Bitcoin Crashes, Raises Fear Of Wider Market Sell-Off

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Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, tumbled below $90,000 on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 — its weakest level in seven months — as renewed global risk aversion triggered a broad sell-off across financial markets.

Emmynet24 news media reports that the steep decline marks a dramatic reversal for Bitcoin, which only weeks earlier had surged to a record high above $126,000 in October. The digital asset has now erased all gains accumulated in 2025 and is down nearly 30% from its all-time peak.

According to Reuters, Bitcoin traded around $89,953 during early afternoon hours in Asia, extending last week’s slump after the token slipped below the crucial $98,000 technical support zone.

Why Bitcoin Is Falling

Market traders say the downturn is the result of a combination of global macroeconomic pressures, including:

• Uncertainty over U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts

• A wider pullback in global equities following months of strong rallies

• Reduced investor appetite for speculative assets

Analysts told Reuters that as long as the timing of Fed rate cuts remains unclear, risk-sensitive instruments such as cryptocurrencies are likely to stay under selling pressure.

“The mood has soured,” one market participant said, explaining that the scale of the decline reflects a broader unwillingness among investors to take on fresh speculative positions.

Crypto-Linked Companies Hit Hard

The sharp retreat has also weighed heavily on companies exposed to digital assets:

• Firms that accumulate Bitcoin — including Strategy

• Major mining companies like Riot Platforms and Mara Holdings

• Leading crypto exchange Coinbase

These firms have all recorded significant share price declines in response to the weakening sentiment.

Asia Markets Mirror Crypto Weakness

The sell-off spilled into Asian equities on Tuesday, with major losses in tech shares across Japan and South Korea, echoing the downturn seen across digital asset markets.

Ethereum (Ether), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has not escaped the rout. Ether has fallen nearly 40% from its August high above $4,955, sliding another 1% on Tuesday to trade around $2,997.

Could This Signal Trouble for Global Stocks?

The renewed slump has reignited fears that turbulence in crypto markets could spread to equities.

Earlier in the year, a similar Bitcoin downturn preceded a global stock market correction in April after the U.S. imposed new tariffs — a pattern that investors fear may repeat.

For now, traders remain cautious, warning that the speed and depth of Bitcoin’s plunge could keep both crypto and traditional markets on edge in the short term.