Declining risk appetite in global markets was the main backdrop for cryptocurrencies during the week of January 19-23, 2026. Bitcoin and Ether rolled back after starting the year on high expectations, and the movement was exacerbated by sell-offs by large holders, capital outflows from exchange-traded products, and a wave of forced liquidations of leveraged positions.
According to Investing.com, between January 19 and 23, Bitcoin fell from $92,617.8 to $88,756.7 per coin, or approximately 4.2% over the week. The range of fluctuations was wide: during the week, the price rose to $93,386.9 and fell to $87,285.1.
Ether lost about 8.7% over the same period: from $3,190.04 to $2,911.44. The intraday range for ETH was even more volatile, with a low of about $2,867.81 and a high of about $3,284.03.
Geopolitical and trade risks were the key triggers for the sell-off. The market discussed the threat of tariffs and the sharp rhetoric surrounding Greenland, which compounded the turbulence in debt markets, including in Japan. CoinDesk linked the fall of BTC below $90,000 to a combination of sell-offs in risky assets and deteriorating sentiment amid the tariff agenda.
The second reason is market mechanics. Volatility accelerated liquidations in futures and margin positions, while institutional demand appeared less resilient. MarketWatch, citing market participants, wrote that since the beginning of the week, there had been about $500 million in outflows from US spot ETFs on Bitcoin, and the volume of liquidations on Bitcoin futures exceeded $700 million.
It is worth noting the contrast between capital flow data and actual price dynamics. CoinShares reported that in the week ending January 16, crypto investment products attracted $2.17 billion, with sentiment deteriorating at the very end of the week due to geopolitics and tariff threats. This report was released on January 19 and became an important marker: money was coming in, but the market was sensitive to sudden changes in the news background.
By midweek, volatility had partially subsided after signals of softening rhetoric. Reuters reported that global markets reacted with rising stocks and a weaker dollar after Trump publicly backed away from some of his threats regarding tariffs and Greenland. In the crypto market, this led to stabilization rather than a full-fledged trend reversal.
What market participants will be watching first and foremost: the continuation or fading of the tariff agenda, the dynamics of flows in ETFs/ETPs, and the Fed’s decision — the next FOMC meeting is scheduled for January 27-28.
Source: https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20260124/pidsumok-tizhnya-dlya-kriptovalyut-analiz-fixygen.html
