Bitcoin falls below $60,000 for the first time since October 2024

Bitcoin fell below the symbolic threshold of $60,000 on Friday, a first since October 2024, suffering from a lack of interest in cryptocurrencies and a climate that is not conducive to risk on the markets. The currency fell around 6% to $59,770.90 before paring its losses slightly. Around 4:50 p.m. GMT, it fell another 3.58% to $61,297.57.

The price of bitcoin has thus been halved since the highest observed this fall. It is now below the level at which it was evolving before Donald Trump's electoral victory at the end of 2024. “The correction that bitcoin is undergoing in 2026 reflects a convergence of pressures which are all hitting its main demand drivers simultaneously,” summarizes Iliya Kalchev, of the platform specializing in digital assets Nexo, to AFP.

The analyst notes a geopolitical context that is not very favorable to risk-taking. “Bitcoin reacts to this environment more quickly and more visibly than most other assets,” assures Iliya Kalchev. With the conflict in the Middle East, central banks are also quicker to consider interest rate increases to avoid losing control over inflation, a drag on stock markets but also cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin ETFs are seeing large outflows.

“Market sentiment around digital assets has also deteriorated,” said Simon Peters of broker eToro. Bitcoin ETFs - which allow you to benefit from the evolution of the digital asset without having to invest your money directly in it - are recording large outflows of capital, according to the analyst's calculations. Investors are currently more attracted by the spectacular performance of stocks linked to artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the upcoming IPO of SpaceX, which promises to be the largest in history.

Investor morale regarding digital assets deteriorated even further with the announcement earlier this week of the sale of 32 bitcoins, for an amount of $2.5 million, by the company Strategy, known for having accumulated the largest private reserve of this cryptocurrency. The election of Donald Trump, an ardent defender of cryptoassets, to the White House for a second term sparked a wave of enthusiasm in the sector, causing the price of bitcoin to take off to nearly $110,000.

After a slack linked to delays in the laws promised by the Head of State and his customs offensive, bitcoin rose to a peak of $126,251.31 in October 2025.