Bitcoin Crash: Why BTC Fell to $75,568, How Low It Could Go and How to Hedge

Bitcoin fell from $80,962 late on Wednesday to $75,568 on Thursday afternoon, a drop of 6.7% in about 17 hours. It traded at $76,118 at 17:10 UTC. The trigger was a sell-off in chip and AI stocks that pushed the Nasdaq into a correction and forced leveraged crypto traders out of their positions.

The move wiped out the jump that followed the US midterms, which we covered in our piece on Bitcoin above $80,000. Here is what happened, which levels count now, and what you can do in this market, from earning on falling prices to hedging what you hold.

Why Is Bitcoin Crashing? Four Reasons Behind the Drop

The short answer: the selling came from Wall Street and leverage amplified it. Bitcoin itself had no bad news of its own on Thursday.

• AI and chip rout: The Nasdaq fell as much as 5% and the PHLX Semiconductor index as much as 11% in the session, according to Yahoo Finance. CNBC reports investors fear that a Democratic sweep of Congress could slow the AI and data center buildout.
• Leverage:Bitcoin Magazine counted roughly $370 million in leveraged positions liquidated in about an hour, most of them longs. ETHNews puts the 24-hour total above $1 billion. The tallies differ by window and data source.
• Hot labor data: Initial jobless claims fell to 189,000 against an expected 196,000, which gives the Federal Reserve little reason to ease, Bitcoin Magazine notes.
• Weak demand beforehand: US spot Bitcoin ETFs lost about $1.16 billion across October 30, November 2 and November 3, ETHNews reports citing Farside. On Wednesday $74.6 million came back, according to Bitcoin Magazine.

Binance spot, 15-minute closes, 48 hours

Why So Many People Are Searching for "Bitcoin Crash" Right Now

Three things make this drop feel worse than its size. First the speed: more than $4,000 went within roughly two hours of the US open. Second the reversal: until early Thursday the market was celebrating a short squeeze, and late buyers with borrowed money were the first to be forced out. Third the memory: the Binance hack is only a week old, so many readers ask whether the next shock is already under way. Wall Street's fear gauge, the VIX, jumped more than 65% to as much as 27.45 (Yahoo Finance).

So the questions are practical: why is it falling, how low can it go, should I sell, should I buy, and how do I protect what I have. We keep the running timeline of every sell-off on our page why crypto is down.

Bitcoin Price: How Low Can It Go? The Levels That Count Now

The $75,000 area is the line most traders are watching, Bitcoin Magazine writes: it held on election night and several times since August. Below it the 200-day average is the next reference.

Level What it is $82,064 50-day average $80,962 Wednesday evening's high (Binance) $80,320 20-day average $76,875 100-day average $76,118 Price now $75,568 Thursday's low (Binance) $75,000 Support area of recent months $73,231 200-day average $62,824 Lowest close in August

We see three paths, as an assessment and not a forecast. Hold: $75,000 stays intact, then the 20-day average and Wednesday evening's high are the first test on the way up. Break: a daily close below $75,000 opens the way to the 200-day average. Risk-off: if the tech rout continues into the jobs report on Friday, the US inflation data on November 10 and the Fed decision on December 9, the August closing low comes back into view.

Should I Buy Bitcoin Now? What 23 Earlier 5% Days Show

We checked every day since January 2023 on which Bitcoin lost at least 5% from close to close on Binance, counting only days at least a week apart. Thursday itself is not included. That gives 23 cases. After 90 days the price was higher in 74% of them, with a median gain of 10.1%. After 30 days it was a coin flip: higher in 48%, median −0.2%. The five cases since October 2025 look clearly worse, with a median of −7.1% after 30 days and only one of five higher.

Source: Binance, own calculation Days after a 5% drop Median since 2023 (23 cases) Higher since 2023 Median since Oct 2025 (5 cases) 1 −0.6% 43% −0.5% 7 −0.8% 43% −7.5% 30 −0.2% 48% −7.1% 90 +10.1% 74% −10.5%

The lesson: a sharp down day alone is no buy signal. Staying power matters more than timing, because the worst case after 90 days was −29.9%.

How to Earn in a Falling Crypto Market

There are three common routes, and each has its price.

• Short positions: With futures you profit when the price falls. We explain the steps in our guide on how to short Bitcoin. At 10x leverage a 10% move against you erases your margin, and the last 24 hours alone had a 7.0% range.
• Buying in instalments: Splitting $1,000 into four purchases at $76,000, $73,000, $68,000 and $63,000 gives an average of about $69,600, roughly 8% under the first price. If the price simply rises, you have bought less.
• Staking and yield: Rewards keep coming in a falling market, but they rarely outweigh a price loss, and the platform risk stays with you.

How to Hedge Bitcoin Without Selling Everything

• Remove leverage first: Without leverage a falling price lowers your book value and forces no sale.
• Hold a stablecoin share: Moving a part into regulated stablecoins reduces swings and gives you cash for lower prices. Issuer risk remains.
• Short hedge: A short of the same size as your coins locks in the current value. Funding costs apply, and you give up any rise.
• Stop orders: They limit losses in normal markets. In a fast move they can fill well below your level, as Thursday showed.
• Put options: They insure a floor for a premium. This route is for experienced traders.
• Custody: After the Binance hack it pays to know how to store crypto safely.

Where Can You Buy Bitcoin Now? Bitpanda, Coinbase and OKX

If you want to buy, the platform comes first. Our comparisons of where to buy Bitcoin, regulated exchanges and crypto brokers set out fees and features. The licence of a provider can be checked in the ESMA register.

Provider Strength Fits if you Bitpanda Savings plans, European provider from Vienna want to buy in small, regular amounts Coinbase Simple app, listed on Nasdaq are starting out and want a clear interface OKX Spot and derivatives on one platform want to trade actively or hedge a position

The links in this table are partner links. Selling can trigger tax, and crypto tax software keeps the records straight.

As of November 5, 2026. Stock figures are intraday. This article is not investment advice; crypto assets can lose value sharply.