{
  "id": 16140380,
  "title": "Bitcoin Slides Toward $81,000 as Nasdaq Selloff Fuels Risk Aversion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/bitcoin-slides-toward-81-000-as-nasdaq-selloff-fuels-risk-aversion",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-23T02:26:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BusinessKorea",
    "slug": "businesskorea",
    "url": "https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=279498"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bitcoin experienced a significant decline, sliding more than 3% over the past 24 hours and nearing the $81,000 threshold. This downward trend was amplified by a sharp selloff in U.S. technology stocks and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Nasdaq Composite witnessed a substantial drop, with the index falling 2.60% on October 22 alone, its most significant single-day decline since early June. Concerns over AI investments further dampened investor appetite for risk assets, contributing to the risk-off sentiment that permeated cryptocurrency markets. As of 8 a.m. on October 23, Bitcoin was trading at $81,245 on CoinMarketCap, marking its steepest decline in over a month. Other major cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, XRP, and Solana also experienced declines, with respective drops of 4.12%, 4.77%, and 3.90%. The downturn was accompanied by a sharp decline in the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which witnessed a 694.00-point drop or 2.60%. Meta's shares fell approximately 7% despite meeting earnings expectations, prompting worries about the company's AI-related spending and cash flow. Factors like rising oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and the prospect of renewed military operations against Iran added to market pressure. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to a three-year low, underscoring the prevailing risk aversion. Despite the short-term decline, some analysts remain optimistic about Bitcoin's long-term prospects. JPMorgan Asset Management projects an annualized return of 10% for Bitcoin over the next 10 to 15 years, compared to 7.5% for U.S. large-cap equities and 5.5% for gold. However, Bitcoin's volatility, approximately three times that of gold, poses a significant risk that could impact investors' realized returns. U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw a net inflow of $1.1 billion, reversing two weeks of net outflows. Pratik Kala, a portfolio manager at Apollo Crypto, expressed optimism about Bitcoin's resilience amid macroeconomic shocks, predicting a potential upward movement in its next significant shift. The Fear and Greed Index, as measured by CoinMarketCap, stood at 48, indicating a neutral sentiment, down from 78 last month. Cryprice's index, however, registered 68, indicating greed, reflecting differing sentiment readings among various data providers. The Kimchi Premium, which represents the price premium Bitcoin commands on South Korean exchanges compared to overseas markets, remained stable at around 1%. Investors are now eagerly anticipating the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting scheduled for October 27-28 for potential insights into the market's direction.",
  "summary": "Bitcoin fell more than 3% over the past 24 hours, sliding toward the $81,000 mark as a sharp selloff in U.S. technology stocks and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor appetite for risk assets. Growing doubts over returns on artificial intelligence (AI) investments",
  "key_points": [
    "Bitcoin slides more than 3% in 24 hours, nearing $81,000 threshold",
    "Nasdaq Composite drops 2.60% on October 22, most significant single-day decline since June",
    "Heightened geopolitical tensions and AI investment concerns fuel risk aversion"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The synchronization of cryptocurrency declines with technology stock selloffs highlights how geopolitical instability and AI investment concerns can rapidly shift investor appetite away from high-risk assets.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}