Bitcoin (BTC) has entered a key capitulation phase, analysts argue. However, positioning, discipline, and risk management now matter much more than price predictions. Additionally, BTC is now moving through a sustained reset rather than a brief correction. This may last for months to come, analysts note. That said, amid macro uncertainty, institutional outflows, declining liquidity, compressed volatility, and dampened risk appetite, Bitcoin as a barometer for broader capital sentiment is on the rise. At the time of writing (Thursday, 14:00 UTC), BTC was trading at $69,313, having dropped 7.9% in a day. TLDR: The crypto market is now in full capitulation mode; BTC is no longer in short-term correction; It needs to defend the $70,000 threshold; The $55,700-$58,200 zone is on the table; Bitcoin OGs who are doing most of the selling; Macro uncertainty and risk sentiment are currently driving flows; If liquidity improves and key support holds, Bitcoin could stabilise; BTC serves as a barometer of whether capital is willing to re-engage with higher-risk assets; The crypto market is unlikely to decouple from macro-driven risk pricing. ‘Bitcoin Capitulation’ Nic Puckrin, investment analyst and co-founder of Coin Bureau , commented on BTC’s recent and major pullback, particularly its fall to the $70,000 level. “As Bitcoin continues its slide toward the psychological barrier of $70,000, it’s clear the crypto market is now in full capitulation mode,” he said. Per Puckrin, based on data provided by previous cycles, the current situation is “no longer a short-term correction, but rather a transition from distribution to reset.” These typically take months, not weeks, he warns. The analyst now expects BTC to fight to defend the $70,000 threshold. If it breaks below, it could proceed lower towards its bear market low around the $55,700-$58,200 territory. Source: TradingView Meanwhile, Puckrin also noted that the market is slipping as Bitcoin whales are going for large-scale selling. At the same time, institutional outflows are increasing. Yet, while Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are seeing negative flows, the majority of ETF holders are sitting on paper losses. It is Bitcoin OGs who are doing most of the selling, Puckrin says, citing Bloomberg data. “This is Bitcoin’s institutionalisation in action,” the analyst concludes. ‘Discipline Over Prediction’ Nic Roberts-Huntley, CEO and co-founder of Blueprint Finance , argues that Bitcoin’s latest drop doesn’t suggest a fundamental breakdown in demand. Instead, it reflects a broader risk-off sentiment across markets. The number one coin has struggled to hold key technical levels. Liquidity dried up and forced liquidations intensified, the CEO said. Additionally, macro uncertainty and risk sentiment are currently driving flows, as evidenced by the demand for precious metals and other traditional hedges. “That said, if macro clarity returns, liquidity improves, and key support holds, Bitcoin could stabilise and set the stage for a recovery rally later in the cycle,” Roberts-Huntley wrote. “In the near term, traders and investors should be watching whether BTC can defend the mid-$70,000s and reclaim the $78,000–$80,000 zone.” These are key levels to monitor. A lot of stops were likely just taken, and a lot of people are now flipping bearish because of the lower low IMO this *could* lead to a short-term bounce I closed more shorts and will leave the rest — no new positions until more clarity and no hedge long yet either — Tony Severino, CMT (@TonySeverinoCMT) February 3, 2026 Meanwhile, Tony Severino, market analyst at YouHodler , wrote that the common theme across markets this week “is not direction, but compression.” Bitcoin is “locked in one of the tightest volatility regimes in its history.” At the same time, currency volatility is rising even as the dollar softens, and metals are holding extreme levels without breaking. “These conditions tend to frustrate short-term participants, but they also signal that markets are working off time rather than trend,” Severino wrote. “For crypto investors, this is a phase that rewards discipline over prediction.” He argued that macro forces are shifting, while technical structures across assets suggest that resolution is nearing. Timing, though, is still unclear. “When volatility expands from these conditions, history suggests the move is unlikely to be subtle. Until then, patience, positioning, and risk management remain the real edge,” the analyst concluded. You may also like: Nic Roberts-Huntley on DeFi’s Next Frontier: Institutional Yield, Crypto Vaults, and the Maturation of Digital Assets | Ep. 509 Six months after the SEC officially ended its crusade against Ripple, a paradox has gripped the desk: U.S. institutions are aggressively dumping direct XRP exposure while simultaneously lining up for the ETF launch.At the time of writing, XRP was trading at $1.22, heavily discounted from its July 2025 peak of $3.65.Despite the "legal clarity" celebrated in August, institutional conviction appears fractured. While Bitwise and WisdomTree updated their S-1 filings in October—pushing... ‘Bitcoin Serves as a Barometer’ Bitunix analysts identified renewed tensions in the Middle East, as well as the AI -sector-fuelled “repricing-driven selloff” in technology stocks, as major factors affecting markets. When it comes to BTC specifically, it retraced 45% from last year’s high of $126,080. The overall market pullback suggests that “the excess risk premium accumulated earlier has been systematically squeezed out.” Subsequently, this has led to market sensitivity to liquidity conditions, as well as elevated uncertainty. Additionally, “Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a result indicator of whether markets are willing to reabsorb risk,” the analysts say. In other words, BTC “serves as a barometer of whether capital is willing to re-engage with higher-risk assets.” If the cryptocurrency manages to reclaim $75,000 and remain structurally stable there amid mounting macro uncertainty, it would imply that the market’s pricing of systemic liquidity risk remains restrained. However, a sustained break below $75,000 would indicate that risk appetite has yet to recover. #Bitcoin now trades ~20% below its estimated $87K production cost as miner profitability hits a 14-month low. #Crypto $BTC #Mining https://t.co/kBh1sj8NDD — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) February 5, 2026 That said, “as long as global capital remains defensively positioned and structural deleveraging is incomplete, the crypto market is unlikely to decouple from macro-driven risk pricing,” the analysts argue. Market participants should continue to monitor geopolitical tensions and assess the risk of escalation into conflict. Another factor is that the technology sector repricing could potentially trigger a broader balance-sheet contraction across asset classes. You may also like: (LIVE) Crypto News Today: Latest Updates for February 5, 2026 The cryptocurrency market is facing intense selling pressure this Thursday, with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) leading a broad-based retreat that has sent total market capitalization sliding over 6%. Bitcoin recently dipped below the psychological $72,000 mark, falling nearly 5%, while Ethereum has struggled to maintain its footing above $2,100 following a 4.66% drop. The decline is most acute in the CeFi sector, which tumbled 6.05% behind heavy losses from Binance Coin and Nexo. Despite... The post Heads Up! Bitcoin Enters Capitulation Mode, Trades In a ‘Phase That Rewards Discipline Over Prediction’ appeared first on Cryptonews .
