Bitcoin Falls Below $80,000 on a Saturday: Weekend Selloff Hits Multi-Week Lows as $467 Million Gets Liquidated

Bitcoin just broke below $80,000 on a Saturday — and the whole crypto market followed it down

Short answer: Bitcoin fell below $80,000 on Saturday, October 24, 2026, dropping about 2.2% in 24 hours to around $79,700 — a multi-week low — as renewed Middle East worries triggered a weekend risk-off move across crypto. Ether, XRP and Solana fell in the 3% to 4% range, and about $467 million in leveraged positions were liquidated in 24 hours.

Weekend moves in crypto are often exaggerated because trading never stops while traditional markets are closed. This one had a clear catalyst, a clean technical break, and money already heading for the exits before it started — which is why a single Saturday headline turned into a market-wide slide.

What happened to Bitcoin today?

Bitcoin traded as low as about $79,221 on Saturday after opening near $81,584, according to market data, and was last changing hands around $79,567, down roughly 2.5% on the day. CoinDesk reported bitcoin down 2.2% over 24 hours to $79,700, sinking to multi-week lows, with ether, XRP and solana each down between 3% and 4%.

The break matters because $80,000 had been acting as the market's psychological floor all week. Bitcoin had already slipped toward that level on Friday, rebounded above $82,000 earlier in the week, and briefly pushed toward $85,000 on Wednesday before sellers took control again. Losing the round number on a Saturday — when liquidity is thinnest — is exactly the kind of move that forces leveraged traders out.

Why is Bitcoin falling this weekend?

The immediate trigger was geopolitical. CoinDesk, citing a Wall Street Journal report on Saturday morning, said the United States is quickly evacuating personnel from embassies and military bases across the Middle East as intelligence suggests Iran is preparing attacks against Americans. A Friday memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran had "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel" and that plotting had reached advanced stages. President Trump, speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, also threatened a re-escalation of the conflict, saying, "We may do another little 'Epic Fury.'" Markets are treating those reports as the catalyst for the weekend selling; they are reported developments, not confirmed attacks.

There was a second, quieter pressure building underneath. Trading firm QCP Capital said concerns about AI financing had spread from stocks into crypto, adding selling pressure on bitcoin after Thursday's sharp technology selloff. And on Friday, U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs logged about $137.9 million in net outflows, led by roughly $110.3 million out of BlackRock's IBIT and $31.8 million out of Fidelity's FBTC, according to Farside Investors data — meaning institutional money was already stepping back before the weekend headline hit.

How big was the selloff across crypto?

Broad, but orderly by crypto standards. Total crypto market capitalization stood at about $2.81 trillion, with roughly $64.9 billion traded in 24 hours, according to market data compiled Saturday. Ethereum traded near $2,374, XRP slipped to about $1.29 — below the $1.30 level — and Solana changed hands around $102. BNB was roughly flat near $737, one of the few major tokens not in the red.

The pain was concentrated in leveraged positions. About $466.8 million in crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, affecting roughly 179,600 traders, and long positions — bets that prices would rise — accounted for about 68.7% of those liquidations. That pattern is typical of a headline-driven break: traders positioned for a weekend bounce were forced to sell into a falling market, which pushed prices lower still.

Why it's blowing up

Three things made this move travel fast on social media. First, the number itself: "$80,000" is the level retail traders watch, and breaking it on a Saturday morning U.S. time guaranteed maximum visibility. Second, the timing: with stock markets closed, crypto became the only live scoreboard for the Middle East headlines, so it absorbed the reaction that equities and oil would normally share on a weekday. Third, the context: bitcoin is now roughly 35% below its all-time high near $126,156, so every fresh multi-week low revives the argument about whether this is a routine correction or something deeper.

Key facts

Bitcoin price: about $79,567, down roughly 2.5% on the day, with an intraday low near $79,221 (market data, Saturday).
24-hour move: down about 2.2% to $79,700, a multi-week low (CoinDesk).
Altcoins: ether, XRP and solana down 3% to 4%; XRP near $1.29, solana near $102.
Liquidations: about $466.8 million in 24 hours; about 179,600 traders affected; longs were about 68.7% of liquidations.
ETF flows (Friday): about $137.9 million in net outflows from U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs; IBIT about −$110.3 million, FBTC about −$31.8 million (Farside Investors).
Market size: total crypto market cap about $2.81 trillion; 24-hour volume about $64.9 billion.

What's next

The next test comes in two stages. First, whether bitcoin can reclaim $80,000 before the weekend ends — prediction-market pricing on Saturday already put the odds of holding above that level for the day at well under certainty, and traders are watching whether a weekly close below it invites another leg down toward the high-$70,000s. Second, Monday's reopen: stock futures, oil and the broader risk trade will show whether Saturday's crypto slide was an early signal for all markets or just thin weekend liquidity amplifying one headline. Either way, this is a news report, not financial advice — nobody can tell you whether to buy, sell or hold, and leveraged weekend trading is where accounts get wiped out fastest.

FAQ

Why did Bitcoin fall below $80,000 today?

Bitcoin fell about 2.2% in 24 hours to around $79,700 after reports Saturday morning that the U.S. is evacuating personnel from Middle East embassies and bases amid intelligence about possible Iranian attacks, which triggered a risk-off move in the only major market open — crypto.

How much was liquidated in the crypto selloff?

About $466.8 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated over 24 hours, affecting roughly 179,600 traders, with long positions making up about 68.7% of the total.

Did Bitcoin ETFs see outflows before the drop?

Yes. U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded about $137.9 million in net outflows on Friday, led by about $110.3 million from BlackRock's IBIT, according to Farside Investors data.

How far is Bitcoin from its all-time high now?

At around $79,700, bitcoin is roughly 35% to 37% below its all-time high near $126,156.