Cryptocurrencies fell sharply on Monday, bringing fresh momentum to a wide-ranging selloff that appeared to have settled.
Bitcoin slid as much as 5.1 per cent to below $87,000 in early Asia trading, while Ether dropped more than 6 per cent to below $2,900, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Most tokens followed a similar pattern, with Solana falling more than 7 per cent.
The crypto market is on shaky ground after a weeks-long selloff that began when some $19 billion in levered bets were wiped out in early October, just days after Bitcoin set an all-time high of $126,251.
The original cryptocurrency shed 16.7 per cent of its value in November, but a let-up in the selling pressure saw it regain ground last week, rising to above $90,000.
After the latest bout of selling on Monday, traders are bracing for bigger moves lower.
“It’s a risk off start to December,” said Sean McNulty, APAC derivatives trading lead at FalconX. “The biggest concern is the meagre inflows into Bitcoin exchange traded funds and absence of dip buyers. We expect the structural headwinds to continue this month. We are watching $80,000 on Bitcoin as the next key support level.”
Investors were on Monday digesting comments from Strategy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Phong Le, who said on a podcast on Friday that the Bitcoin-buyer could sell the token if its mNAV — a ratio of enterprise value to Bitcoin holdings — turned negative. “We can sell Bitcoin and we would sell Bitcoin if we needed to fund our dividend payments below 1x mNAV,” he said, adding that it would be a last resort. Strategy, which has a $56 billion Bitcoin stockpile, has seen its mNAV tumble to 1.19, according to its website.
Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings last week downgraded an assessment of the stability of USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, to its lowest rating, warning that a drop in Bitcoin’s value could leave the stablecoin undercollateralized.
The week ahead is set to offer a crucial snapshot of US economic momentum as policymakers weigh the trajectory of interest rates heading into 2026.
Data is likely to shape expectations for whether the Federal Reserve continues its rate-cutting cycle. US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he had decided on his pick for the next Fed chair, after making clear he expects his nominee to deliver interest-rate cuts.
A gauge of Asian equities fluctuated in early trading after capping its best weekly advance in about two months, while S&P 500 futures edged lower. Japanese stocks fell and the yen rose as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda sent the clearest hint yet of a rate hike this month.
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Published on December 1, 2025