BTC Slips Below $76K as Investors Eye the Next Major Move

• Bitcoin fell below $76,000 as inflation fears and liquidations pressured crypto markets.
• Rising oil prices and Fed rate hike expectations weakened overall investor sentiment.
• Analysts remain optimistic despite $1.26 billion in Bitcoin ETF outflows this week.

Bitcoin — BTC, slipped below the $76,000 level on Friday, adding fresh pressure to an already nervous crypto market. The decline extended Bitcoin’s losing streak into a second straight week as traders reacted to rising macro uncertainty and aggressive liquidations across leveraged positions. Market sentiment weakened further after another wave of ETF outflows surfaced, while inflation concerns pushed investors toward a more cautious stance. Despite the pullback, several analysts still believe the current decline could become a healthy reset before Bitcoin attempts another major breakout later this year.

Rising Macro Pressure Hits Bitcoin

Bitcoin traded around $75,933 during Friday’s session, marking a 2.3% daily decline and a weekly drop near 3%. Selling pressure intensified after traders increased expectations for possible interest rate hikes in the United States. Rising oil prices continue driving those concerns as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain unresolved. Iran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted one of the world’s most important energy routes, affecting nearly 20% of global oil and gas shipments.

That disruption raised fears of prolonged inflation across broader financial markets. Federal Reserve expectations shifted quickly after minutes from April’s policy meeting showed growing concern among policymakers regarding energy-driven inflation. Several officials now appear willing to support additional rate hikes if inflation continues climbing. Kevin Warsh officially assumed the role of Federal Reserve chair on Friday, stepping into leadership during a difficult economic period.

President Trump previously favored rate cuts to support economic growth, but rising inflation may leave policymakers with limited flexibility in coming months. The crypto market reacted sharply to those developments. CoinGlass reported roughly $200 million in liquidations across digital assets within 24 hours. Leveraged traders absorbed the largest losses as rapid volatility triggered forced selloffs across multiple exchanges.

ETF Outflows Raise Questions as Analysts Stay Bullish

Spot Bitcoin ETFs also faced mounting pressure throughout the week. Data from Farside showed six consecutive trading sessions with net outflows across all 11 US-based spot Bitcoin funds. Combined withdrawals reached nearly $1.26 billion over the last five trading days, reflecting growing caution among retail investors.

Bitcoin also failed to reclaim the $80,000 level during May after briefly reaching $79,052 on May 16 before sellers regained control. Despite those outflows, several analysts continue viewing the decline as temporary rather than catastrophic. Santiment argued that ETF movements mainly reflect retail positioning instead of institutional conviction.

That distinction remains important because large institutional investors often shape longer-term market direction. ETF analyst James Seyffart also shared a more optimistic outlook during a recent podcast appearance. He explained that Bitcoin ETFs already recovered most of the $9 billion in outflows recorded between October and February.