Bitcoin fell toward $78,000 on Tuesday after facing another rejection near $80,000, erasing much of last week's rebound. BTC dropped to an intraday low around $78,200 and was trading just above that level, roughly 4% below Thursday’s three-month high near $82,500. The latest leg lower followed a brief push above $80,400 on Monday, showing how quickly upside momentum faded beneath persistent resistance.
The broader crypto market value declined about 1% to $2.670 trillion, while Bitcoin's market capitalization slipped to approximately $1.570 trillion. Its dominance over altcoins fell to 58.8%. XRP added to the pressure by breaking below the $1.40 support area and trading around $1.39. Ethereum fell under $2,500 after failing to hold that level on Sunday and Monday. Solana remained above $100 despite a 1.7% daily decline, reflecting uneven losses across large-cap assets.
Altcoin moves were mixed. Zcash, Monero, Chainlink and Hyperliquid gave back part of their recent gains, while TAO dropped 6% and PONS retreated more than 10% after a strong rally. These moves showed a shift toward selective rather than synchronized performance. In contrast, BNB reclaimed the $750 level, and DeFi-linked tokens provided pockets of resilience. Aerodrome Finance advanced roughly 17%, Injective climbed 10%, and PancakeSwap gained 7.5% over 24 hours.
Derivatives data highlighted cautious positioning. Total futures open interest remained near $141 billion, while trading volume rose 5% to $149.85 billion. Bitcoin open interest in USDT and USD futures climbed from 257,000 BTC to 265,000 BTC as spot price fell toward $78,700, potentially signaling fresh short activity. Weekly options showed active BTC and ETH calls, leaving some bullish expectations alive despite the renewed price pressure.
