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Bitcoin Braces for Impact: $4.5 Billion Realized Loss Hits Since 2022 Peak – Is $80K the Next Stop?

Bitcoin Braces for Impact: $4.5 Billion Realized Loss Hits Since 2022 Peak – Is $80K the Next Stop?

Author:
Cryptonews
Published:
2026-01-26 21:11:24
9
1

Bitcoin's ledger just bled red ink to the tune of billions. The largest wave of realized losses since the 2022 bear market has washed over the network, forcing a brutal reassessment of its near-term trajectory.

The $4.5 Billion Reckoning

That staggering figure isn't paper losses—it's cold, hard capital that has officially exited positions. This mass exodus represents a fundamental shift in holder psychology, often a necessary, if painful, purge that sets the stage for a healthier market foundation. It's the sound of weak hands capitulating.

Sub-$80,000 on the Horizon?

The immediate question burns: does this signal a deeper correction? Technical structures are being tested. While long-term believers see this as a classic shakeout, the short-term path is littered with uncertainty. The market is now probing for a level where conviction buying overwhelms fearful selling.

Remember, in traditional finance, they call this 'risk management.' In crypto, we just call it Tuesday. This volatility isn't a bug; it's the defining feature of an asset class rewriting the rules. Every major sell-off in Bitcoin's history has, eventually, been followed by a rediscovery of its previous highs—and then some. The current flush might just be clearing the deck for the next leg up.

Bitcoin Capital Flight Sees ETFs Bleed $1.33B in Single Week

The exodus from bitcoin continues through institutional channels, with U.S.-based Bitcoin ETFs recording $1.33 billion in net outflows over one week, the largest withdrawal since February 2025.

This substantial capital flight shows weakening institutional confidence in the cryptocurrency’s near-term prospects.

Adding to the bearish sentiment, stablecoin market capitalization has contracted significantly.

According to CryptoQuant researcher Darkfost, the Ethereum-based stablecoin total market cap declined by $7 billion in just seven days, dropping from $162 billion to $155 billion.

Darkfost characterized this development asexplaining that investors are completely exiting the crypto market as it continues correcting, while precious metals surge and equity markets maintain strong upward trends.

Bitcoin Price Prediction - All Stablecoins ERC20 Total Supply Chart

Source: CryptoQuant

This migration of liquidity explains the persistent weakness across cryptocurrency markets.

The analyst drew parallels to 2021, noting that similar stablecoin market cap declines confirmed, though the Terra Luna collapse amplified that downturn.

Darkfost emphasized that current conditions must improve rapidly, or Bitcoin risks confirming a bearish trajectory with a breakdown well below $80,000.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: $80K Support Acts As Make-or-Break Zone

The weekly BTC/USDT chart shows Bitcoin consolidating after a sharp rejection from the $100,000–$103,000 supply zone, which is clearly identified as a bearish invalidation area.

Price currently trades in the mid-to-high $80,000 range, positioned just beneath the 9-week Simple Moving Average, which has transformed into short-term dynamic resistance following the recent breakdown.

Repeated failures to reclaim the $100,000 level confirm that sellers remain aggressive at elevated prices, establishing that zone as a formidable ceiling for any sustained recovery attempts.

Bitcoin Price Prediction - Bitcoin Price Chart

Source: TradingView

The $80,000 level represents critical psychological and structural support. Bitcoin has demonstrated positive reactions NEAR this zone, indicating buyers are defending it vigorously.

As long as Bitcoin maintains weekly closes above $80,000, the broader market structure remains corrective rather than definitively bearish.

Technical momentum indicators suggest caution in the near term.

The Relative Strength Index hovers around the low-40s and has printed multiple bearish divergences during the previous rally, signaling deteriorating momentum and validating the ongoing consolidation phase.

The chart suggests Bitcoin occupies a range-bound corrective phase, with $80,000 serving as the crucial line in the sand.

Holding above this level preserves the possibility of base-building and potential recovery toward $90,000–$95,000 initially.

A decisive weekly close above $100,000 WOULD invalidate the bearish structure and signal trend continuation.

Conversely, losing $80,000 support would likely accelerate downside momentum toward the $70,000 region before establishing a more meaningful bottom.

Bitcoin Hyper Raises $31M As The Leading Crypto Presale

If Bitcoin successfully breaches the $100,000 psychological barrier, established BTC-beta projects like Bitcoin Hyper stand to benefit substantially.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is developing the first functional LAYER 2 solution for Bitcoin, leveraging Solana-based technology to provide speed and scalability while maintaining Bitcoin’s security framework.

The project has raised over $31million to facilitate Bitcoin-native decentralized applications, offering BTC holders opportunities to deploy assets productively through purpose-built on-chain tools.

Interested investors can participate in the presale by visiting the official Bitcoin Hyper website and connecting their wallet (such as Best Wallet).

The token is currently available foreach and could be purchased via USDT or SOL swaps, or directly through a bank card.

Visit the Official Bitcoin Hyper Website Here

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