Bitcoin briefly fell below $50,000 on Aug. 5, 2024, marking its lowest level since February and accelerating a broader sell-off across digital assets. It hit an intraday low near $49,351 before rebounding toward $51,000, as risk-off sentiment rippled through both crypto and traditional equity markets. Over the same period, Bitcoin’s share of overall crypto market value rose to about 58%, reflecting relatively smaller losses in BTC compared with many altcoins. The move triggered a sharp contraction in overall crypto capitalization, with the total market cap dropping from roughly $2.16 trillion to about $1.76 trillion, a decline of more than 17% in a few days. Derivatives markets amplified the downside: more than $600 million in leveraged long positions were liquidated in the early hours of Aug. 5 as prices slid, forcing additional selling. Ether fell almost 20% in about two hours, briefly touching around $2,172 before partially recovering to near $2,200. The drawdown coincided with a more than 4% slide in the S&P 500 over three days, weak U.S. employment data, renewed recession concerns, and pressure on major tech stocks, raising the risk that macroeconomic stress and tightening liquidity could keep volatility elevated across both crypto and equity markets.

AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

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