BTC/USD: Bitcoin Prices Wipe Out $100 Billion as Winning Traders Take Sats Off the Table

De-risking and profit taking rule the day — crypto bros pulled back spending on Bitcoin after prices peaked at over $122,000.

💺 Bitcoin Rally Hits the Brakes

• Bitcoin prices BTCUSD dropped more than 5% in the past 24 hours, slipping to a low of $116,50 as the crypto’s relentless rally lost steam amid a classic round of profit-taking.
• The flagship coin had punched through $122,000 early Monday, setting yet another record high, but the surge was short-lived as traders quickly moved to lock in gains.
• The sell-off erased about $100 billion in Bitcoin’s total market value in a matter of hours, reminding everyone that when the crypto bros decide to take sats off the table — they do it big. The flagship token’s value is back near $2.3 trillion after soaring to as high as $2.45 trillion.

🏛️ ‘Crypto Week’ Kicks Off in Washington

• The timing of this pullback isn’t new to the textbooks: remember the classic “buy the rumor, sell the news” adage? The broad retreat arrives right as the White House kicks off “Crypto Week,” with the House of Representatives set to weigh three major bills aimed at regulating the crypto industry.
• The hope? New legislation could finally provide the structure and guardrails investors want — potentially paving the way for even larger institutional inflows.
• But until there’s clarity, uncertainty is the name of the game, and that’s helping to fuel the current wave of de-risking and profit booking.

🤔 Big Year, Big Questions

• Even with this fresh drop, Bitcoin remains up about 23% so far in 2025, comfortably outpacing the S&P 500, but dropping below gold’s returns of more than 28%.
• The past week alone saw all major cryptocurrencies post gains as optimism built around the regulatory path ahead. Ether ETHUSD, the second-largest token, blasted off above $3,000 for the first time in about six months.
• The real test? Whether the crypto crowd sees this as a healthy breather — or a sign that Bitcoin’s latest record run might need a bigger catalyst to power the next leg to $130,000 and beyond.