Bitcoin price today: slides below $60k after large token transfer spooks traders

The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell sharply on Tuesday, abruptly reversing recent gains and falling back below the key $60,000 level. Broader crypto prices also tumbled in tandem with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin fell nearly 4% to $59,932.0 by 09:40 ET (13:40 GMT). 

$1.88 billion Bitcoin transfer spooks markets 

Whale Alert, an X profile that tracks large crypto transactions using on-chain data, said about 30,000 Bitcoin tokens, worth $1.88 billion at current rates, were transferred from a cold wallet to crypto exchange Binance on Tuesday.

Later reports said that the transaction was an internal transfer between Binance’s wallets. But the transfer still rattled traders with the prospect of a sale event, given that it showed a large amount of Bitcoin being moved onto an exchange. 

Mobilizations of tokens onto exchanges usually herald a sale, although it remained unclear if such a scenario would occur. 

But news of the transfer added to selling pressure on Bitcoin, which was already retreating after a weekend rebound petered out. 

Bitcoin capital inflows slow- Glassnode 

A report from blockchain research firm Glassnode showed that net capital inflows into Bitcoin had “markedly cooled” in recent months, likely driving the token’s rangebound performance between $50,000 and $60,000. 

The report suggested that investor optimism over the launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds had cooled entirely, and that a degree of equilibrium had been reached between investors holding profitable and loss-making positions on the token.

But the report also noted that speculative activity around Bitcoin had fallen sharply in recent months, leaving spot market action as the key driver of prices in the near-term. 

Glassnode warned that periods of calmer speculation and market action preceded a “an expectation for heightened volatility,” which could herald wilder swings in Bitcoin’s price over the coming weeks.

Bitcoin has remained within a tight trading range after hitting a record high in March, as trading volumes in the token steadily fell amid waning retail interest.

Crypto price today: altcoins fall in tandem with Bitcoin

Broader crypto prices tracked declines in Bitcoin, amid a dearth of positive cues for the sector.

World no.2 crypto Ether fell 3.6% to $2,518.83, while XRP, SOL and ADA sank between 1.4% and 5%. 

MATIC shed 10%, while among meme tokens, DOGE lost 3.5%. 

Cardano set for biggest network upgrade in years

Blockchain platform Cardano is nearing its most significant upgrade in two years, set to bring major changes to its main network and introduce new mechanisms for users to participate in on-chain governance.

This upgrade, known as the "Chang hard fork," marks a key milestone in Cardano’s development, following the much-anticipated addition of smart contracts in 2021. Originally scheduled for this week, the Chang hard fork has been delayed until September 1, as announced by Hoskinson on Friday. The delay allows some exchanges, including Binance, to properly prepare their systems.

"The magic of deadlines is that people who aren't taking upgrades seriously suddenly say damn we got to get moving," Hoskinson wrote on X.

A hard fork represents a major update to a blockchain that renders older versions obsolete. While sometimes contentious, hard forks are often planned and coordinated, bringing substantial changes for users and developers, such as new features or problem fixes.

The key feature of this upcoming upgrade is the introduction of on-chain governance capabilities.

ADA holders, Cardano's native token, will gain the ability to elect representatives (known as Delegate Representatives or dReps) and vote on improvement proposals, as well as future technical changes to the blockchain.

Ambar Warrick contributed to this report.