (SOL) has bounced back to reclaim $200 after registering a sharp drop on Monday. The altcoin claimed $200 on Sunday after rising over 3%. It reached an intraday high of $205 on Monday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and fell to $198. SOL has recovered during the ongoing session and is trading at $201 after reclaiming $200.
Fresh institutional capital has helped SOL’s resurgence, with steady inflows into the REX-Osprey Solana + Staking ETF. The ETF now manages over $400 million. Fidelity’s custody and trading support have added more credibility to SOL. However, high profit-taking has impacted the recovery to some extent. Meanwhile, Solana has reported record stablecoin growth, and key network upgrades like Alpenglow have provided much-needed tailwinds.
Investor sentiment was further buoyed after the NYSE certified Bitwise’s staking product for listing. According to a filing with the SEC, the NYSE Arca officially certified its approval to list and register shares of the Bitwise Solana staking ETF. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that, based on exchange listings, the Bitwise Solana ETF could launch as soon as Thursday.
“Confirmed. The Exchange has just posted listing notices for Bitwise Solana, Canary Litecoin, and Canary HBAR to launch TOMORROW, and grayscale Solana to convert the day after. Assuming there’s not some last-minute SEC intervention, looks like this is happening.”
The Bitwise Solana Staking ETF will track the price of SOL and the staking rewards generated by the Solana network. The ETF is entirely backed by SOL held in institutional-grade cold storage, and benchmarked to the Compass Solana Total Return Monthly Index.
SOL started the previous weekend in the red, dropping to an intraday low of $174 before settling at $182. The price recovered on Saturday, rising over 3% to $187, and registered a marginal increase on Sunday despite volatility and selling pressure to settle at $188. Buyers retained control on Monday as SOL rose 0.95% to $189. The price reached an intraday high of $197 on Tuesday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and dropped by over $2% to $185. Selling pressure persisted on Wednesday as SOL fell over 3% and settled at $180.
Source: TradingView
Despite the overwhelming selling pressure, SOL rallied on Thursday, rising over 6% to reclaim $190 and settle at $191. Buyers retained control on Friday as the price rose 1.16% to $193. Price action remained positive over the weekend as SOL registered a marginal increase on Saturday before rising 3% on Sunday and claiming $200. SOL reached an intraday high of $205 on Monday but lost momentum after reaching this level. As a result, it fell below $200 and settled at $198. The price has risen over 1% during the ongoing session, trading around $201.
Aptos (APT) Price Analysis
Aptos (APT) ended the previous weekend with a marginal decline and settled at $3.196. It recovered on Monday, rising over 2% and settling at $3.263. APT faced volatility on Tuesday as buyers and sellers struggled to establish control. Sellers ultimately gained the upper hand as the price dropped 1.23% and settled at $3.223. Sellers retained control on Wednesday as APT fell nearly 1% to $3.192. Despite the selling pressure, the price recovered on Thursday, rising 1.67% to $3.245. Buyers retained control on Friday as APT rose over 2% and settled at $3.311.
Source: TradingView
Price action was positive over the weekend as APT registered a marginal increase on Saturday before rising over 8% on Sunday to settle at $3.582. The price was back in the red on Monday, dropping nearly 4% to $3.449. APT is marginally up during the ongoing session, trading around $3.463.
Jupiter (JUP) Price Analysis
Jupiter (JUP) ended the previous weekend in positive territory and settled at $0.350. Buyers retained control on Monday as the price rose nearly 4% to $0.363. Despite the positive sentiment, JUP lost momentum on Tuesday, dropping almost 4% to $0.349. Selling pressure persisted on Wednesday as the price fell over 2% to $0.342. JUP recovered on Thursday, rising over 4% to $0.357. The price rallied on Friday, rising nearly 13% to cross $0.40 and settle at $0.402.
Source: TradingView
Price action remained positive over the weekend as JUP rose over 6% on Saturday and nearly 2% on Sunday to settle at $0.434. The price continued pushing higher on Monday, rising over 2% and settling at $0.444. JUP is down nearly 2% during the ongoing session, trading around $0.436.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.