BTC/USD $68,420 +2.8%
ETH/USD $3,540 +1.4%
SOL/USD $142.80 -0.6%
BNB/USD $605.20 +0.9%
XRP/USD $0.62 -1.2%
DOGE/USD $0.18 +5.4%
BTC/USD $68,420 +2.8%
ETH/USD $3,540 +1.4%
SOL/USD $142.80 -0.6%
BNB/USD $605.20 +0.9%
XRP/USD $0.62 -1.2%
DOGE/USD $0.18 +5.4%
Altcoins

What Happened In Crypto Market Today: August 29 News and What Next

What Happened In Crypto Market Today? Who’s Behind the Major Drop? What happened in crypto market today? The crypto market fell 3.0% to $2.69 trillion as Bitcoin dropped to $77,583.66, altcoi

AnonymousCryptoCompass newsroom
August 29, 2026
5 min read
NEWS
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CryptoCompass editorial visual for altcoins coverage.

What Happened In Crypto Market Today? Who’s Behind the Major Drop?

What happened in crypto market today? The crypto market fell 3.0% to $2.69 trillion as Bitcoin dropped to $77,583.66, altcoins slid across the board, and over 81,000 traders got liquidated for $381.09 million, following a big Bitcoin ETF outflow and cautious Fed comments.

The drop hit almost every corner of the market at once. Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Cardano all fell together. Memecoins fell even harder. And the pressure came from more than one direction today.

Key Takeaways

  • The global crypto market cap dropped to $2.69 trillion, down 3.0% in 24 hours, per CoinGecko data.

  • BTC ETFs saw a $201.81 million net outflow on August 28, the biggest single day pull of the month, per SoSoValue.

  • Liquidations hit $381.09 million across 81,682 traders in 24 hours, per CoinGlass.

Why Did Bitcoin And Altcoins Crash Today?

Bitcoin fell over 2.5% intraday and traded at $77,583.66. Ethereum dropped 2.8% to $2,435.73. XRP slid 2.7% to $1.38, and Cardano lost more than 4.5% to trade at $0.1998. Bitcoin dominance held at 58%, while Ethereum dominance sat at 10.9%. Daily trading volume across the market reached $80.9 billion, showing how fast money moved out of positions today.

CoinPrice Today24H ChangeBitcoin (BTC)$77,583.66-2.5%Ethereum (ETH)$2,435.73-2.8%XRP$1.38-2.7%Cardano (ADA)$0.1998-4.5%Dogecoin (DOGE)$0.0845-3.0%Shiba Inu (SHIB)$0.000005096-4.0%

Why Are Memecoins Falling Faster Than Bitcoin?

Memecoins took the harder hit. Dogecoin dropped 3% to $0.0845, and Shiba Inu fell over 4% to $0.000005096. When Bitcoin and altcoins slide, memecoins usually fall faster since they carry less liquidity and get sold first once traders start cutting risk.

Why Did Bitcoin ETFs See Their Biggest August Outflow?

Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $201.81 million on August 28, the largest single day outflow of the month, according to SoSoValue data

Bitcoin ETF outflow today

That outflow weighed on sentiment heading into today's session, adding pressure right as Bitcoin and altcoin prices were already sliding.

What Did Fed Chairman Warsh Say About Rate Cuts?

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh spoke on August 28 and said recent inflation readings came in better than expected but did not show the underlying trend had meaningfully improved, CNBC reported. He avoided naming a specific rate path and called instead for a "quieter" Fed with less reliance on forward guidance, telling markets not to look to the central bank for their next move. The comments gave no clear direction either way, yet they still shook sentiment across the crypto market today.

What Else Happened In Crypto News Today?

GOLD token rug pull: A token called GOLD launched recently from an account followed by Donald Trump on X, drawing fast attention from traders. On-chain data from Lookonchain shows the team wallet held 600 million GOLD, and 15 newly created wallets linked to the team spent $18,657 to buy 224.5 million GOLD early. 

GOLD token launched

Those same wallets then sold the entire stack for 3,178 SOL, worth about $330,000, a 17x profit. The team still controls 82.45% of total supply, a level that leaves the token highly exposed to further dumps.

Avici refund update:Avici's card-issuing partner, Rain, found a vulnerability in a Solana card contract used by Avici and a small number of other programs. The flaw has since been patched across all affected programs, and no new unauthorized activity has been seen. Avici confirmed 1,685 users had a combined $500,859.22 in card balances hit, and every affected user will get a full refund. Self-custodial Avici wallets, along with Solana and EVM wallet balances, stayed untouched. Avici has also filed a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Hyperliquid upgrade: Hyperliquid founder Jeff confirmed that permissionless HIP-4 deployments will go live with the platform's next network upgrade, letting more builders launch on Hyperliquid without prior approval. Templates for these deployments will roll out over time through validator voting rather than all at once. The announcement came on a red day for the token itself: HYPE traded at $81.06, down over 2.8% intraday, moving in step with the broader market-wide sell-off rather than reacting to the upgrade news.

Lazarus Group activity: The North Korea-linked Lazarus Group, known for major crypto exploits, moved 244.148 BTC, worth roughly $19.42 million, in a fresh on-chain transaction. Security researchers tracking the wallets flagged the transfer as part of a pattern the group uses to consolidate and launder funds stolen from previous hacks. The movement doesn't point to a new attack, but it's a reminder that proceeds from past exploits are still being shuffled through the system months or years later.

What Next For The Crypto Market?

Traders are now watching three events that could move prices next: the Clarity Act, the upcoming Fed meeting, and Cardano's governance proposal committee vote. Any one of these could shift the direction of the crypto market in the days ahead.

Conclusion

What happened in crypto market today: Today's crypto market crash combined ETF outflows, cautious Fed comments, and heavy liquidations into one sharp move lower. Bitcoin, altcoins, and memecoins fell together, while $381 million in positions got wiped out. With the Clarity Act, Fed meeting, and Cardano vote ahead, the market's next move stays wide open.

YMYL Disclaimer: This report covers crypto market data and news as of August 29, 2026, and is for informational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Crypto prices are highly volatile and carry a real risk of loss. Always do your own research and speak with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.