Bitcoin retreats toward $81,000 amid market volatility
Bitcoin fell from approximately $84,700 early Thursday to around $80,900, marking its sharpest decline in two weeks. It later revisited the $81,000 level before stabilizing in a range between $81,000 and $82,000. At the time covered by the supplied report, BTC was trading near $81,500, down about 3.7% since midnight Thursday.
The decline followed a week of sharp price swings, with Bitcoin experiencing moves of roughly $3,000. By Friday, trading had become more range-bound, with the price fluctuating within less than $1,000 for much of the session. That narrower range followed the recent volatility but did not establish that selling pressure had ended.
Solana moved lower alongside Bitcoin, falling from approximately $109 to $103 before recovering to around $104. The simultaneous weakness in the two assets came as exchange-traded fund flows and derivatives liquidations showed continued activity across the crypto market.
Bitcoin ETFs post $635.6 million in daily outflows
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded $635.6 million in net outflows on Thursday, reversing the $528.4 million in net inflows reported on Wednesday. The withdrawal was the largest single-day outflow since June 25, when the funds lost $696.29 million.
Despite Thursday's reversal, the funds remained positive for the week, with cumulative net inflows of $442.7 million. The reported daily figures included $526.7 million in inflows on Monday, $23.2 million on Tuesday and $528.4 million on Wednesday, before the latest outflows erased much of the week's earlier gains.
Bitcoin was also trading below the reported average acquisition cost of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, at $82,313. That comparison places the market price below the funds' estimated average purchase level, although it does not mean every ETF investor is holding an unrealized loss. Individual results depend on the timing and price of each investment.
Solana ETFs see record monthly outflows
U.S. spot Solana ETFs have recorded $72.24 million in net outflows so far in October, making it the worst month since their launch based on the figures supplied. The withdrawals suggest that demand for regulated investment products offering exposure to SOL has weakened during the broader market downturn.
The funds experienced weekly net outflows of $24.81 million and $25.52 million over the previous two weeks. They also recorded $17.31 million in outflows during the current week, although Friday's trading session had not yet concluded when the figures were compiled.
Before October, June 2026 was the only other month with net outflows, totaling $786,580. October's reported withdrawals are therefore substantially larger. However, ETF flows alone do not explain why investors are withdrawing funds, and the figures do not establish whether the change reflects a longer-term shift in demand or a response to short-term market conditions.
Investors can monitor published fund-flow data through Farside Investors' Bitcoin ETF tracker and compare it with other market data providers. Separate Solana ETF figures should be checked against the relevant reporting date, since daily totals can change as new trading sessions are completed.
Crypto liquidations exceed $254 million
The market decline also coincided with substantial liquidations in leveraged crypto positions. Data attributed to CoinGlass in the supplied report showed that 99,714 traders were liquidated over 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching $254.19 million.
Long positions accounted for $162.22 million of the total, while short positions represented $91.97 million. That translates to approximately 63.8% of liquidations coming from long positions and 36.2% from short positions. The largest individual liquidation order identified in the report was a $3.77 million SOXL-USD position on Hyperliquid.
Liquidations occur when an exchange or trading platform closes a leveraged position after the trader no longer meets its margin requirements. When prices fall sharply, leveraged long positions can be forced to close, potentially adding to selling pressure. The relationship is not automatic, however, and liquidation figures alone cannot establish the cause of Bitcoin's price decline.
Readers can consult CoinGlass's liquidation data documentation to understand how aggregated long and short liquidation data is organized. The $254.19 million figure represents the reported 24-hour period and should not be treated as a permanent measure of market stress.
Fear and Greed Index signals a cooling market mood
The supplied report put CoinMarketCap's Crypto Fear and Greed Index at 48, a neutral reading. The index had declined from 78 over the previous month, a drop of 38.4%, while Bitcoin had lost approximately 5% over the same period.
The index reportedly remained in neutral territory for 16 consecutive days, its longest such stretch since May. Since October 8, it had fluctuated between 48 and 58, well below its year-to-date high of 82 recorded on August 27.
The index summarizes several indicators of crypto-market sentiment, but it does not directly measure investor holdings or predict future prices. A neutral reading alongside ETF outflows and elevated liquidations shows that these indicators can tell different parts of the market story. The latest reading can be checked on CoinMarketCap's Fear and Greed Index page.
Bitcoin faces hurdles on the path toward $100,000
Bitcoin remains well below its reported all-time high of more than $126,000, reached approximately a year earlier. A recovery beginning in August had supported hopes of a move back toward $100,000 before year-end, but recent volatility has complicated that outlook.
The supplied report also pointed to concerns about artificial intelligence spending as part of the wider market backdrop. It did not establish that these concerns directly caused Bitcoin's decline. Crypto prices can respond to several overlapping factors, including broader financial-market conditions, derivatives positioning and changes in demand for investment products.
For now, Bitcoin's position below the reported $82,313 average acquisition cost of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, combined with Thursday's sharp fund outflows and the latest liquidation figures, provides a snapshot of a market under pressure. These metrics do not determine what happens next, and a sustained recovery would need to be assessed through subsequent price action, fund flows and trading conditions.
Solana ETF withdrawals add another sign of weaker demand across parts of the crypto investment market. Whether October's outflows persist will become clearer as the month closes and updated fund-flow figures become available.
