Bitcoin price crash today — The cryptocurrency market is facing its darkest day of 2026 as Bitcoin (BTC) collapsed below the critical $65,000 support level early Monday, February 23. The leading digital asset shed over 5% of its value in a matter of hours, triggered by President Donald Trump’s sudden escalation of trade tensions. Following a stunning Supreme Court ruling that struck down his previous economic measures, the administration has doubled down, raising global tariffs to a hard ceiling of 15%. The move has sent shockwaves through risk assets, plunging the Crypto Fear and Greed Index to a record low of 5, signaling "Extreme Fear" among investors.

Trump's 15% Global Tariffs: The Catalyst for the Crash

The primary driver behind this morning's sell-off is the unexpected aggressive policy shift from the White House. On Friday, the Supreme Court invalidated President Trump's use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs. However, the victory for free-trade advocates was short-lived. In a Saturday announcement on Truth Social, President Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, implementing a blanket 15% tariff on all global imports for a period of 150 days.

This realization of Trump 15% global tariffs has rattled global markets, driving the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) higher as capital flees to traditional safe havens. Historically, a strengthening dollar correlates inversely with Bitcoin. "The market hates uncertainty, and a sudden 15% levy on all global trade is the definition of uncertainty," noted Riya Sehgal, a senior analyst at Delta Exchange. The fear is that these measures will reignite inflation, forcing the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated, further draining liquidity from the cryptocurrency market volatility.

Liquidations Top $450 Million in Market Bloodbath

The swiftness of the drop caught bullish traders off guard, leading to a cascade of forced selling. Data from CoinGlass reveals that crypto market liquidations exceeded $458 million in the last 24 hours, with the vast majority being long positions. As Bitcoin sliced through the $65,000 floor, stop-loss orders were triggered in waves, accelerating the price down to an intraday low of $64,300.

This "long squeeze" has devastated leverage traders who were betting on a weekend recovery. With over 136,000 traders liquidated, the leverage flush has reset open interest, but the sheer volume of selling suggests institutions are de-risking their portfolios in anticipation of a prolonged trade war. The Bitcoin price crash today is not just a technical correction but a fundamental repricing of risk assets in a new protectionist economic era.

Technical Analysis: Bitcoin Death Cross 2026 Looms

From a technical perspective, the charts are painting a grim picture. Bitcoin has now closed six consecutive weeks in the red, a streak not seen since the 2022 bear market. Analysts are now closely watching for a potential Bitcoin death cross 2026, a bearish pattern where the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day moving average. If this pattern confirms in the coming days, it could signal a longer-term downtrend.

Critical BTC Support Levels to Watch

With $65,000 now acting as formidable resistance, traders are eyeing lower BTC support levels. The immediate line in the sand is $64,000. A sustained break below this zone could open the floodgates toward the psychological $60,000 barrier. "Bulls need to reclaim $67,000 quickly to invalidate this breakdown," warns crypto analyst Rachael Lucas. "Otherwise, the path of least resistance remains strictly to the downside."

Sentiment Hits Rock Bottom: Extreme Fear

Investor sentiment has completely collapsed. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index plummeted to a score of 5 out of 100 on Monday. This level of "Extreme Fear" is historically rare, having only been touched during the FTX collapse and the COVID-19 crash. While contrarian investors often view such low readings as a buying opportunity, the macroeconomic headwinds provided by the new tariff regime make this time potentially different.

For now, the market remains in a precarious position. Investors are advised to exercise extreme caution as volatility is expected to remain high throughout the week as global trade partners react to the U.S. administration's latest economic offensive.