Update July 5, 4:30 am UTC: This article has been updated after Bitcoin fell under $54,000, adding new information and updating figures throughout.
Bitcoin hit a four-month low of $53,499 on Coinbase as news of Mt. Gox’s latest cold wallet transfer hit the markets.
Bitcoin (BTC) plummeted at around 4:19 am UTC on July 5, hitting its lowest level since late February, according to TradingView. Additionally, cryptocurrency liquidations have surged to $664.5 million over the past 24 hours, the highest in two months, according to data from CoinGlass.
Bitcoin has slightly recovered to $54,300, down around 7.4% in the last 24 hours.
Other highly traded cryptocurrencies, including Ether (ETH) and Solana’s (SOL), also saw almost 10% drops on the day. ETH dropped to $2,898, below the key $3,000 level that it held since mid-May, according to Cointelegraph Markets Pro.
Crypto liquidations over the past 24 hours include $584 million in longs and almost $82 million in shorts, with long BTC positions making up $222 million of the total.
Positive sentiment toward crypto has also hit its lowest point since January 2023. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index reflected a score of 29 out of 100 on July 5, showing the market is experiencing “Fear.”
Related: Bitcoin traders express optimism even as BTC price targets shift lower
Traders are spooked by possible sell pressure expected to come from $8.5 billion in Bitcoin creditor paybacks by the collapsed crypto exchange Mt. Gox.
On July 5, the exchange transferred 47,229 BTC, worth around $2.6 billion, to a new address in its first major move since May.
The German government has added to the pressure, selling 7,583 BTC worth $419.5 million since June 19. It still holds 42,274 BTC, which is worth around $2.3 billion.
On July 4, 10x Research analyst Markus Thielen said he expects Bitcoin to fall as low as $50,000 due to selling pressure on the cryptocurrency.
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