SEOUL — The cryptocurrency market is reeling after a sharp and sudden sell-off pushed the price of Bitcoin below the crucial $100,000 mark for the first time since June. As of 5:20 AM KST today, the benchmark digital asset was trading at $99,969, representing a precipitous 6.28% drop over the last 24 hours. This collapse signifies a devastating 20%-plus plunge from its previous high of $126,000, raising serious questions about the immediate trajectory of the wider crypto ecosystem.

The current market malaise appears to be a toxic cocktail of macro-economic anxieties and sector-specific risk aversion. A significant factor cited by market observers is a widespread risk-off sentiment emanating from Wall Street. This is coinciding with a brutal sell-off in technology stocks, which has been exacerbated by overvaluation fears, particularly those linked to companies like Palantir. The interconnected nature of high-growth tech and volatile crypto markets means that a downturn in one often triggers a reaction in the other.

Compounding the volatility is the ongoing political gridlock in the United States, with a Federal Government shutdown continuing to unnerve investors. This pervasive political uncertainty is pushing capital toward perceived safe-haven assets and away from the high-risk, high-reward digital currency space.

Sean Farrell, Director of Digital Assets at Fundstrat, noted that institutional forces are clearly at play: "Whales are massively selling off cryptocurrencies to avoid risk." This statement underscores that large-scale institutional holders are actively de-risking their portfolios, which creates significant downward pressure on prices.
The carnage is not confined to Bitcoin. The broader altcoin market is also facing a simultaneous, steep decline. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has been hit particularly hard, plummeting 12.39% to trade at $3,162. Other major altcoins mirror this downward trend:

Ripple (XRP): Down 8.22% to $2.13
Binance Coin (BNB): Down 8.73% to $904
Solana (SOL): Down 8.83% to $151

These latest figures represent an acceleration of yesterday’s negative trend, where Bitcoin and Ripple had already seen declines of 3% and 5% respectively. The deepening magnitude of today's losses suggests that what started as a correction is quickly morphing into a full-scale rout.

The market now faces a critical inflection point. While some analysts maintain a long-term bullish outlook, believing the current dip is merely a necessary "cooling-off phase," the breakdown of a major psychological and technical support level like $100,000 for Bitcoin is a powerful, bearish signal. Investors are now bracing for the possibility that the current downturn is "not the end," and that further capitulation could follow before the market finds a stable floor. The confluence of macro-economic fears and heavy institutional selling indicates a challenging period ahead for digital asset investors.